Croix and St. Thomas together, 19; for the West Indies in general, none; for foreign settlements in the West Indies, 10.

Returned from the East Indies, besides those ships that belong to the East India Company, and which only carry on a direct trade to the settlements belonging to Denmark:

In the year 1797, eleven vessels for private account, five of which were from the Danish settlements at Tranquebar, and in Bengal: the other six from the different European settlements at the Cape of Good Hope, and east of it;

In the year 1798, thirteen ships for private account, four of which were sent from the Danish, the rest from other European settlements. In the year 1799, likewise thirteen ships for private account, four of which also were from the Danish settlements.

If to these be added one single vessel which has unloaded a cargo, chartered in the East Indies upon freight to a port without the Danish dominions, this is a complete list of all the vessels returned from the East Indies for the account of private owners during the above-mentioned years.

The comparison of this list, with the many hundred vessels which were occupied in the French and Dutch East and West India trade, will fully enable the reader to judge of the reality of the plans and operations of commerce, said, by the noble Lord, to be adopted by us, as well as of the amount of our profit, greatly lessened by the frequent captures of many valuable cargoes. If, at the same time, it is considered that a trade to all the different corners of the world occupies the speculations of Danish merchants even in the most profound peace, and has occasioned a proportionable number of regular expeditions, the increase of our commerce in these branches, the direct trade to our own settlements being deducted, will hardly justify any jealous apprehension, or be looked upon as an encroachment upon the commerce of Great Britain.

That the charge of hostile endeavors to diminish the trade of Great Britain is not founded upon real fact, or upon any injuries done to that country, is fully demonstrated by taking a general view of its traffic. The mercantile fleet of Great Britain covers every sea; and in every session of Parliament, the Minister himself congratulates his nation on account of the flourishing state of its commerce, which, during the course of the present war, has arrived to a height beyond any example of preceding times. The value of the import trade of

Great Britain has arisen from 17,804,024£ to which it amounted in the year 1787, to above 24 millions, which was the amount in the year 1798. The export, which in the year 1787 amounted to 16,870,114£ was in the year 1798 announced to be 33,655,396£. In the year 1792, 284 vessels arrived in the river Thames from the British settlements in the West Indies. In the year 1798, their number was increased to 347. The maritime trade of London has, since the year 1792, according to accounts laid before Parliament, been augmented by 1,000 vessels from foreign ports, and the trade of the whole country in proportion. After such proofs, it must be plain in what light complaints of encroachments upon British commerce are to be considered.

Denmark has not been so fortunate in the increase of her commerce, and in the undisturbed enjoyment of those advantages, to which her neutrality (a neutrality not maintained without many sacrifices) ought justly to have entitled her. If, indeed, her trade, during the first years of the war, was considerably augmented, those advantages have, however, of late remarkably decreased, and some sources have been entirely lost, partly by occurring circumstances, and partly by the system adopted by Great Britain. The shipping of Denmark has of late. evidently diminished. The rigorous measures of the British Government; the extended instructions given to their ships of war and privateers, joined to the frequent and vexatious conduct of the latter in even going beyond these instructions; the assumed authority of the tribunals, and, in particular, the unwarrantable proceedings of the inferior courts of admiralty out of Europe, together with the slow progress of suits in the superior courts of justice: these, and other circumstances, the recital of which would exceed the limits of this answer, have not failed, by their influence, to destroy our trade in the first moments of its prosperity.

By declaring even principal ports to be in a state of blockade, during the last two years, Great Britain has stopped the most considerable channels of Danish commerce, which is not so much founded on mere speculation, as on the export and import of mutual necessaries. In cases of blockade, the rights of the blockading Power have received an extension, which is neither founded on common usage, nor on the law of nations. Is it reasonable that a mere declaration should be sufficient to repel all neutral ships from the entire coasts of a country. even when there is not an armed vessel to be seen for the purpose of effecting the blockade? Nay, for a neutral to have left a port blocked

up in this manner, and at which she had arrived before that declaration, has been esteemed a crime to be punished with condemnation. Between the declarations of all the Dutch harbors being in a state of blockade, and the end of August in the present year, 120 Danish vessels have been captured by the English: some of which are condemned, others restored, and several still waiting judgment in the first instance. Besides these, not less than 60 undecided cases are pending in the court of appeals: the dates of some of these are very old, and they are all of importance. It is, moreover, almost grown into a rule, that when the neutral owner, after such a long delay, which is quite contrary to treaty, has at length obtained judgment in his favor, neither the expenses nor interest are to be paid to him. I shall remain silent as to the many injustices committed, as well by privateers as by the tribunals in the West Indies, where cargoes, consisting of Danish produce, in vessels, of which there was not the smallest doubt of their being Danish, and bound for Danish settlements, have been confiscated without the least compunction, and that on the most unreasonable grounds. This may be sufficient to prove, that Denmark, much rather than Great Britain, is entitled to complain of encroachments on her trade, and of commercial jealousy.

What the noble Lord finally has been pleased to say of the political strength of Denmark, lies not within the bounds of this essay. He may, however, rest assured, that Denmark, in the wisdom of her Government and in the patriotism of her subjects, will always find effectual means to defend herself and maintain her rights; and that this brave nation, on whom he endeavors to throw an odium, does not yield in patriotism and fidelity to the Government of any other nation upon earth.

December 16, 1800.

Convention between Russia and Sweden for the Reestablishment of an Armed Neutrality, December 16, 18001

In the Name of the Most Holy and Indivisible Trinity:

The freedom of navigation and security of commerce of neutral

1Translation. French text at Martens, Recueil de Traités, vol. 7, p. 173. Accepted and ratified by His Swedish Majesty on December 20, and by His Imperial Majesty of all the Russias on December 8/20 of the same year.

Powers having been compromised, and the principles of the law of nations having been disregarded in the present naval war, His Majesty the King of Sweden and His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, led by their love of justice and by an equal solicitude for all that may contribute to public prosperity in their States, have deemed it advisable to give a new sanction to the principles of neutrality, which, indestructible in their essence, require only the cooperation of the governments interested in their maintenance to make them respected. With this view His Imperial Majesty has manifested, by the declaration of August 15 to the Courts of the North, to whose interest likewise it is to adopt uniform measures under similar circumstances, how greatly he has at heart the reestablishment, in all its inviolability, the right common to all peoples to navigate and to carry on commerce freely and independently of the temporary interests of belligerent parties. His Swedish Majesty shares the desires and sentiments of his august ally, and a happy likeness of interests, strengthening their mutual confidence, has determined them to reestablish the system of armed neutrality, which was followed with such success during the last American war, by renewing its beneficent maxims in a new convention adapted to present circumstances.

To this end, His Majesty the King of Sweden and His Imperial Majesty of all the Russias have appointed as their plenipotentiaries, to wit: His Swedish Majesty, Baron Court of Stedingk, one of the Lords of the Kingdom of Sweden, his Ambassador Extraordinary to His Imperial Majesty of all the Russias, Lieutenant General in his Armies, Chamberlain of the Queen Dowager, Colonel of a Regiment of Infantry, Chevalier Commander of his Orders, Grand Cross Chevalier of his Order of the Sword, and Chevalier of the French Order for Military Merit: and His Imperial Majesty of all the Russias, Count Theodor de Rostopsin, his Privy Councilor, Member of his Council, Principal Minister of the College of Foreign Affairs, Postmaster General of the Empire, Grand Chancellor and Grand Cross of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Chevalier of the Orders of St. Andrew, of St. Alexander Newsky, and of St. Anne of the First Class, of the Orders of St. Lazare, of the Annunciation, of St. Ferdinand, of St. Maurice and of St. Lazare, of St. Ferdinand and of St. Hubert: who having exchanged their respective full powers have agreed upon the following articles:

ARTICLE 1

His Majesty the King of Sweden and His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias declare their desire to see to the strictest enforcement of the prohibition of commerce in contraband on the part of their subjects with any of the Powers whatsoever now at war or that may hereafter enter into the war.

ARTICLE 2

To avoid any ambiguity and any misunderstanding regarding what should be considered contraband, His Majesty the King of Sweden and His Imperial Majesty of all the Russias declare that they recognize as such only the following articles, to wit: cannon, mortars, firearms, pistols, bombs, grenades, bullets, balls, guns, gun flints, fuses, powder, saltpeter, sulphur, breastplates, pikes, swords, swordbelts, cartridgeboxes, saddles and bridles, except such quantities thereof as may be necessary for the defense of the vessel and of those composing its crew; and all other articles whatsoever not here enumerated shall not be considered war or naval munitions, nor shall they be subject to confiscation, and consequently they shall pass freely and shall not be subjected to the slightest difficulties. It is also agreed that the present article shall in no way impair the special provisions of previous treaties with the belligerent Parties, by which articles of a similar nature may have been reserved, prohibited, or permitted.

ARTICLE 3

All that is to be considered contraband having thus been determined. and excluded from the commerce of neutral nations, in accordance with the terms of the preceding article, His Majesty the King of Sweden and His Imperial Majesty of all the Russias intend and desire that all other trade shall be and remain absolutely free. In order to safeguard adequately the general principles of the natural law, of which freedom of commerce and navigation, as well as the rights of neutral peoples, is a direct consequence, Their Majesties have resolved to leave them no longer at the mercy of an arbitrary interpretation that may be influenced by isolated and temporary interests. To this end they have agreed:

(1) That all vessels may navigate freely from port to port and along the coasts of the nations at war.