Letters of Marque.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2987, 15 July 1878, Page 3

Letters of Marque.

"Senex" writes as follows .to the Editor of The Times :— Sir,—Some strange misconception appears to prevail, even among educated persons and politicians, as to the. present state of the laws and practice of civilised nations with reference to the issue of letters of mark by "belligerent Powers to the subjects off neutral States. Even Sir Samuel Baker says, "America has reserved her freedom of action; thus, in a war between England and Bussia, the latter Power will issue letteis of marque to American adventurers and a swarm of Alabamas may interrupt or 1* commerce." I beg to assure Sir Samuel Baker, and any of your readers who nr ay share his alarms, that it is wholly unfounded. The old practice of issuing letters of marque to the subjects of neutral States, by which they were authorised to carry on a sort of legalised piracy against the vessels and property of a nation with which they were not at war, had been abandoned and rigorously repressed long before the Declaration of Paris. In fact, no such letters of marque have been issued or accepted by neutrals in the present century. The Government of the United States was the first to condemn and repudiate the practice. In 1854 the British Government intimated to Mr Marcy, then American Secretary of State, that "it entertained the confident hope that no privateer under Russian colors should be equipped, or victualled, or admitted with its prizes in the ports of the United States ;; and also that the citizens of the United States should rigorously abstain from taking part in armaments of this nature." To this Mr Marcy replied " that the laws of the United States impose severe restrictions, not only upon its own citizens, but upon all persons who may be residents in the territories of the United States against equipping privateers, receiving commissions, or enlisting men therein for the purpose of taking part in any foreign war." Subsequent events have certainly not weakened the legislation of the United States on this point, or the resolution of the American Government to enforce and uphold its own laws. The first article of the Declaration of Paris declares that privateering is abolished. The privateering contemplated by the Declaration was the issuing of priyate commissions for the purposes of naval warfare to the subjects of a belligerent, not to neutrals, since that practice had become obsolete, and would expose a neutral offending in this respect to a declaration of war, or to be held responsible for losses incurred. But as the terms are general, they prohibit the issue of all letters of marque or private commissions of war; and consequently, although the United States have not acceded to the Declaration of Paris, Russia has done so, and Russia is therefore precluded by a solemn international engagement from issuing- any such commissions, even if she were to find any neutral State foolish enough to allow its subjects to accept them. The truth is that there is not the slightest probability that anything of that kind can be done. ■