H. W. HALLECK,

In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the Northern District of California.

PAINTER & COMPANY, printers,

510 Clay Street.

PREFACE.

During the war between the United States and Mexico, the author, while serving on the staff of the commander of the Pacific squadron, and as Secretary of State of California, was often required to give opinions on questions of international law growing out of the operations of the war. As it was sometimes difficult or impossible to procure books of reference, except in the libraries of ships of war which occasionally touched at the ports of the northern Pacific, he commenced a series of notes and extracts, which were arranged under different heads, convenient for use. The manuscript so formed has been occasionally added to as new books were procured, and it is now given to the press, with the hope that it may be found useful to officers of the army and navy, and possibly, also, to the professional lawyer. With this view, a number of authorities are referred to at the end of each paragraph. It is proper to remark that these authorities are not quoted in support of the views expressed in the text, for they are sometimes directly opposed to the opinions so expressed. They will, however, be found to contain something upon the questions discussed, or upon matters immediately connected with them.

H. W. H.

San Francisco, Cal., May, 1861.

NOTE.-While the following pages are passing through the press, new and unexpected circumstances have arisen which prevent the author from giving that personal attention to correcting proof, so important in a work of this kind. It will, therefore, probably be found to contain some typographical errors, which would otherwise have been corrected.