The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-26
LITTLE KINGS IN LONDON.
Ambassadors OF Foreign Govern
ments Have Many Privileges.

From CaSSelIS Journal
The foreign ambassadors accredited to
the court of st. James are. as in fact the
law books upon them, little kings, being
privileged beyond amy subjects in the
realm. The law of nations has decided
that the Ambassador. like the royal SOW
ereign, is above the law. a statement
which implies that he may do just what
he likes. 1t is certain that he may COM
init murder and not be liable to arrest by
the myrmidons of New Scotland Yard; he
may be guilty of robbery with violence
ana no judge can threaten him with i'm
prisonment or 1.-THE cat; ne NAV forge
rob banks, and even seriously assault
the prime minister and yet go quietly
home to dinner without the least fear
of being served with a police court sum-
mons on the following morning.
He can do more than this-he NAV act
ually endeaVor to dethrone the queen as
did Mendoza, the Spanish ambassador, III
Elizabeth's reign, or plot to take her life,
as did LiAubespine, the French ambassa-
dor. in 1884, and yet not suffer the penal
ties of the law; for, though the arm of
the law can take hold of most wrongdo-
ers, the ambassador is an exception. II
may be asked what can be done to an
ambassador who. for instance, commits
remedy? All the state can do in such
cases is to oppose force to force, eXpel
the oitending minister from the country.
and make representation to the ambassa-
doris sovereign, requesting him to punish
him for his behavior.
In the event of the sovereign ignoring
the request, this would probably be a
cause of war between the two nations As
we have seen that an ambassador may
with impunity commit all these criminal
acts, it is not surprising that the civil
injuries which one suffers at his hands
are not redressible in the English courts
of law. The baker, butcher or fishmoneer
in fact, any tradesman who supplies goods
on credit to an ambassador or members
of his suite, does so at his own risk. You
cannot county court an attache or sue
an ambassador; in fact, if you attempt
even to serve summons, you would
eventually appear before the lord chan
cellor and two judges, who would impose
upon you certain penalties and corporal
punishment if need be, for thus violating
the law of nations. This privilege, ac~
cording to most authorities, even extends
to the ambassadors domestic servants,
provided their names be registered with
the secretary of state.
But the ambassadors privileges do not
stop here. Neither the rate collector nor
the tax collector calls upon him. for he
pays no taxes and though ii is true that
he cannot send his letters without first
atfiXing postage stamps in the ordinary
way, yet so far as sending things to his
own country goes, he is privileged in the
following manner: There is in all en-
bassies what is known as the valise, big
bag, the name signifies. In this he
puts whatever he will, dutiable articles
included. This bag is sealed at the en-
bassy, delivered to the postal authorities
and forwarded to its destination without
being opened. In the same way he may re-
ceive from his country the vaise no mat
ter what it may contain, and it will be de-
livered to him unopened. Household, sup
plies, too such as wine. game, etc, for
the use of the household, he may like
wise receive from abroad, duty free pro-
vided he first obtain from the foreign of
fee a special permit, which is never re-
fused. Not only is the person of the am
bassador sacred but his carriage and hotel
or place of residence. are also looked upon
as inviolable. To force ones way into
an ambassadors house is a most heinous
offense. Neither officers of justice nor
revenue officers can enter.
In early times to such length was this
privilege carried that if a man committed
a crime, and gained admittance to some
foreign embassy it was thought that he
could not be taken. However, it has now
been definitely decided that there is no
right of asylum in embassies, and if an
ambassador harbors a. criminal. police Of
ticers may take him into custody without
breaking the law of nations.