wherever honour, intereft, and need may require. In giving this folemn affurance with the ufual openness of her character, the empress cannot do other than promife herself that the belligerent powers, convinced of the fentiments of juftice and equity which animate her, will contribute towards the accomplishment of these falutary purposes, which manifeftly tend to the good of all nations, and to the advantage even of thofe at war. In confequence of which, her Imperial Majefty will furnish her commanding officers with inftructions conformable to the above-mentioned principles, founded upon the primitive laws of people, and fo often adopted in their conventions. Answer from the Court of Great Britain to the Declaration of the Empress of Ruffia; Sent to the British Envoy at Petersburgh, April 23, 1780. DURING the courfe of the war, wherein his Britannick Majefty finds himself engaged through the unprovoked aggreffion of France and Spain, he hath conftantly manifefted his fentiments of justice, equity, and moderation, in every part of his conduct. His majesty hath acted towards friendly and neutral powers according to their own procedure refpecting Great Britain, and conformable to the cleareft principles, generally acknowledged as the law of nations, being the only law between powers where no treaties fubfift, and agreeable to the tenour of his different engagements with other powers; thofe engagements have altered this primitive law, by mutual ftipulations, proportioned to the will and convenience of the contracting parties. Strongly attached to her Majelly of all the Ruffias, by the ties of reciprocal friendship, and common intereft, the king, from the commencement of thofe troubles, gave the most precife orders refpecting the flag of her Imperial Majefty, and the commerce of her fabjects, agreeable to the law of nations, and the tenour of the engagements ftipulated by his treaty of commerce with her, and to which he fhall adhere with the moft fcrupulous exactness. The orders to this intent have been renewed, and the utmost care will be taken for their strictest execution. It may be prefumed, not the leaft irregularity will happen; but in cafe any infringements, contrary to these repeated orders, take place, the Courts of Admiralty, which in this, like all other countries, are established to take cognizance of fuch matters, and in all cafes do judge folely by the law of nations, and by the fpecifick ftipulations of different treaties, will redrefs every hardfhip in fo equitable a manner, that her Imperial Majefty fhall be perfectly fatisfied, and acknowledge a like fpirit of juftice which fhe herself poffeffes. Anfwer from the King of France to the Declaration of the Empress of Ruffia. THE war in which the king is engaged having no other object than the attachment of his ma jefty jefty to the freedom of the feas, he could not but with the trueft fatisfaction fee the Emprefs of Ruffia adopt the fame principle, and refolve to maintain it. That which her Imperial Majefty claims from the belligerent powers is no other than the rules already prefcribed to the French marine, the execution of which is maintained with an exactitude known and applauded by all Europe. emprefs will no doubt be fatisfied with the difpofitions made by his majefty in the regulations he has published. They do not hold by circumftances only, but they are founded on the right of nations, and quite fuitable to a prince who finds the happiness of his own kingdom in that of general profperity. The king wishes her, Imperial Majefty would add to the means fhe has fixed to determine what merchandizes are reckoned contraband in time of war, precife. rules in the form of the fea-papers with which the Ruffian fhips will be furnished. The liberty of neutral veffels, reftrained only in a few cafes, is the direct confequence of neutral right, the fafeguard of all nations, and the relief even of thofe at war. The king has been defirous, not only to procure a freedom of na- jefty is affuted nothing will vigation to the fubjects of the Emprefs of Ruffia, but to thofe of all the ftates who hold their neutrality, and that upon the fame conditions as are announced in the treaty to which his majefly this day answers. His majefty thought he had taken a great step for the general good, and prepared a glorious epocha for his reign, by fixing, by his example, the rights which every belligerent power may, and ought to acknowledge to be due to neutral veffels. His hopes have not been deceived, as the emprefs, in avowing the ftri&teft neutrality, has declared in favour of a fyftem which the king is fupporting at the price of his people's blood, and that her majefty adopts the fame rights as he would wish to make the bafis of the maritime code. If fresh orders were neceflary to prevent the veffels of her Imperial Majetty from being difturbed in their navigation by the fubjects of the king, his majesty would immediately give them; but the pen to make him regret the having put the Ruffian navigators on as advantageous a footing as can be in time of war. Happy circumftances have more than once occurred to prove to the courts how important it is for them to explain themfelves freely relative to their refpective interefts. His majefty is very happy to have explained his way of thinking to her Imperial Majefty upon fo interefting a point for Ruffia, and the trading powers of Europe. He the more fincerely applauds the principles and views of the emprefs, as his majefty partakes of the fame fentiments which have brought her majefty to adopt thofe measures, which must be to the advantage of her own subjects, and all other nations. Versailles, April 25, 1780. Anfwer from the King of Spain, to the Declaration of the Empress of Ruffia. THE king, being informed of the emprefs's fentiments with re Spect 1 fpect to the belligerent and neutral powers, by a memorial remitted to the Compte de Florida Blanca, on the 15th inft. by Mr. Etienne de Zinowief, Minifter to her Imperial Majefty: the king confiders this as the effect of a juft confidence which his majefty has on his part merited; and it is yet more agreeable that the principles adopted by this fovereign fhould be the fame as have always guided the king, and which his majesty has for a long time, but without fuccefs, endeavoured to caufe England to obferve, while Spain remained neuter. These principles are founded in juftice, equity, and moderation; and these fame principles Ruffia and all the other powers have experienced in the refolutions formed by his majefty; and it has been entirely owing to the conduct of the Englih navy, both in the laft and the prefent war (a conduct wholly fubverfive of the received rules among neutral powers) that his majefty has been obliged to follow their example; fince the English paying no refpect to a neutral flag, if the fame be laden with effects belonging to the enemy, even if the articles fhould not be contraband, and that flag not ufing any means of defending itfelf, there could not be any juft caufe why Spain fhould not make reprifals, to indemnify herfelf for the great difadvantages fhe muft otherwife labour under. The neutral powers have alfo laid themfelves open to the inconveniences they have fuffered, by furnishing themfelves with double papers, and other artifices, to prevent the capture of their veffels; from which have 5 followed captures and detentions innumerable, and other difagreeable confequences, though in reality not fo prejudicial as pretended; on the contrary, fome of these detentions have turned to the advantage of the proprietors, as the goods, being fold in the port where they were condemned, have frequently gone off at a higher price than they would have done at the place of their destination. The king, nevertheless, not contented with thefe proofs of his juflification, which have been manifeft to all Europe, will this day have the glory of being the first to give the example of refpecting the neutral flag of all the courts that have confented, or fhall confent, to defend it, till his majefty finds what part the English navy takes, and whether they will, together with their privateers, keep within proper bounds. And to fhew to all the neutral powers how much Spain is defirous of obferving the fame rules in time of war as fhe was directed by whilft neuter, his majefty conforms to the other points contained in the declaration of Ruffia. To be understood, nevertheless, that, with regard to the blockade of Gibraltar, the danger of entering fubfifts, as determined by the fourth article of the faid declaration. These dangers may, however, be avoided by the neutral powers, if they conform to thofe rules of precaution eftablished by his majefty's declaration of the 13th of laft March, which has been communicated to the Court of Petersburg by his minifter. FLORIDA BLANCA. At Aranjuez, 18 April, 1780. Decla Declaration of the King of Denmark and Norway, to the Courts of London, Verfailles, and Madrid. F the most exact and perfect In the most exact and perfect gular navigation, and the most inviolable refpect to treaties, could have kept free the commerce of the fubjects of the King of Denmark and Norway from the inroads of the powers with whom he is at peace, free and independent, it would not be neceffary to take measures to infure to his fubjects that liberty to which they have the most incontrovertible right. The King of Denmark has always founded his glory, and his grandeur, upon the esteem and confidence of other people. It has been his rule, from the beginning of his reign, to testify to all the powers, his friends, a conduct the moft capable of convincing them of his pacific intentions, and of his defire to contribute to the general happiness of Europe. His proceedings have always been conformable to thefe, principles, against which nothing can be alledged; he has not, till now, addreffed himself, but to the powers at war, to obtain a redrefs of his griefs; and he has never wanted moderation in his demands, nor acknowledgments when they have received the fuccefs they deserved: but the neutral navigation has been too often molested, and the most innocent commerce of his fubjects too frequently troubled; fo that the king finds himself obliged to take proper measures to affure to himfelf and his allies the fafety of commerce and navigation, and the maintenance of the infeparable rights of liberty and independence. If the duties of neutrality are facred, the law of nations has alfo its rights avowed by all impartial powers, eftablished by cuftom, and founded upon equity and reason. A nation independent and neuter, does not lofe by the war of others the rights which he had before the war, because peace exists between her and all the belligerent powers. Without receiving or being obliged to follow the laws of either of them, fhe is allowed to follow, in all places (contraband excepted) the traffic which fhe would have a right to do, if peace exifted with all Europe, as it exifts with her. The king pretends to nothing beyond what the neutrality allows him. This is his rule, and that of his people; and the king cannot accord to the principle, that a power at war has a right to interrupt the commerce of his fubjects. He thinks it due to himself, and his fubjects, faithful obfervers of thefe rules, and to the powers at war themfelves, to declare to them the following principles, which he has always held, and which he will always avow and maintain, in concert with the Empress of all the Ruffias, whofe fentiments he finds entirely conformable with his own. I. That neutral veffels have a right to navigate freely from port to port, even on the coafts of the powers at war. II. That the effects of the fubjects of the powers at war shall be free in neutral veffels, except fuch as are deemed contraband. III. That nothing is to be underftood under the denominations of contraband, that is not exI prefsly prefsly mentioned as fuch in the third article of his treaty of commerce with Great Britain, in the year 1670, and the 26th and 27th articles of his treaty of commerce with France, in the year 1742; and the king will equally maintain thefe rules with those powers with whom he has no treaty. IV. That he will look upon as a fort blocked up, into which no veffel can enter without ́ evident danger, on account of veffels of war ftationed there, which form an effectual blockade. V. That these principles ferve for rules in procedure, and that justice fhall be expeditiously rendered, after the rules of the fea, conformably to treaty and ufage received. VI. His majefty does not hefi tate to declare, that he will main tain thefe principles with the honour of his flag, and the liberty and independence of the commerce and navigation of his fubjects; and that it is for this purpose he has armed a part of his navy, although he is defirous to preferve, with all the powers at war, not only a good underftanding, but all the friendship which the neutrality can admit of. The king will never recede from thefe principles, unless he is forced to it: he knows the duties and the obligations, he refpects them as he does his treaties, and defires no other than to maintain them. His majefty is perfuaded, that the belligerent powers will acknowledge the juftice of his motives; that they will be as averfe as himfelf to doing any thing that may opprefs the liberties of mankind, and that they will give their orders to their admiralty and to Vot. XXIII. their officers, conformably to the principles above recited, which tend to the general happiness and intereft of all Europe. Copenhagen, July 8, 1780. Declaration of the King of Sweden to the fame Courts. VER fince the beginning of the prefent war, the king has taken particular care to manifeft his intentions to all Europe. He impofed unto himfelf the law of a perfect neutrality; he fulfilled all the duties thereof, with the moft fcrupulous exactitude; and in confequence thereof, he thought himself entitled to all the prerogatives naturally appertaining to the qualification of a fovereign perfectly neuter. But notwithstanding this, his commercial fubjects have been obliged to claim his protection, and his majefty has found himfelf under the neceffity to grant it to them. To effect this, the king ordered laft year a certain number of men of war to be fitted out. He employed a part thereof on the coafts of his kingdom, and the reft ferved as convoys for the Swedish merchant fhips in the different feas which the commerce of his fubjects required them to navigate. He acquainted the feveral belligerent powers with thefe meafures and was preparing to continue the fame during the course of this year, when other courts, who had likewife adopted a per fect neutrality, communicated their fentiments unto him, which the king found entirely conformable to his own, and tending to the fame object. [2] The |