New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-07
"EXTRA-TERRITORIALITY."
THE PECULIAR RIGHTS OF MONARCHS
AND AMBASSADORS IN FOREIGN
LANDS
THEY ARE ENTITLED TO ACT AS II At HOME
WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM LOCAL Pc
LICE-INFLLCTING PUNISHMENT AT
THEIR OWN WILL--TIIE
THEIR OWN wILL-TlIE
RIGHT OF ASYLUM.

THEIR OWN WIIL-rHE
RIGHT OF ASYLUM
French luminosity to the King Of Siam, the
most enlightened and civilized Oriental monarch
who has ever visited europe, has led to the cir
oulation in the Partisan press OF all sorts OF eX-
travagant rumors calculated to portray nm IN a
dispeasing light 1t is therefore probable that
the sensational story to the effect that the hihg'
while at Lisbon. had sentenced to death one vi
the members of his suite for breach or ell
quette is cut out OF the same cloth as 'ha'
equally weird romance about his causing 10 DC
Tres ,ntad to a British nobleman visiting bang
kok at the close Of an inspection OF the koyal
Zenana, a golden salver on which lay the sun
bleeding head of one of the harem beauties
whom the Englshman had admired TOO eh'hu-
siastcally to suit the jealous taste of His Ma
jesty. Yet it must be admitted mat the III
cident which is stated to have occurred in the
Portuguese capital is not altogether beyond the
bounds of possibility and at any rate the pub
Lefty which il has received both in Europe ana
in the United States serves to call attention I"
a very serious difficulty with which European
governments are confronted in connection Win
the question of extra territorial rights each time
that any Oriental potentate visits their domln-
ions
International law is to such an extent based
on mere comfy, custom and theory, instead Oh
hard and fast statutes. that it is difficult to know
exactly where the extra-territorial preroSat'es
Of ambassadors and OF their sovereignS oesih
and end These ill-defincd rights are supposed
10 he accorded to their fullest extent by civized
nations 20 foreign ambassadors and TO such
foreign monarchs may pay visits oiiiciaiIy Vi
ipcognito They are likewise conceded. by virtue
Of the so-called Treaty OF Guarantees 20 'he
Pope. and should the latter deem II necessary !"
punish some crime committed "ithih the pre-
cincts of the Vatican he would have perfect
legal right to cause the offenders Incarceration
or even execution within the walls OF the fapdi
demesne without any intervention or refhoh-
strance on the part 81 the judicial authorities
of the Kingdom Of Italy. II Is hardly necessary
to say that neither Plus IN nor Leo Nil mas
ever taken advantage of this prerosative ana
that the audacious story OF the Eisish "ri'e''
Allen Upward. about the execution OF TRAITOR
nv the Papal guards in the Vatican grounds in
1872 has not a vestige of truth In it, although II
certainly serves to demonstrate what the Pope
could do IL he saw fit.
Precisely in the same way that the residence
of the Supreme Head Of the Catholic Church Is
considered as a bit OF foreign and independent
ton and rule Of the environing Kingdom 81
Italy So too Is each foreign envoy ana i"ieieh
sovereign travelling in state or incognito sup
nosed IN take a bit OF his own country from
home with him. on which he resides ana from
which he never departs. He is regarded as
never having quilted bis own territory, ENJOYS
a perfect immunity from the jurisdiction OF the
land. and in the case Of diplomat remains eN-
clusively answerable to the laws vi HIS own
country Theoretically, therefore. Foreign am
bassadors and visiting sovereigrs have a perfect
right to infiict any kind Of punishment whc'
they may see fit upon he members OF ther
suite without being called to account by ne
authorities Of the country in which they may
happen to be "esiding; and while pubic OPINION
would certainly have esented the acton "t the
King OF Siam in putting 10 death AZ LISBON d
member Of his suite by Eay OF punishment iof
a breach Of etiquette, yet the oriental po'eh-
tate would have been entirely WITHIN the liiH''s
of his extra territorial Nights and pTef"gatFes'
and the deed could not have been resented by
the Spanish Government or made the SUBJECT
Of any official remonstrance.
INSTANCES IN THE LAST CENTURY.
During the last century there were quite
large number OF incidents OF this kind. Thus.
when Venice was still republic the Spanish
Ambassador, having caught one OF his Spanish
servants in the act of thievng, proceeded to
try. convict and sentence the man to death
within the precincts % the Embassy. and then
harged him from OF the windows OF his
palace A French Ambassador did the same
thing with a member OF his suite VINO had been
guilty of murder in London shortly afterward'
while NJ de Thou the French Envoy to Hol-
land kept a member Of his staff imprisoned for