TEMPORARY RECOVERY 309 



THE LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 



(Incorporated) 



Private Property at Sea 



Lord Avebury has given notice that he will move 

 the following resolution at the meeting of the Council 

 on Thursday, October 10, 1912, at 2.30 p.m., viz. : 



" That having regard to the increasing dependence 

 of finance, trade, and industry upon international 

 peace and goodwill, this Council re-affirms its 

 resolution of April 20, 1911, viz. : 



•' * That in the opinion of this Chamber private 

 property at sea should be declared free 

 from capture and seizure.' 



" That a resolution to this effect be submitted by 

 the London Chamber to the next meeting of the 

 Associated Chambers of Commerce of the United 

 Kingdom." 



For the information of Members of the Council, Lord 

 Avebury has furnished the following Memorandum on 

 the proceedings at the meeting above referred to : 



" At the meeting of the Council of the London 

 Chamber of Commerce on April 20, 1911, the Right 

 Hon. Lord Avebury (ex-President) drew attention 

 to the question of the capture of private property 

 at sea and the need for international agreement 

 thereon, and moved — 



" ' That in the opinion of this Chamber private 

 property at sea should be declared free of 

 capture and seizure.' " 



He did so, he said, with a feeling of great responsi- 

 bility, as he believed that the question was one of vital 

 importance to our trade and commerce. 



Lord Salisbury was strongly in favour of making 

 private property at sea free of capture and seizure, and 

 Lord Loreburn was of the same opinion. The Admiralty, 

 it was true, had, he believed, hitherto opposed the 

 proposal on the ground that we had the strongest Navy, 

 and should, therefore, be giving up a powerful weapon. 

 No doubt we had the strongest Fleet, but on the other 

 hand our property at sea was far and away the greatest. 



