from their commerce
carried on in neutral bottoms, they are obliged to suppress such
collusions, by that necessity which Grotius himself hath allowed to be
a sufficient excuse for deviating from the letter of any treaty
whatsoever. In time of peace no Dutch ships were permitted to carry
the produce of any French sugar island, or even to trade in any of the
French ports in America or the West Indies; consequently, the treaty
which they quote can never justify them in carrying on a commerce,
which, as it did not exist, and was not foreseen, could not possibly
be guarded against when that convention was ratified. Grotius, whose
authority is held in such veneration among the Dutch, has determined
that every nation has a right to seize and confiscate the goods of any
neutral power, which shall attempt to carry them into any place which is
blocked up by that nation, either by land or sea. The French islands in
the West Indies were so blocked up by the English cruisers, that they
could receive no relief from their own government, consequently no
neutral power could attempt to supply them without falling under this
predicament.*

* In the reign of king William, when the English and Dutch
were engaged in a war against France, the northern powers of
Sweden and Denmark attempted to carry on the French
commerce, under the shade of neutrality; but the Dutch and
English joined in seizing the vessels that were thus
employed. Complaints of these captures were made at London
and the Hague, and the complainants were given to understand
at both places, that they should not be allowed to carry on
any trade with France, but what was usual in time of peace.
In consequence of this declaration, Mr. Groning formed the
design of writing a treatise on the freedom of navigation,
and communicated the plan of his work to the celebrated
Puffendorff, who signified his sentiments in a letter, which
is preserved by the learned Barbeyrac in his notes upon
that author's treatise on the Law of Nature and Nations.

It was for these reasons that the king of England declared, by the mouth
of Mr. Yorke, his minister plenipotentiary at the Hague, in a conference
held in the mouth of August with the deputies of the states-general,
that though he was ready to concur in every measure that should be
proposed for giving satisfaction to their high mightinesses, with
whom he had always stud