A. D. 1780. 669 



Great Britain had numbered among the friendly powers, and whofe 

 fubjedts certainly derived a principal part of their commercial emolu- 

 ments from the trade of this country, now took it upon her to didate 

 a new code of maritime laws, very unfriendly to the interefts and power 

 of Great Britain, and, in fhort, to ailert the empire ot the fea. 



The emprefs having previoufly fecured the concurrence of her neigh- 

 bours (for fhe was not willing to expofe herfelf fingly to the refentment 

 of Great Britain, however encumbered already with powerful enemies) 

 illued a declaration (February 26"^) addrefled to the courts of London, 

 Verfailles, and Madrid *, wherein* after the ufual preliminary profefTions 

 of juiUce, equity, and moderation, her ftridt regard for the rights of neu- 

 traUty and the liberty of commerce, fhe complained, that her fubjeds 

 had been often molefled in their navigation by the fhips of the 

 belligerent powers f ; and flie proceeded to lay before all Europe the 

 principles adopted by her, which fhe found ' contained in the laws of 

 ' the primitive people,' and are comprifed in the following points. 



I) That neutral fhips fhall enjoy a free navigation, even from port to 

 port, and on the coafts, of the belligerent powers. 



II) That all effeds, belonging to the fubjecls of the faid belligerent 

 powers, fhall be looked upon as free onboard fuch neutral fhips, except 

 only fuch goods as are flipulated to be contraband. 



III) That her Imperial Majefly, for the proper underftanding of this, 

 refers to the articles X and XI of her treaty of commerce with Great 

 Britain J, extending her obligations to all the other belligerent powers* 



IV) That in order to determine what charaderizes a port blocked up, 

 that denomination fhall not be granted, but to fuch places, before which 

 there are adually a number of enemy's fhips flationed near enough to 

 make its entry dangerous. 



V) That thefe principles fhall ferve as rules in the judicial proceed- 

 ings and fentences upon the legality of prizes. 



And then, after announcing, that fhe had ordered a confiderable part 

 of her naval forces to proted the honour of her flag, and the fecurity 

 of the commerce and navigation of her fubjeds, againfl whomfoever, 

 without, however, deviating from the ftrideft neutrality, moderation, 

 and impartiality, flic concluded by inviting the belligerent powers to 

 contribute to the accomplifhment of her llilutary views, and to give 

 inflrudions to their courts of admiralty and commanders, conformable 

 to the above principles ' drawn from the primitive codes of peoples.' 



The new code of maritime laws was fpeedity communicated to all the 

 courts of Europe. It was graitly applauded by the kings of France and 



• It is not unrcafonablc to fiippofe, that it was ment, that not a fiiiglc Ruflian fliip had ever been 



prccoiictitcd xviih tlie courts ol Verfailles and detained by any of our criiifiTS. 

 Madrid, mid [jiobiibly alfo wiiii the Dutcli. J For thrfc article* fee the account glna of lh:i' 



f W'c inu!l fuppofc, that (he only mcaiied, that treaty in p. 449. 

 ihcy were e xamiiiri It was decUred in parlia- 



