![]() It may be pertinent to inquire whether there are many gentlemen in Haiti or Santo Domingo who have given that lifelong study to the question of international law which alone would entitle them to have a seat on such a tribunal as this. In the third year the countries to appoint judges are, amongst other, Venezuela and Brazil, and the Powers to appoint deputy-judges are, amongst others, Santo Domingo and Haiti. As regards the appointment of judges in the second year there is a new Power introduced-Uruguay. Again, perhaps, the Foreign Secretary will give us some explanation of the commercial interests of Costa Rica. In the second year there are a number of others Powers brought in to appoint deputy-judges-Panama, Roumania, Belgium, Luxemburg, and Costa Rica. The other Powers are Bolivia, Spain, Roumania, Sweden, Belgium, and Persia. I hope the Foreign Secretary will tell us what vital interest Paraguay has and what right, from the point of view of our interests, she has to appoint a judge or a deputy-judge. In the first year the Powers to appoint judges are Argentina, Columbia, Spain, Greece, Norway, the Netherlands, and Turkey, and the deputy-judges are to be appointed by, first of all, Paraguay. I ask, by this Amendment, that the House do not allow the Act to come into operation unless the Powers which are signatories to this Convention agree to a radical alteration in the constitution of the tribunal which will give us some degree of fair play, if not all the fair play we desire. That is the Convention His Majesty's Government have agreed to through their representatives at The Hague. They have no commercial navy, no subjects engaged in the carriage of goods, or in over-seas commerce at all, and yet every one of these Powers is to have the right, to be exercised in the mode prescribed, of appointing a judge to sit upon this tribunal and adjudicate upon matters of the most vital importance that can come before any tribunal as regards our commercial interests. Most of them have not got a war ship most of them have certainly no commercial interests whatsoever on the sea. By whom are the others to be appointed? They are to be appointed in rotation by Powers, some of whom it is difficult to regard in this connection without a smile Powers who have not the remotest interest in the sea. Let me assume for the moment that it would be right to give one to each of the great Powers. It is a serious question whether we, the greatest naval and maritime Power in the world, ought not to have more than one judge out of the fifteen on that tribunal. Of these fifteen, according to Article 15 of the Convention-a Convention not yet ratified-eight will be appointed by the eight great Powers of the world, Germany, the United States of America, Austria-Hungary, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and Russia. What I am proposing now deals with the constitution of this new tribunal, which is to have these gigantic powers, and whose decrees British subjects all over the world are to obey. The second question is not touched by my Amendment, but will be the subject of later discussion. ![]() Is its constitution likely to deal out complete justice in accordance with our ideas of maritime law and what is reasonable in itself? The second point is the law which the tribunal is going to administer. There are two points to consider in regard to this tribunal. ![]() Unless we are satisfied on that point we should be grossly wanting in our duty to respect and preserve British rights. I submit to the House that before the rights and interests of British subjects are to be governed by any foreign tribunal we ought to be absolutely satisfied that that foreign tribunal is composed in a manner in which this House and British subjects all over the world can have confidence. I need hardly say that the foreign tribunal to which I refer is the International Prize Court which is to be set up under the terms of the Convention which is the First Schedule to the Bill. By this Bill we are asked, for the first time in history, so far as I am aware, to place the rights and interests of British subjects all over the world under the control of a foreign tribunal, and we are further asked to say that the whole powers of British courts throughout the world are to be put in operation to enforce any orders which that foreign tribunal may choose to make. ![]()
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