Stephen Johnson Field

“ The facts established by the evidence in this case justify the condemnation, we think, of the cargo as enemy's property. No principle is more firmly settled than that the property of a commercial house, established in the enemy's country, is subject to seizure and condemnation as prize without regard to the domicile of the partners. ”

“ The trade of a house of this kind is essentially a hostile trade, and the property employed in its prosecution is therefore treated as enemy's property, though some of the partners may have a neutral domicile. ”

“ If information be honestly desired, it must be sought from other quarters. In the case of the James Cooke, [5] the ship was captured at the entrance of the Texel, and the court applied this rule, observing that the approach of the ship to the mouth of a blockaded port, even to make inquiry, was, in itself, a consummation of the offence, and amounted to an actual breach of the blockade.
In every view, therefore, in which this case can be considered, we are of opinion that the ship and cargo were rightly condemned ”