ITALIE
Déclaration de neutralité.
Gazz. Uff. , 28 avril 1877.
La guerra essendo scoppiata fra la Russia e la Turchia, e l'Italia trovandosi in pace con entrambe queste potenze, il Governo del Re e i cittadini del Regno hanno l'obligo di scrupolosamente osservare i doveri délia neutralità, conformemente aile leggi in vigore ed ai principii generali del diritto délie genti. Coloro i quali violeranno questi x doveri non potranno invocare la protezione del R. Governo e dei suoi Agenti, ed incorreranno anche, secondo i casi, nelle pene comminate dalle leggi speciali e generali dello Stato.
Guerre d'Orient.
GRANDE-BRETAGNE
Proclamation de neutralité, en date du 30 avril 1877.
Copie.
By the Queen. A Proclamation.
Victoria, R.
Whereas we are happily at peace with ail Sovereigns, Powers and States :
And whereas, notwithstanding our utmost exertions to préserve peace between ail Sovereign Powers and States, a state of war unhappily exists between His Majesty the Emperor of Ail the Russias and His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans, and between their respective subjects and others inhabiting within their countries, territories, or dominions:
And whereas we are on terms of friendship and amicable intercourse with each of thèse Sovereigns, and with their several subjects and others inhabiting within their countries, territories, or dominions:
And whereas great numbers of our loyal subjects réside and carry on commerce , and possess property and establishments , and enjoy various rights and privilèges, within the dominions of each of the aforesaid Sovereigns, protected by the faith of treaties between us and each of the aforesaid Sovereigns:
And whereas we , being desirous of preserving to our subjects the blessings of peace, which they now happily enjoy, are firmly purposed and determined to maintain a strict and impartial neutrality in the said state of war unhappily existing between the aforesaid Sovereigns:
We, therefore, have thought fit by and with the advice of our Privy Council, to issue this our Royal Proclamation.
And we do hereby strictly charge and command ail our loving subjects to govern theraselves accordingly, and to observe a strict neutrality in and during the aforesaid war, and to abstain from violating or contra vening either the laws and statutes of the realm on this behalf or the law of nations in relation thereto, as they will answer to the contrary at their péril.
And whereas in and by a certain statute made and passed in a Session of Parliament holden in the 33d and 34th year of our reign, intituled »An Act to Regulate the Conduct of Her Majesty's Subjects during the existence of Hostilities between Foreign States with which Her Majesty is at Peace«, it is, among other things, declared and enacted as folio ws:
Illégal Enlistment.
If any person without the licence of Her Majesty, being a British subject, with or without Hér Majesty's dominions, accepts or agrées to accept any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with any foreign State at peace with Her Ma- Nouv. Recueil Gén. 2e S. III. Q
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jesty, and in this Act referred to as a friendly State, or whether a British subject or not within Her Majesty's dominions, induces any other person to accept or agrée to accept any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any such foreign State as aforesaid,
He shall be guilty of an offence against this Act, and shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment, or either of such punishments , at the discrétion of the Court before which the offender is convicted; and imprisonment, if awarded, may be either with or without hard labour.
If any person, without the licence of Her Majesty, being a British subject, quits or goes on board any ship with a view of quitting Her Majesty' s dominions, with intent to accept any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with a friendly State, or, whether a British subject or not, within Her Majesty's dominions, induces any other person to quit or to go on board any ship with a view of quitting Her Majesty's dominions with the like intent,
He shall be guilty of an offence against the Act , and shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment, or either of such punishments, at the discrétion of the Court before which the offender is convicted; and imprisonment, if awarded, may be either with or without hard labour.
If any person induces any other person to quit Her Majesty's dominions or to embark on any ship within Her Majesty's dominions under a misrepresentation or false représentation of the service in which such person is to be engaged, with the intent or in order that such person may accept, or agrée to accept, any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with a friendly State,
He shall be guilty of an offence against this Act, and shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment, or either of such punishments, at the discrétion of the Court before which the offender is convicted; and imprisonment, if awarded, may be either with or without hard labour.
If the master or owner of any ship, without the licence of Her Majesty, knowingly either takes on board, or engages to take on board, or has on board such ship within Her Majesty's dominions any of the follow* ing persons, in this Act referred to as illegally enlisted persons, that is to say:
1. Any person who, being a British subject within or without the dominions of Her Majesty, has, without the licence of Her Majesty, accepted or agreed to accept any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with any friendly State;
2. Any person, being a British subject, who, without the licence of Her Majesty, is about to quit Her Majesty's dominions with intent to accept any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with a friendly State;
3. Any person who has been induced to embark under a misrepresentation of the service in which such person is to be engaged, with the intent or in order that such person may accept or agrée to accept any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with a friendly State;
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Such master or owner shall be guilty of an offence against this Act, and the following conséquences shall ensue — that is to say:
1. The offender shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment , or either of such punishments, at the discrétion of the Court before which the offender is convicted; and imprisonment, if awarded, may be either with or without hard labour ; and^
2. Such ship shall be detained until the trial and conviction or acquittai of the master or owner, and until ail penalties inflicted on the master or owner have been paid , or the master or owner has given security for the payment of such penalties to the satisfaction of two Justices of the Peace , or other magistrate or magistrates having the authority of two Justices of the Peace-, and
3. Ail illegally enlisted persons shall, immediately on the discovery of the offence , be taken on shore , and shall not be allowed to return to the ship.
Illégal Shipbuilding and Illégal Expéditions.
If any person within Her Majesty' s dominions, without the licence of lier Majesty, does any of the following acts — that is to say:
1. Builds or agrées to build, or causes to be built, any ship with intent or knowledge, or having reasonable cause to believe, that the same shall or will be employed in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with any friendly State; or
2. Issues or delivers any commission for any ship with intent or knowledge, or having reasonable cause to believe, that the same shall or will be employed in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with any friendly State; or
3. Equips any ship with intent or knowledge, or having reasonable cause to believe, that the same shall or will be employed in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with any friendly State; or
4. Despatches, or causes, or allows to be despatched , any ship with intent or knowledge, or having reasonable cause to bejieve, that the same shall or will be employed in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with any friendly State :
Such person shall be deemed to have committed an offence against this Act, and the following conséquences shall ensue:
1. The offender shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment, or either of such punishments, at the discrétion of the Court before which the offender is convicted ; and imprisonment , if awarded , may be either with or without hard labour.
2. The ship, in respect of which any such offence is committed, and her equipment, shall be forfeited to Her Majesty:
Provided that a person building, causing to be built , or equipping a ship in any of the causes aforesaid, in pursuance of a contract made before the commencement of such war as aforesaid , shall not be liable to any of the penalties imposed by this section in respect of such building or equipping if he satisfies the conditions following (that is to say):
Grande-Bretagne.
1. If forthwith upon a Proclamation of Neutrality being issued by Her Majesty he gives notice to the Secretary of State, that he is so building, causing to be built, or equipping such ship, and furnishes such particulars of the contract and of any matters relating to, or done, or to be done under the contract as may be required by the Secretary of State:
2. If he gives such security, and takes and permits to be taken such other measures, if any, as the Secretary of State may prescribe for insuring that such ship shall not be despatched, delivered, or removed without the licence of Her Majesty until the termination of such war as aforesaid.
Were any ship is built by order of or on behalf of any foreign State when at war with a friendly State, or is delivered to or to the order of such foreign State , or any person who to the knowledge of the person building is an agent of such foreign State, -or is paid for by such foreign State or such agent, and is employed in the military or naval service of such foreign State, such ship shall, until the contrary is proved, be deemed to have been built with a view to being so employed, and the burden shall lie on the builder of such ship of proving that he did not know that the ship was intended to be so employed in the military or naval service of such foreign State.
If any person within the dominions of Her Majesty, and without the licence of Her Majesty,
By adding to the number of the guns, or by changing those on board for other guns, or by the addition of any equipment for war, increases or augments, or procures to be increased or augmented, or is knowingly concerned in increasing or augmenting the warlike force of any ship which at the time of her being within the dominions of Her Majesty was a ship in the military or naval service of any foreign State at War with any friendly State,
Such person shall be guilty of an offence against this Act, and shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment, or either of such punishments, at the discrétion of the Court before which the offender is convicted ; and imprisonment, if awarded, may be either with or without hard labour.
If any person within the limits of Her Majesty's dominions, and without the licence of Her Majesty, —
Prépares or fits out any naval or military expédition to proceed against the dominions of any friendly State, the following conséquences shall ensue:
1. Every person engaged in such préparation or fitting out, or assisting therein, or employed in any capacity in such expédition, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act, and shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment or either of such punishments, at the discrétion of the Court before which the offender is convicted ; and imprisonment, if awarded, may be either with or without hard labour.
1. Ail ships and their equipments, and ail arms and munitions of war used in or forming part of such expédition shall be forfeited to Her Majesty.
Any person who aids, abets, counsels, or procures the commission of
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any offence against this Act shall be liable to be tried and punished as a principal offender.
And whereas by the said Act it is further provided that ships built, conimissioned , equipped, or despatched in contravention of the said Act may be condemned and forfeited by judgment of the Court of Admiralty; and that if the Secretary of State or Chief Executive Authority is satisfied that there is a reasonable and probable cause for believing that a ship within our dominions has been or is being built, commissioned , or equipped, contrary to the said Act, and is about to be taken beyond the limits of such dominions, or that a ship is about to be despatched contrary to the Act, such Secretary of State, or Chief Executive Authority, shall have power to issue a warrant authorizing the seizure and search of such ship and her dentention until she has been either condemned or released by process of law. And whereas certain powers of seizure and détention are conferred by the said Act on certain local authorities.
Now, in order that none of our subjects may unwarily render themselves liable to the penalties imposed by the said statute, we do hereby strictly command that no person or persons whatsoever do commit any act, matter, or thing whatsoever contrary to the provisions of the said statute, upon pain of the several penalities by the said statute imposed, and of our high displeasure.
And we do hereby further warn and admonish ail our loving subjects and ail persons whatsoever entitled to our protection , to observe towards each of the aforesaid Sovereigns, their subjects and territories, and towards ail belligerents whatsoever, whith whom we are at peace, the duties of neutrality, and to respect in ail and each of them the exercise of those belligerent rights which we and our Royal predecessors have always claimed to exercise.
And we hereby further warn ail our loving subjects and ail persons whatsoever entitled to our protection, that if any of them shall présume, in contempt of this our Royal Proclamation and of our high displeasure, to do any acts in dérogation of their duty as subjects of a neutral Sovereign in a war between other Sovereigns, or in violation or contravention of the Law of Nations in that behalf, as more especially by breaking, or endeavouring to break, any blockade lawfully and actually established by or on behalf of either of the said Sovereigns, or by carrying of&cers, soldiers , despatehes , arms , ammunition , military stores or materials , or any article or articles considered and deemed to be contraband of war according to the Law or modem Usages of Nations , for the use or service of either of the said Sovereigns, that ail persons so offending, together with their ships and goods, will rightfully incur and be justly liable to hostile capture, and to the penalties denounced by the Law of Nations in that behalf.
And we do hereby give notice, that ail our subjects and persons entitled to our protection who may misconduct themselves in the prémisses will do so at their péril and of their own wrong; and that they will in nowise obtain any protection from us against such capture, or such pe-
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nalties as aforesaid, but will , on the contrary, incur our high displeasure by su ch. misconduct.
Given at our Court at Windsor this 30th day of April, in the year of Our Lord 1877, in the 40th year of our reign.
God save the Queen!
