522 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



passing from the southern boundary to latitude 63 degrees 

 north ; and on the north they were bounded by this parallel 

 to the middle point of Van Staten. These were declared to 

 be the British seas proper, in which the crown had the most 

 absolute dominion and the right to the honour of the flag from 

 all other nations; but in addition, it was stated that on the 

 north and west as far as America and Greenland the crown 

 had also " most ample rights " in virtue of first discovery and 

 occupation. 1 



No doubt much of the claim put forward by these writers on 

 behalf of the maritime dominion of England was stereotyped, 

 and had more form than substance. Entick, indeed, in 1757, 

 although asserting the right of Great Britain to an absolute 

 sovereignty of the sea, and to the striking of the flag as an 

 acknowledgment of it, himself described this duty as " but an 

 indifferent honorary ceremony." The changed point of view in 

 which the matter was regarded was shown also in the declara- 

 tion of war by Great Britain against the United Provinces in 

 1780, because they had joined the Armed Neutrality. It 

 contained nothing referring either to the flag or to the sover- 

 eignty of the sea; and it was doubtless as a mere matter of 

 form and precedent that a brief article relating to the striking 

 of the flag was inserted among the preliminary articles of 

 peace, drawn up at Paris in 1783, and in the definitive treaty 

 of peace concluded with the United Provinces in the next 

 year. 2 The time was approaching when this ceremony was to 

 pass away altogether as a symbol of our maritime sovereignty, 

 even in the eyes of Englishmen. There was little need of 



1 A Complete History of the Most Remarkable Transactions at Sea, <c. By Josiah 

 Burchett, Secretary to the Admiralty, ] 720. Burchett's account and definitions 

 were adopted by later writers, as Lediard, The Naval History of England, 1735 ; 

 Colliber, Columna Rostrata ; or a History of the English Sea Affairs, 1727 ; Entick, 

 A New Naval History or Compleat View of the British Marine, <0e., 1757 ; Campbell, 

 Lives of the Admirals and other Eminent British Seamen, 1742-44. Entick claimed 

 for the crown the right to all the fisheries in the British seas, the right to impose 

 tribute on all merchant ships navigating them, the execution of justice for all 

 crimes committed within them, the permitting or denial of free passage through 

 them to foreign ships of war, and the striking of the flag. 



2 In both it was as follows : " Art. ii. A 1'egard des honneurs du pavilion, et 

 du salut en mer, par les vaisseaux de la Re"publique vis-a-vis de ceux de Sa Maj. 

 Britannique, il en sera use 1 respectivement de la meme maniere qui a e'te' pratiqude 

 avant le commencement de la guerre qui vient de finir." Martens, Recue.il de 

 Traites, iii. 514, 561. 



