VI

Ij the Ilng. A PrtclaBfttUi.

George, R. Wbereas His Majesty being at peace witb ail the Powers and States of Europe and of America , has repeatedly declared His royal détermination to maintain a strict and impartial neutrality in the différent eontests in wbich certain of those Powers and States are engaged :

And whereas the commission of acts of hostility by iodividual suhjects of His Majesty against any Power or State , or against the persons and properties of the suhjects of any Power or State , wbich being at peace witb His Majesty is at tbe same time eugaged in a contest, witb respect to wbicb His Majesty has declared his détermination to be neutral, is calculated to bring into question the sincerity of His Majesty's déclarations :

And wbereas if His Majesty's subjects cannot be effectuai ly restrained from such unwarranted commission of acts of bostility, it may be justly apprebended that the GQvernments aggrieved thereby migbt be unable, on their part, to restrain their subjects from commit ting acts of violence upon the persous and property of unoffending subjects of His Majesty :

And whereas the Ottoman Porte , a Power at peace with His Majesty, is and has been for some years past engaged in a contest witb the Greeks, in wbicb contest His Majesty has observed a strict and impartial neutrality :

And whereas great nurabers of His Majesty's loyal subjects réside aod carry on a bénéficiai commerce, and possess establishments and enjoy privi-

leges withtn the dominions of tbe Ottoman Porte, proteeted by the taitb of treaties between (lis Majesty and that Power:

And whercas His Majesty has reeeived récent and undoobted information, that attempts are now making to induce certain of His Majesty's «abjects to fit ont ships of war and privateers in tbe ports of His Majesty's Iringdom, and to embark therein, for the pnrpose of earrying ou, nnder tbe Greek flag, bostile opérations against the Ottomau Government, of capturing and destroying Turkish ships and propcrty, and of committing déprédations on tbe coasts of tbe Torkisb dominions :

And whereas such hostile opérations would be directly eontrary to the provisions of tbe Act, passed in the fifty-ninth year of tbe reign of His late Majesty, intituled »An Act to prevent tbe enlisting or engagement of His ., Majestés subjects to serve in a foreign service, and the titting out or equip- »ping, in His Majesty's dominions, vessels for warlike purposes, wilbout •His Majesty's licence ,« in which it is , amongst other thiugs , enaeted , «that if any natnral born subject of His Majesty, bis heirs, or successors, without the leave or licence of His Majesty, his heirs, or successors, for that purpose first bad and obtained nnder the sign manual of His Majesty , his heirs, or successors, or signitied by Order in Council, or by Proclamation of His Majesty, his heirs, or successors, shall take or accept, or shall agrée to take or accept, any military commission, or shall otherwise enter into the military service as a commissioned or non-cominissioned officer, or sball enlist or enter himself to enlist, or sball agrée to enlist or to enter himself to serve as a soldier, or to be employed, or sball serve in any warlike or military opération in tbe service of, or for, or nnder, or in aid of any foreign prince, state, potentate, colony, province, or part of any province or people, or of any person or persons exercising, or assumiog to exercise the powers of government, in or over any foreign country, colony, provinee, or part of any province or people, either as an officer or soldier, or in any other military capacity; or if any natural born subject of His Majesty shall, without such leave or licence as aforesaid , accept , or agrée to take or accept , any commission, warrant, or appointaient as an officer, or shall enlist or enter himself, or sball agrée to enlist or enter himself to serve as a sailor or marine, or to be employed or engaged , or shall serve in and on board any ship or vessel of war, or in and on board any ship or vessel uaed, or fltted ont, or equipped, or intended to be used for any warlike pur pose in tbe service of, or for, or under, or in aid of any foreign power, prince, state, potentate, colony, province, or part of any province or people, or. of any person or Gricchiscfeer Befretung*krie*. IV. 12

persons exercising, or assuming to exercise the powers of government in or over any foreign eountry, colony, province, or part of any province or people ; or îf any natnral born subject of His Majesty shall , without such leave and licence as aforesaid, engage, contract, or agrée to go, or shall go to any foreign state, eountry, colony, province, or part of any prorince, or to any place beyond the seas , with an intent , or in order to enlist or enter himself to serve , or with intent to serve , in any warlike or military opération whatever, whether by land or by sea, in the service of, or for, or onder, or in aid of, any foreign prince, state, potentate, colony, province, or part of any province or people, or in the service of, or for, or under, or in aid of any person or persons exercising , or assuming to exercise , the powers of government in or *ver any foreign eountry, colony, province, or part of any province or people, either as an offîcer or a soldier, or in any other military capacity , or as an officer, or sailor, or marine, in any snch ship or vessel as aforesaid, although no enlisting money, or pay, or reward shall have been, or sball be, in any or either of the cases aforesaid, actually paid to , or received by him , or by any person to or for his use or beoeit ; or if any person whatever within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or in any part of His Majesty's dominions elsewhere, or in any eountry, colony , seulement , island , or place belonging to or subject to His Majesty, shall hire, retain, engage, or procure, or shall attempt , or endeavour to hire, retain, engage, or procure any person or persons whatever to enlist, cr to enter, or engage to enlist , or to serve , or to be employed in any such service or employment as aforesaid, as an officer, soldier, sailor, or manne, either in land or sea service, for, or under, or in aid of any foreign prince, state , potentate , colony , province , or part of any province or people, or for, or under, or in aid of any person or persons exereising, or assuming to exercise, any powers of government as aforesaid , or to go, or to agrée to go, or to embark from any part of His Majesty's dominions for the purpose or with the intent to be so enlisted, entered, engaged, or employed as aforesaid, whether any enlisting money, pay, or reward shall have been, or shall be actually given or received , or not , in any or either of snch cases every persen so offending shall be deemed guilty of a raisdemeanour, and, upon being convicted thereof, upon any information or iodietment , shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment , or either of them, at the discrétion of tbe Court before which such offender shall be convicted :«

And it is further enacted , »that if any person within any part of the Tuited Kingdom, or in any part of His Majesty's dominions beyond the seas.

shaU , without the leave and licence of His Majesty for that purpose first had and obtained, as aforesaid, equip, farnish, fit oùt, or arm, or attcmpt or eodeavour to equip, furoish, fit out, or arm, or procure to be equipped, furnished, fitted out, or arraed, or shall kûowiogly aid, assist, or be conccrned in tbe equipping, furnishing, fitting out, or arming of any ship or vessel, with inteut or in order that such ship or vessel shall be employed in the service of aoy foreign prince, state, or potentate, or of any foreign eolony, province, or part of any province or people, or of any person or persons exercising, orassuming 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 cruize or commit hostilities againstany prince, state, or potentate, or against the snbjects 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 couotry , or against the inhabitants of any foreign eolony, province, or part of any province or country, with whotn His Majesty shall not then be at war, or shall, within tbe United Kingdom, or any of His Majesty* s dominions, or in any seulement, 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 misdemeanour; and shall, upon conviction thereof, upon any information or indietroent, be punished by fine and imprisonment, or either of tbem, at the discrétion of the court in which such offender shall be eonvicted, and every such ship or vessel , with the tackle , apparel , and furniture , together with ail the materials, arms, ammunition, and stores which may belong to, orbe on board of any such ship or vessel , shall be forfeited; and it shall be lawful for any officer of His Majesty's customs or excise , or any offïcer of His Majesty's navy, who is by law empowered to make seizures for any forfeiture, încurred under any of the laws of customs or excise , or the laws of trade and navigation, to seize such ships and vessels aforesaid, and in such places, and in such manner in which the officers of His Majesty's eustoms or excise, and the officers of His Majesty's navy , are empowered respectively to make seizures under the laws of customs and excise, or under tbe laws of trade and navigation, and that every such ship and vessel, with the tackle , apparel, and furniture , together with ail the materials , arms , ammunition , and stores which may belong to or be on board of such ship or vessel , may be prosecuted and condemoed in the like manner , and in such courts a ships or ves-

sels may be prosccuted and condemned , for any breach of thc laws made for thc protection of the revenues of customs and excise, or of the laws of trade and navigation :«

His Majesty , therefore , being désirons of preserving to his subjccts the blessings of peace which they now happily enjoy, and being resolved to persévère in that System of neutrality which His Majesty has so repeatedly declared his détermination to maintain ; in order that none of His Majcsty's subjects may unwarily render themselves Hable to the penalties imposed by the Statute herein mentioned, has thoaght fit, by and with thc adviee or His Privy Council , to issue this His Royal Proclamation :

And His Majesty does hereby strictly corn ma nd that no person or persons whatsoever do présume to takc part in any of the said contests, or to commit or attempt any act, matter, or thing whatsoever, cootrary to the provisions of the said Statute , upon pain of the several penalties by the said Statute imposed , and of His Majesty's high displeasure :

And His Majesty, by and with the advice aforesaid, doth hereby enjoin ail Ht* Majesty's subjects , strictly to observe , as well towards the Ottoman Porte and the Greeks, as towards ail other belligérants with whom His Majesty is at peace, thc duties of neutrality; and to respect in ail, and each of them, the exercise of those belligérant rights, which His Majesty has always claimed to exercise, when His Majesty has himself been nnhappily engaged in war.

Givcn at Our Court at Windsor , the thirtieth day of Septcmbcr une thonsand eight hnndred and twenty-flve, and in thc sixth year of Our reign.

God save the King.