Meanwhile Sir Charles Hardinge has protested to the Russian Government,
and demanded the immediate release of the vessel. The two points in our contention are the irregular position of the Peterburg,' and the unjustifiable nature of the seizure. The Russian Press seems to defend the action of the volunteer cruisers on the ground that their breach of the Treaty of Paris has been sanctioned by recent custom ; but this is no answer when the breach involves an attack upon the rights of another Power, and, in any case, the seizure of Government ammunition is utterly unjustifiable. We have dealt with the matter elsewhere, but we would point our here that, while it is not our policy to deny all proper rights of search in time of war, the rights of neutrals must be carefully guarded, and we cannot for a moment allow a vessel arrested without reason by an unauthorised cruiser to go before a Russian Prize Court. As we go to Press on Friday there is no definite news as to the decision of the Russian Govern- ment. The Daily Mail, Daily Chronicle, and other papers assert that the Russians have yielded, and have agreed to release the Malacca' if there was no contraband on board. The Times and Morning Post, however, give no confirmation of the rumour.
