and statute law. This very act gives the district courts cognizance of captures, and yet it was clearly settled that the courts already possessed the same jurisdiction. Doubts may and often do arise how far a provision already in existence may be applied to cases contemplated in new statutes. To obviate such doubts, whether real or imaginary, is certainly not an irrational or unsatisfactory mode of legislation, and often prevents serious mischiefs during the fluctuations of professional opinions, prior to a legal adjudication. It was probably to abviate some doubt of this sort that the clause in question was inserted in the act. Nor is it difficult to perceive some room for subtle doubt from the generality of the preceding (s. 4) section. That section declares that "all captures and prizes of vessels and property shall be forfeited," and accrue to the owners, officers, and crew of the capturing private armed ship; and from the generality of this language it might possible (we do not say upon any sound interpretation) have been doubted whether the words "all captures" might not be held to comprehend captures of neutral property, which had not yet been condemned. At all events upon every view of this case the court are of opinion that the property having been previously condemned and the title passed to the enemy, and, consistently with the salvage and prize acts, must be decreed to be good prize of war.

Decree affirmed, with costs.a

a Vide ante, Vol. II. Appendix, note I. pp.40-49. As by the salvage act of the 3d of March, 1800, ch. 168. the rule of reciprocity, (or, as Sir Wil

liam Scott calls it, amicable re-
taliation,) is the rule to be ap-
plied to cases of recaptures of
the property of friendly na.
tions, it may be useful to state

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the same circumstances in which their own law and practice restores or condemns. The Santa Cruz, 1 Rob. 5. 63. By the most recent French law, if a French vessel be retaken from the enemy, after being in his hands more than twenty-four hours, if recaptured by a privateer, she is good prize to the re-captor; but if re-taken before twenty

four hours have elapsed, she
is restored to the owner, with
the cargo, upon the payment
of one third the value for sal-
vage, in-case of recapture by
a privateer, and one thirtieth
in case of a recapture by a
public ship. But in case of re-
capture by a public ship, after
twenty-four hours possession,
she is restored on a salvage of
one tenth. 1.

1. "Si aucun navire de nos sujets pris par nos ennemis, a cte entre leur mains jusques a vingt-quatre heures, et apres, qu'il soit recous et repris par aucuns de nos navires de guerre ou autres de nos sujets, la prise sera declaree bonne : mais si ladite reprise est faite auparavant les vingt-quatre heures, il sera restitue avec tout ce qui étoit dedans, et en aura toutefois le navire de guerre qui l'aura recous et repris, le tiers." Ordonnance d'Henri III. en Mars. 1584. art. 61. "Si aucun navire de nos sujets est repris sur nos ennemis, apres qu'il aura demeure entre leur mains pendant vingt-quatre heures, il sera restitue au proprietaire, avec tout ce qui etoit dedans a la reserve du tiers qui sera donne au navire qui aura fait la recousse." Ordonnance de 1681, Liv. 3 til. 9. des Prises, art. 8. "Les reglemens concernant la recousse continueront d'etre observes suivant leur forme et toneur; en consequence, lorsque les navires de ses sujets auront ete repris par les cors ires armes en course contre les ennemis de l'etat, apres avoir ete vingt-quatre heures en leur mains, ils leur appartiendront en totalite; mais dans le cas ou la reprise aura ete faite avant les vingt-quatre heures, le droit de recousse ne sera que du tier de la valeur du navire recous et de sa cargaison. En so qui concerne les reprises faites par les vaisseaux, fregates ou outres batimens de sa majeste, le tiers sera adjuge a son!profit pour droit de recousse, si elle est faite dans les vingt-quatre heures; et apres ledit delai, la reprise sera adjugee en totalite a sa majeste, sans que les ctats-majors des dits vaisseaux et fregates puissent y rien pretendre, se reservant sa majeste d'accorder aux equipages, une gratification proportionee a la voleur du batiment et de sa cargaison, d'apres les connoisements et factures, comme aussi de donner aux etats majors des vaisseaux qui auront faites les reprises, et qui auroient eu soin de se distinguer par des actions de valeur telles graces ou recompenses que sa majeste avisera bon eɩre, suivant les circonstances." Ordonnance de 15 Juin, 1779. "Lorsque les batimens Francais auront ete repris par les vaisseaux de la republique, apres avoir

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France applies her own rule to recaptures of the property of friendly nations. Pothier, De propriete, n. 100. Emerigon, Des assurances, tom. 1. p, 499. By the Reglement of ete 24 heures au pouvoir de l'ennemi, les batimens et leur cargaisons appartiendront en totalite aux equipages preneurs; mais dans le cas ou la reprise aura ete faite avant les vingt-quatre heures, le droit de recousse ne sera que du tiers de la valeur du navire repris et de sa cargaison." Loi d'Octobre, 1793. By the reglement of the 2d of Praireal, year II. art. 54. the rate of salvage on recaptures by public ships, before twenty four hours possession, was fixed at one thirtieth.

Spain formerly adopted the time it is condemned to the

law of France, having taken its prize code from that country, with which it had been so long connected by the closest ties; and in the case of the San Iago, (mentioned in the Santa Cruz, 1 Rob. 50,) it was applied by the lords of appeal upon the principles of reciprocity as the rule in British recapturesof Spanish property. But by the Spanish prize ordinance of the 20th of June, 1801, art. 38, it was modified as to the property of friends, it being provided that when it appears that recaptured ships of friends are not laden for enemy's account; they shall be restored, if recaptured by public vessels, for one eighth, if by privateers, for one sixth salvage; provided, that the nation to whom such property belongs, has adopted, or agrees to adopt, a similar conduct towards Spain. The ancient rule is preserved as to recaptures of Spanish property: it being restored without salvage if recaptured by a king's ship, before or after twenty-four hours possession; and if recaptured by a privateer within the twenty-four hours, upon payment of one half for salvage; if recaptured after that

VOL. III.

recaptors. The Spanish law has the same provisions with the French in cases of captured property becoming derelict or reverting to the possession of the former owners by civil salvage.

Portugal had adopted the
French and Spanish law in
her ordinances 1704; and of
December, 1796. But, in
May, 1797, after the Santa
Cruz was taken, and before
the judgment in that case,
Portugal revoked her former
rule that twenty-four hours
possession devested the prop-
erty, and 'allowed restitution,
on salvage of one-eighth, if the
recapture was by a public ship
and one-fifth if by a priva-
teer, In the Santa Cruz and
its fellow cases, Sir W, Scott
distinguished between recap-
tures made before and since

the ordinance of May, 1797 ;
condemning the former where
the property had been twenty"
four hours in the enemy's pos-
session, and restoring the lat
ter upon payment of the sal-
vage fixed by the Portuguese
ordinances.

The ancient law of Holland
regulated restitution on sal-
vage at different rates, accord-
ing to the length of time the
14

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