At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 29th day of March, 1854, Present-The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in Council. Her Majesty having determined to afford active assistance to her ally, his Highness the Sultan of the Ottoman empire, for the protection of his dominions against the encroachments and unprovoked aggression of his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, her Majesty, therefore, is pleased, by and with the advice of her Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, that general reprisals be granted against the ships, vessels and goods of the Emperor of all the Russias, and of his subjects or others inhabiting within any of his countries, territories, or dominions, so that her Majesty's fleets and ships shall and may lawfully seize all ships, vessels and goods belonging to the Emperor of all the Russias or his subjects, or others inhabiting within any of his countries, territories, or dominions, and bring the same to judgment in such Courts of Admiralty within her Majesty's dominions, possessions, or colonies, as shall be duly commissioned to take cognizance thereof. And to that end her Majesty's Advocate-General, with the Advocate of her Majesty in her Office of Admiralty, are forthwith to prepare the draft of a commission, and present the same to her Majesty at this Board, authorizing the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral to will and require the High Court of Admiralty of England, and the Lieutenant and Judge of the said Court, his Surrogate or Surrogates, as also the several Courts of Admiralty within her Majesty's dominions, which shall be duly commissionated to take cognizance of, and judicially proceed upon, all and all manner of captures, seizures, prizes and reprisals of all ships, vessels and goods, that are or shall be taken, and to hear and determine the same; and according to the course of Admiralty, and the law of nations, to adjudge and condemn all such ships, vessels and goods as shall belong to the Emperor of all the Russias or his subjects, or to any others inhabiting within any of his countries, territories, or dominions; and they are likewise to prepare and lay before her Majesty, at this Board, a draft of such instructions as may be proper to be sent to the said several Courts of Admiralty in her Majesty's dominions, possessions and colonies, for their guidance therein. From the Court at Buckingham Palace, this 29th day of March, 1854. FITTING OUT SHIPS FOR THE ENEMY. BY THE QUEEN.-A PROCLAMATION. Victoria, R.-Whereas, by an Act of Parliament, passed in the fifty-ninth year of the reign of his late Majesty King George the Third, entitled "An Act to prevent the enlisting or engagement of his Majesty's subjects to serve in foreign service, and the fitting out or equipping in his Majesty's dominions vessels for warlike purposes without his Majesty's licence;" it is amongst other things enacted, that if any person, within any part of the United Kingdom, or in any part of his Majesty's dominions beyond the seas, shall, without the leave or licence of his Majesty, his heirs, or successors for that purpose first had and obtained, under the sign manual of his Majesty, his heirs, or successors, or signified by order in council, or by proclamation of his Majesty, his heirs or successors, equip, furnish, fit out or arm, or attempt or endeavour to equip, furnish, fit out or arm, or procure to be equipped, furnished, fitted out, or armed, or shall knowingly aid, assist, or be concerned in the equipping, furnishing, fitting out, or arming of any ship or vessel, with intent, or in order that such ship or vessel shall be employed in the service of any foreign prince, state, or potentate, or of any foreign colony, province, or part of any province or people, or of any person or persons exercising, or assuming to exercise, any powers of government in or over any foreign state, colony, province, or part of any province or people, as a transport or store ship, or with intent to cruise or commit hostilities against any prince, state or potentate, or against the subjects or citizens of any prince, state, or potentate, or against the persons exercising or assuming to exercise the powers of government in any colony, province, or part of any province or country, or against the inhabitants of any foreign colony, province, or part of any province or country with whom his Majesty shall not then be at war, or shall, within the United Kingdom, or any of his Majesty's dominions, or in any settlement, colony, territory, island, or place belonging or subject to his Majesty, issue or deliver any commission for any ship or vessel, to the intent that such ship or vessel shall be employed as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, upon conviction thereof, upon any information or indictment, be punished by fine and imprisonment, or either of them, at the discretion of the court in which such offender shall be convicted; and every such ship or vessel, with the tackle, apparel, and furniture, together with all the materials, arms, ammunition, and stores, which may belong to or be on board of any such ship or vessel, shall be forfeited: And whereas it has been represented to us that ships and vessels are being built in several places within the United Kingdom, and are being equipped, furnished, and fitted out, especially with steam machinery, with intent that they shall be employed as aforesaid, without our royal leave or licence for that purpose first had or obtained, or signified as aforesaid: We have, therefore, thought fit, by and with the advice of our Privy Council, to issue this our royal proclamation, warning all our subjects against taking part in such proceedings, which we are determined to prevent and repress, and which cannot fail to bring upon the parties engaged in them the punishments which attend the violation of the laws. Given at our Court at Buckingham Palace, this ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, and in the seventeenth year of our reign. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN. EXPORTATION OF PROHIBITED STORES OF WAR. At the Council Chamber, Whitehall, April 11, 1854. By the Lords of her Majesty's most Hon. Privy Council. The Lords of the Council having taken into consideration certain applications for leave to export arms, ammunition, military and naval stores, &c., being articles of which the exportation is prohibited by her Majesty's proclamation of February the 18th, 1854, their Lordships are pleased to order, and it is hereby ordered, that permission should be granted by the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury to export the articles so prohibited, to be carried coastwise to ports in the United Kingdom, and likewise to all places in North and South America, except the Russian possessions in North America; to the coast of Africa, west of the Straits of Gibraltar, and round the south and east coast of Africa; to the whole coast of Asia not within the Mediterranean Sea or the Persian Gulf, and not being part of the Russian territories; to the whole of Australia, and to all British colonies within the limits aforesaid, upon taking a bond from the persons exporting such prohibited articles that they shall be landed and entered at the port of destination; and that all further permission to export such articles to other parts of the world be only granted upon application to the Lords of the Council at this board. TRADE WITH RUSSIA. At the Council Chamber, Whitehall, the 24th day of April, 1854, By the Lords of her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council. The Lords of the Council, having taken into consideration certain applications for leave to export various articles, of which the exportation is prohibited by her Majesty's Proclamation of the 18th of February, 1854, are pleased to order, and it is hereby ordered, that the officers of her Majesty's Customs do not hereafter prevent the export of any articles except only— Gunpowder, Saltpetre, and Brimstone, Arms and Ammunition, Marine Engines and Boilers, and the component parts thereof. And that such last-named articles be prohibited from export, only when destined to any place in Europe north of Dunkirk or to any place in the Mediterranean Sea east of Malta; and that the officers of her Majesty's Customs do permit the export of the said enumerated articles to any other part of the world, upon taking, from the persons exporting the same, a bond that they shall be landed and entered at the port of destination. Whereof the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury, and officers of her Majesty's Customs, and all other persons whom it may concern, are to take notice and govern themselves accordingly. C. C. GREVILle. RIGHT OF SEARCH.-IMPRESSMENT OF SEAMEN OUT OF AMERICAN SHIPS. A convention has just been concluded between the British and American governments, by which important reservations are made with respect to the right of search, as far as American vessels are concerned, and under which the claim, heretofore insisted upon by this country, to impress British subject's out of American vessels, has been relinquished; the United States, on their part, pledging themselves to observe strict neutrality and non-interference in the contest between the Western powers and Russia. The text of the convention has not yet (26th April) been officially made public. INDEX. ABERDEEN, Lord, despatch, December, 1841, cited as to right of ADJUDICATION OF PRIZE, must be had as promptly as possible, ADMIRAL, Lord High, his office, duties &c., described, 375–382. ADMIRALTY, Lords of the, their power to commission privateers, ALIEN ENEMY, defined, 14; distinction between a permanent ALLIANCE, defensive, its conditions, 53. ALLIES, their position defined; their liabilities, and their ex- ALVANLEY, Lord, cited as to hostile character, 20. AMERICAN COMMERCE, relaxation of rule of blockade towards, AMERICAN MERCHANTS, their position with regard to a hostile AMMUNITION, contraband, 258. AMSTERDAM, the blockade of, considered topographically, 164. 335. ANIMUS MANENDI, the chief element in the constitution of hos- U |