POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL 23 



declaring the British Isles to be in a state 

 of blockade and forbidding commerce with 

 them. No vessel coming from England or 

 her colonies would be received in French 

 ports. This was of course a paper blockade, 

 and contrary to international law. Eng- 

 land's reply was Orders in Council of Jan. 

 1807. These declared that all ports from 

 which English goods and ships were ex- 

 cluded were also closed to neutrals. This, 

 too, was a paper blockade. Orders in Coun- 

 cil of Nov. 11, 1807, somewhat modified 

 this. Neutrals might not trade with any 

 port in Europe not open to the British, but 

 they might trade with such port by going 

 first to an English port, landing and reship- 

 ping their cargoes, paying duties, and then 

 going to said port. That is, no trade ex- 

 cept through England. 



This was promptly answered by the 

 Milan Decree of Napoleon dated Dec. 

 16, 1807, which was, that "Whatever ship 

 of whatever nation" sailing from a British 

 port, or from countries occupied by the 



