Parliament, often appealed to to resume them by an authoritative declaration, has as repeatedly failed to do so.
It is manifest that Great Britain, being essentially a maritime country, must depend mainly for her defence upon the power of waging war effectually at sea. It is equally manifest that war can only be waged effectually at sea by the capture of enemy's property, whether in enemy's or in neutral vessels, and that the full strength of the country can only be put forth by arming and commissioning private volunteer vessels as an auxiliary to the State Navy. The right of any nation to do this is not contested, but by the two articles in the Declaration of Paris which declared that the neutral flag should cover enemy's goods not being contraband of war, and that privateering is abolished. Great Britain is held to be bound to deprive herself of these two weapons of defence, and must remain
