292 MARITIME INTERNATIONAL LAW. 



ACTION OF ENGLAND, IN 1854. 



From this date, during a period of half a century, no perceptible 

 change for the better was eifected in Maritime Law, and, not until 

 the outbreak of the Crimean War, in 1854, was any alteration in the 

 system attempted or secured. 



Upon the Declaration of War by Great Britain against Russia, the 

 Allied Powers waived the Maritime Right of Belligerents, and 

 practically recognised that the neutral flag should cover the enemy's 

 merchandise, and the following Agreement was arrived at by them, 

 and formally declared in the London Gazette of 28th, and 29th 

 March, 1854: — 



" Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 

 having been compelled to take up arms in support of an ally, is desirous of 

 rendering the war as little onerous as possible to the Powers with whom she 

 remains at peace. 



"To preserve the commerce of neutrals from all unnecessary obstruction, Her 

 Majesty is willing, for the present, to waive a part of the belligerent rights 

 appertaining to her by the Law of Nations. 



" It is impossible for Her Majesty to forego the exercise of Her right of seizing 

 articles contraband of war, and of preventing neutrals from bearing the enemy's 

 despatches, and She must maintain the right of a belligerent to prevent neutrals 

 from breaking any effective blockade, which may be established with an adequate 

 force against the enemy's forts, harbours, or coasts. 



" But Her Majesty will waive the right of seizing enemy's property laden on 

 board a neutral vessel, unless it be contraband of war. It is not Her Majesty's 

 intention to claim the confiscation of neutral property, not being contraband of 

 war, found on board enemy's ships, and Her Majesty further declares that, 

 being anxious to lessen, as much as possible, the evils of war, and to restrict its 

 operations to the regularly organized forces of the country, it is not Her present 

 intention to issue Letters of Marque for the commission of privateers." 



This Declaration, and the policy which it indicated, mark an 

 important change in the attitude of Great Britain upon the question ; 

 as she had for centuries maintained the haughty doctrine of 

 " Mistress of the Seas," and she refused, even at the Congress 

 of Vienna — at the close of the prolonged period of carnage that 

 culminated at Waterloo — to listen to any ccMpession of Belligerent 

 Maritime Rights. 



DECLARATION OF PARIS, 1856. 



Forty years afterwards. Great Britain was induced, from various 

 considerations, to change her policy, and this change was a step in 

 advance in favour of a reform of Maritime Law, in the direction of 



