Declaration of London

Declaration of London international code of maritime law, especially as related to war, proposed in 1909. The declaration grew largely out of the attempt at the second of the Hague Conferences to set up an international prize court with compulsory jurisdiction. Great Britain, then the chief naval power, felt that such a court should be governed by defined principles. At British invitation the leading European naval powers and the United States and Japan assembled at London in 1908. The Declaration of London that they issued comprised 71 articles dealing with many controversial points, including blockade , contraband , and prize . In general it was a restatement of the existing law, but in its high regard for the rights of neutrals it represented a distinct advance. Although the U.S. Senate ratified the declaration, unanimous ratification by the signatories did not follow, and the code never went into effect officially. In World War I a proposal of the United States that the belligerents voluntarily abide by the code was not adopted.

Bibliography: See study by N. Bentwich (1911).

Savoy Declaration (1658). A statement of Congregational principles and polity, drawn up at a conference held in the Chapel of the Savoy in London by representatives of 120 Churches. It consists of a Preface, a Confession of Faith closely akin to the Westminster Confession, and a Platform of Discipline declaring that all necessary power is vested in each individual Church.

Declarations of Indulgence. Charles II disliked the penal laws against protestant and catholic dissenters and in 1672, using his suspending power, issued a Declaration of Indulgence. The House of Commons protested vehemently: ‘we humbly conceive that Your Majesty has been very much misinformed, since no such power was ever claimed or exercised by any of Your Majesty's predecessors.’ Faced with a war with the Dutch, Charles climbed down and withdrew it. Learning nothing from the experience of his brother, James II issued another declaration in 1687, repeated it in 1688, and compounded matters with a foolish preface declaring, ‘we cannot but heartily wish, as it will easily be believed, that all the people of our dominions were members of the Catholic Church.’ He next prosecuted seven bishops for petitioning against the declaration. Several of the judges cast great doubt on the validity of the suspending power and the bishops were acquitted amid widespread rejoicing. The same day the ‘immortal seven’ (six noblemen and Compton, bishop of London) sent to William of Orange to rescue them.

J. A. Cannon