Mr. Nassau Senior has written a good and temperate letter
to the Times advocating the enforcement of our Foreign Enlistment Act in the case of the Birkenhead Rams, and Lord Russell has replied to the similar memorial of the Emanci- pation Society, that the English Foreign Enlistment Act requires evidence not only that a ship of war is being built, but that it is being built for a belligerent power, and that no adequate evidence of this, justifying their seizure, has been produced. Of this we have no doubt, as we have ex- plained in another column; but why, then, does Lord Russell profess to all objectors that our present Act, as it stands, is quite strong enough for any good pur- pose ? The truth is that, if we wish to adopt more and more a neutral policy, and, when at war, not to count nominal neutrals among our most dangerous enemies, we must require an explicit Government sanction for all building of war vessels in private English docks. Mr. Laird will otherwise become an important traitor to his country's interests, which is not desirable, and his alliance be courted almost as eagerly as the Queen's.
Previous page
