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The Consul was foiled; but he was a man of courage, and resolved to strike another blow for the
Sea-Bride. He next charged that the prize-master had brought her within the marine league
after her capture. He made this charge upon the strength of another affidavit—that ready resource of the enemy when in difficulty.
Enclosing this affidavit to the
Governor, he wrote as follows:—
From the affidavit of the first officer, it appears that the alleged prize was brought within one mile and a half of Green Point lighthouse, yesterday, at one o'clock A. M. Now, as the vessel was, at the time, in charge of a prize-crew, it was a violation of neutrality, as much as if the capture had been made at the same distance from the land.
And he required that the ship should be seized.
Without stopping to inquire into the truth of the fact stated, the
Governor directed his
Secretary to reply, that—
His Excellency is not prepared to admit that the fact of a vessel having been brought, by the prize-crew, within one and a half mile of the Green Point lighthouse “was a violation of the neutrality, as much as if the capture had taken place at the same distance from the land,” although both the belligerents are prohibited from bringing their prizes into British ports.
The Governor does not feel warranted in taking steps for the removal of the prize-crew from the Sea-Bride
