New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-21

England. on the 9TH inst; Mr.. David Dudley Field OF
Ncw-York delivered address on International Afoi
tratiou Ho said:
Seven years ago ~ the meeting Of this Assoc,atOh
held at Manchester In 1866 10 oIy good fortune 10
outlines Of an international Code. The proposition was
received with favor and the committee was appone,a
composed of juriss from diff rent countries. IN ibe
distribution Of the labor OF preparing che outlines a
portion was assigned TO me- 1t being understood ihat
the different members OF the committee should hrst
interchange what they had respectively prepared ana
then meet for general revision. This, however was
found 10 be difficult. The members lived at TOO great
distances from each other for easy Interchange
Under this embarrassment thought 10 more convenient
for tho other members of the committee as wen as or
myself to undertake q draught Of the whole work,
hoping that the Others wonld take tho same course Lhe
work thus undertaken by me ha3 been completed ai'er
several years Of ahor; auc come nov TO lay u before
my colleagues, and, with their permission, before
the Association Itself Mr.. Field then spoke or
the mauy questions Of maritime law which may arise IN
the case ~ single ship nc sea az an ustfbOb OF no"
varied are the details Of that public aw which IL desis
mated variOusly as international law or the law OF pa
tOns He then proceeded TO describe ia detail the cOue
he submitted The work he said, is divided into two
Dooks-oDe relating to peace, the other to war; or To
speak more accurately The first treats OF the TsIatoos
OF nations and of their members toward each other ex
cept they modified by state OF war; the second
treats OF the modification In these relations prodoed Dy
state Of war The first book further subdyided into
two portions containing the rules respecting the re-
latOns OF nations Ia each other and 10 the memDels OF
other nations the second respecting the relations OF
the members OF nation the members OF other ma
tons the first being that which Is commonly known as
known IA private international law. Bearing these ~
visions In mind. let s glance at some OF the more I'LL
portant divisions which they contain.
III respect to copyright patent right and nHdemarkH
no would assert the right OF the anthor Inventor Or
first designer 10 be held sacred and maintained I'D
all countries Longitude he would compute everywhere
az do the English, from Greenwich, instead OF taxing
for the maps OF country from Paris and for those OF
another from Washington. For weights ana measures
he would adopt the metric system OF the French ana as
20 money he would nave q inform coinage or certain
pieces Of gold, which wOuld pass current 10 every
country, and thus travellers and traders from the
loss and embarrassment to which they are now SUBJECT
tbnt n
intended for the preservation OF peace lhey
would require, hrs that there should be simultaneous
reduction OF the enormous ornaments which now WeRh
upon Europe: secondly, that any disagreement or
Of complaint should arise between nations, the
aggrieyed should give formal notice Ia the Oher,
specifying In detail the causes OF complaint anu
tue redress sought, and that this complaint
should be formally answered within certain
period This IL, in brief sketch OF the present
attempt aid Ia the formation Of International Code
suited To the civilizations OF these nations aud 10 the
Christianity of this nineteenth century Of tho Christian
era Since these outlines were prepared Two important
steps have been taken toward the establishment OF an
International Code. One was conference held az
Client Oh the sth of last September, where
an institute OF international law was founded This
institution has undertaken to treat OF several lu-
pOrtant subjects during the next year, aud 70 meet
again in August 1874 at Geneva for further action Tue
subjects TO he treated are international arbitration. the
three rules OF the Treaty OF Washington and private In
ternatiOnal law. committee or eight WAS also af-
pointed to attend the forthcoming Conference az Brus
sells This Conference, which Will begin its sessiOn dur
ing the present weekon the 10th Of October-had It's
origin In meeting held in NowYork on the 10Th OF May,
at which "a resolution passed that meeting should
called for consultation upon the best method Of pre-
pairing an international code and the most promising
means OF procuring ito adoption committee OF five
accordingly appointed by whom the meeting. which
Is TO be held CD the 10th OF The month, has been called
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