-
2
I replied that I had had no intention of expressing any preference, and that the object of the letter had been to guard ourselves against admitting a principle of international law in which we did not concur.
It was agreed that we should both refer again to the letter in question and examine its wording.
On the following day your Excellency recurred to the subject, and stated that after a further perusal of the letter you understood it to mean that Her Majesty's Government did not acknowledge a pacific blockade on the coast of Formosa, and that in order to avoid all difficulty and discussion at present Her Majesty's Govern. ment prefer to recognize the blockade as a legitimate blockade, carrying with it the usual belligerent rights as against neutrals.
Consequently, your Excellency continued, if blockade runners or other vessels were to force the blockade, Her Majesty's Government would recognize the right of French cruizers to capture or fire into them; the whole being a de facto arrangement without discussing any new principle.
I have since had the honour to receive your Excellency's note of the 21st instant on the same subject,
I think it will be better, for the sake of clearness, to explain at somewhat greater length the exact intention of my letter of the 11th ultimo.
"
It was not meant to express any preference for a "local" or for a "belligerent blockade, or for a special "arrangement." Her Majesty's Government consider that a state of war exists between France and China de facto and de jure. They have instructed the Governor of Hong Kong to enforce the provisions of the Foreign Enlistment Act (which is only operative during the existence of hostilities between foreign States with which Her Majesty is at peace), and the French Admiral has given his assurance that he will scrupulously observe its provisions. Bombardments and other hostilities have taken place, and the French Government have proclaimed to neutral Powers the effective blockade of the ports of Formosa, and have warned Her Majesty's Government that British ships attempting to enter those ports, to which they have the right of access by Treaty, will be captured.
Her Majesty's Government cannot admit any such novel doctrine as that British ships are liable to capture for entering certain Treaty ports in China in time of peace. But they maintain that a state of war exists, and therefore they do not deny the right of the French Government to establish an effective blockade of the ports in question according to the laws of war, and to capture neutral vessels attempting to force it. Her Majesty's Government admit that they are bound to recognize the blockade as a belligerent blockade, and to submit to the exercise by either belligerent of the rights of war which the law of nations accords as against neutral vessels. But the French Government, with the view of alleviating the consequences above mentioned as against neutrals, have declared that they do not propose to exercise the right of visit or capture over neutral ships on the high seas, to which they are entitled in order to prevent the carriage of contraband of war to China.
Her Majesty's Government, on the other hand, being reluctant to aggravate the situation, have declared that so long as the hostilities are confined to particular localities, and neutral vessels are not interfered with on the high seas, they will not issue a Proclamation of Neutrality in the usual form and exercise the strict rights of neutrality as regards belligerent vessels in British ports, but will confine themselves to the enforcement of the Foreign Enlistment Act. Such the precise situation from
the point of view of Her Majesty's Government, and it will be understood from what I have stated that the continuance of this state of things depends on the adherence of the French Government and their naval authorities to the declaration above mentioned as to abstention from exercising the right of visit and capture over British vessels on the high seas.
I have, &c.
X
(Signed)
GRANVILLE.
Office or dividual.
Date.
Off
1884.
Nov: 29-
Last previous Paper. |
WO
2 2034 2
7.0
Put Cry
No.
sống động
(Coughs :)
20456
(Subject.)
DOMESTIC,
C. O.
20456
REQ. Q
REGO I DEC 14,
and
331
China.
Pelations between Brause as factor to
Fraung
(Proclamaten at
Canton
Towards in 3 printed slips of paper respecting.
Hext subsequent Paper.
7.0 20728
(Minutes.)
Mr Meade
The two despf- from Sir H. Parker about the proclamation at Canter Contain nothing
that we had not
already heard (in 19562 & freisins papers).
The desp. from Mrr Wrench relates to another subject - the delimitation of the Eastern Northern brundaries of Siaus
? Put b. Su). Dr.
M.2112
and
¿Dec.
2.a.
Dec. 4.
D. Decit