ijgy. detention of vcfseh in neutral ports. ill 

 can there be made, and consequently no sale of cap- 

 tured vefsels be permitted. 



Supposing no sales of captured vefsels can be per- 

 mitted in neutral ports, May they be there laid up, 

 and detained for an indefinite time, or are there any 

 limitations in this respect admitted by common con- 

 sent ? 



It is well known that there are regulations uni- 

 versally admitted respecting the sailing of vefsels 

 from neutral ports, so that if a vefsel belonging to 

 one of the belligerent powers sails at any time, ano- 

 ther of superior force belonging to the other, is not 

 allowed to sail, till after the lapse of a limited time 

 from the sailing of the former ; but I have heard of 

 no rule that has been generally admitted respecting 

 the time that alleged prises may be allowed to re- 

 main in a neutral port, though I can see many rea- 

 sons that would seem to indicate that such a rule 

 ought to be adopted. 



Vefsels coming into any port, if not for the 

 purpose of trade, are supposed to cOme there for 

 the purposes of obtaining a tempoiary fhelter 

 from danger either from storms or inimical at- 

 tempts, or for obtaining refrelhments to the hands, 

 or for repairing such damages as the vefsel may be 

 in want of ; and after a reasonable time has been al- 

 lowed for these purposes, all the claims from neu- 

 tral hospitality seem to be accomplillied, and the 

 neutral power has certainly then a right to order 

 such vefsels to depart ; and if they decline to exer- 

 cise that right it must have so much the appearance 



