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The Green Bag.

tice. "I trust," he said in the celebrated case of the Swedish convoy, i C. Rob. 349, "that it has not escaped my anxious recollection for one moment what it is that the duty of my station calls for from me; namely, to consider myself stationed here not to deliver occasional and shifting opinions to serve present purposes of particular national inter est, but to administer with indifference that justice which the law of nature holds out, without distinction, to independent states, some happening to be neutral, and some to be belligerent. The seat of judicial author ity is, indeed, locally here in the belligerent country, according to the known law and practice of nations; but the law itself has no locality. It is the duty of the person who sits here to determine this question exactly as he would determine the same question if sitting in Stockholm; to assert no pretensions on the part of Great Britain which he would not allow to Sweden in the same circum stances, and to impose no duties on Sweden, as a neutral country, which he would not ad mit to belong to Great Britain in the same character. If therefore, I mistake the law in this matter, I mistake that which I consider, and which I mean should be considered, as the universal law upon the question." "If ever the phrase of being luminous could be bestowed upon human compositions,'7 says Brougham, "it was upon his judgments." Aware of the value of his productions he be stowed extreme care on their preparation. In a few instances his language may seem somewhat stilted: the attention to diction may occasionally degenerate into purism; but the symmetry and elegance of the whole confirm Lord Lyndhurst's opinion that it is as vain to praise as to imitate him. Probably his finest performance, from all points of view, is his luminous exposition in the case of the Gratitudine, 3 C. Rob. 240, of the power of the master of a vessel to hypoth ecate her cargo. But is is little, if any supe rior to the following: The Maria, the case of the Swedish convoy, i C. Rob. 340; the case of the Slave Grace, 2 Hagg. Adm. 94; the

Jane and Matilda, i Hagg. Adm. 187; the Neptune, i Hagg. Adm. 227; Le Louis, 2 Dods. Adm. 2Ю.1 The regular reports of the Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts begin with Stowell. Haggard's Consistory Reports contain Stowell's decisions as judge of the Consistory Court. Dr. Lee's Reports, covering the sec ond quarter of the eighteenth century, are mere notes of cases in the Arches and Pre rogative Courts of Canterbury and in the Court of Delegates. Stowell's Admiralty decisions were reported, in turn, by Robin son,' Edwards, Dodson and Haggard. Of these the reports of Sir Christopher Robin son, Stowell's successor in office, cover the most important period, and are of the highest authority. The earlier decisions of the Ad miralty have since been collected from var ious sources by Marsden. Those from 1776 to 1779 are contained in Mariott's Reports. Stowell was followed in succession by Sir Christopher Robinson (1828-33), and Sir John Nichol (1833-38), whose short servicewas respectable, but not particularly distin guished. The next judge of this court maintained the high standard set by Stowell. Lushington (1838-67) was a man of high character, vast learning and sound judgment, who, dur ing a service almost equal to that of Stowell in duration, administered the varied duties of his court with such accuracy and good sense that his judgment was seldom appealed from and rarely reversed. "All who ever 1 The following is a fairly comprehensive list of his most important contributions to international law : The Santa Cruze, i C. Hob. 50; Mercurius, ib. So; Frederick Molke. ib. 86; Betsy, ib. 93; Fiad Oyen, ib. 135; Hendrick and Maria, ib. 146; Columbia, ib. 1 54; Mentor, ib. 179; jouge Margaretha, ib. 189; Hoop, ib. 196; Two Friends, ib. 271; Vrow Margaretha, ib. 336; María, ib. 340; Immanuel, 2 C. Rob. 186; Indian Chief, 3 С. Rob. IS; Port land, il/. 41; Twee Gebroeder, it. 162, 336; Inuan, №. 167; Atlas, ib. 299; Bremen Flügge, 4 С. Rob. 90; Anna Catharina, it. 107; Fortuna, it. 278; Venus, it. 355; Phoenix, 5 C. Rob. 20; Carlotta, it. 54; Boedes Lust.//. 233; Anna, it. 373; Orozambo, 6 C. Rob. 430; Atalanta, 6 it. 440; Neptunus, 6 //. 403; Madison, Edwards, 224: Coylon, i Dods. so5; Eliza Ann, it. 244; Fanny, 2 Dods. 210; Le Louis, it. 210.