290 MARITIME INTERNATIONAL LAW. 



I. — Neutral vessels can trade freely between the ports, and 

 along the coasts of nations at war. 



2. — Enemy's goods in neutral vessels are free, with the exception 

 of those contraband of war.* 



3. — Only those ports are treated as blockaded ports, the entering 

 of which is accompanied with evident danger, through the 

 presence of the belligerent vessels, 



4. — These principles to serve as law for the guidance of Prize 

 Courts. 



Great Britain was the only European Power that refused acquies- 

 cence to these rules in favour of the commerce of neutrals, for she 

 clung tenaciously to the ancient rules of the Consolato del Mare, and 

 the following were the principles of the first Code, of Maritime Law, 

 in reference to the rights of neutrals in war. 



r.— When both the vessel and her goods belong to the enemy, the 

 whole is a good prize, as a matter of course. 



2. — When the vessel belongs to a neutral, atid the cargo to the 

 enemy, the neutral captain can be enjoined to conduct ship 

 and cargo to a port belonging to the belligerent captor, 

 where he will receive due, and full freight for the cargo 

 as orginally agreed upon, the cargo alone being subject to 

 confiscation, and the vessel set free. 



3. — In case the vessel belongs to the enemy, and the cargo to 

 neutrals, a transaction is allowed with the captor to buy the 

 cargo, or, if no agreement can be arrived at, the cargo is 

 taken by the captor, in the confiscated vessel, to one of his 

 ports, and landed there, after payment to the captor of the 

 original amount of freight which would have been payable if 

 the cargo had arrived at its original destination. 



The new rules proposed by Russia in 1780, and the action of the 

 " Armed Neutrality " of Europe in support of them, were not of 

 much practical effect, for they were, unhappily, rendered nugatory 

 during the great French War from 1792 to 1815, and, during this 

 period, a retrograde step was taken, in which the principles and 

 practice of Maritime Law received a great check. 



Great Britain endeavoured to crush this alliance of the Armed 



* Contraband of war was declared to consist of munitions of war, such as 

 cannon, mortars, fire-arms, gun-matches, gunpowder, saltpetre, sulphur, 

 cuirasses, pikes, swords, belts, cartridge boxes, saddles, and bridles. 



