Page:The Annual Register, or a view of the History, Politics and Literature for the year 1802.djvu/63

50 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1802. not mentioned among the things which were to be considered as contraband. Denmark and Sweden might well conceive themselves to be bound not by the antecedent treaties, which were now confirmed, but by this convention, which professed to settle all controverted points. As to what had been gained respecting the signification of a blockaded port, we had certainly given up our former definition, even if we had not accepted the definition of the neutral powers: by our former definition of blockade, the whole coast of Holland was said to be in a state of blockade when the blockading squadron were in Yarmouth roads. As to the right of search, he considered it had been limited in a very proper way; and the regulation about privateers met his most cordial approbation. Upon the whole, he rejoiced that the business was terminated, but saw no reason to repent of his former opinions on the subject. He concluded by supporting the address.

Lord Temple highly disapproved the treaty: he considered that all the grounds on which the house had pledged itself to his majesty in the last sessions, had been wholly or partially given up. His lordship divided into five heads, the points of dispute between this country and the Northern Powers: 1st, The colonial and coasting trade; 2d, the right to search ships under convoy; 3d, the right of blockade; 4th, free ships making free goods; 5th, the articles to be considered contraband of war. From our claims with regard to all these, it had been declared impossible to recede consistently with the honour, the interests, and even the very existence of the country: in every one particular, however, our claims had been receded from. He so much disliked the system of privateering, that he approved of taking from privateers the right of searching neutrals under convoy; but he could by no means approve of the method pointed out for ships of war to exercise that right. If the papers were found not to be regular, it was said the captain might search; but how, easy would it be for a neutral to carry a set of false papers? He thought, in that point respecting the blockade of ports, we had receded a great way from the rights we claimed, where we admit that if the squadron destined to blockade Brest should be blown off by stormy weather, that Brest should on that account cease to be considered a blockaded port. His joy at finding the northern powers had abandoned the principle that "free bottoms make free goods," was much abated by finding in the treaty another clause which would make this of little avail. Neutrals were allowed to purchase the goods of the enemy and carry them unmolested where they pleased: he could not conceive how it was possible to prevent fraud in this species of traffic. When a cargo of French wines, or French colonial property, was met at sea, how could it be certainly known whether the property was or was not purchased by neutrals? With regard to contraband, the treaty conceded a point of the greatest importance, namely, that contraband of war does not include naval stores. This had been before, in former treaties, conceded, for a limited term of years, to powers who could make no great use of the privilege; but now it appeared that this concession was to be ingrafted into a general system of