The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-05-17 00:00:00

ENGLISH NEUTRALITY.

The following Proclamation, declaring the neutrality
of England in the war between Franco and Austria,
appeared in last night's Gaulle :
FRIDAY, MAT 13.

BT TIM QUEEN.-A PROCLAMATION.

Victoria, R.—Whereas we are happily at peace with
all Sovereigns, Powers, awl States ;
Ant whereas, notwithstanding our utmost exertions to
preserve iwatie between all the Sovereign Powers and
States now at war, hostilities have unhappily com-
mented between His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of
Austria on the one part, and Ili Majesty the King of
Sardinia and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor IA the
French on the other part;
And whereas a state of war now exists between His
Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Austria on the one
part, and His Majesty the King of Sardinia and His
Imperial Majesty the Engem of the French on the
other part, and between their respective subjects and
others inhabiting within their countries, territories,
or dominions;

_
Anil whereu we are on terms of friendship and
amicable inteicouree with all and each of these Sove-
reigns, and with their several subjects and others in-
habiting within their countries, territories, or clomi•
nions ;
And whereas great numbers of our loyal subjects
reside and carry on COMUIf Me, and possess property
And establishments, and enjoy various rights and priVi.
kips, within the dominions of each of the aforesaid
Sovereigns, protected by the faith of treaties between WI
and each of the aforesaid Sovereigns;
And whereu we, being ticairutii of preserving to our
subjects the blessings a pesos, which they now happily
enjoy, are firnily purposed and determined to abstain
altogether from taking any part, directly or indirectly,
in the war now unhappily existing between the said
Sovereigns, their subjects and territories, and to remain
at peace with, and to maintain a peaceful and friendly
Intercourse with, all and each of them, and their
respective subjects, and others inhabiting within any of
their countries, territories, and dominioni, and to
maintain a strict and impartial neutrality in the said
hostilities and war, unhappily existing between them.
We, therefore, have thought lit, by and with the
advice of our Privy Council, to issue this our Royal
Proclamation.

And we do hereby strictly charge and command all
our loving subjects to govern themselves accordingly,
and to observe • strict neutrality in and during the
aforesaid Inoitilities and war, and to abistain from viola-
ting or contravening either the laws and statutes of the
realm in this behalf, or the law of nations in relation
thereto, ea they will answer to the country at their
peril.
And whereas in and by a certain statute 1111,16 and
plumed in the 59th year of His Majesty King Heurge
111., entitled 'An Act to previiit the enlisting or
engagement of Ilia Matsty's subjects to serve in
foreign service and the tting out or equipping, in ffi.
Nejeety'a dominions, veorels fur warlike purpose's with-
Mkt His Majoity's licence," it is among other things
declared and enacted as follows :

"That if any pernon within any part of the United
Kingdom, or in any part of His Majesty's douoiniona
beyond the seas, shall, without the leave and hectic!' of
His Majesty for that purpose grit had and obtained as
aforesnid, equip, furnish, fit out, or arm, or
attempt or endeavour to equip, furnish, at out,
or arm, or procure to be equipped, furnished,
fitted out, of armed, or shall knowingly all,
soloist, or be concerned in the *quipping, furnish-
ing, fitting out, or arming of any ship or veered
with intent or in or.ler that nisch ship or yowl shall be
e iiployed in the service of any foreign Prince, State, or
Potentate, or of any foreign °Amy, province, or part of
any province or people, or of any person or person* exer-
citing or assuming to exercise any puwere of government
in or over any foreign State, colony, province, or part
of any province or people, am • transport or storenhip, or
with intent to online or annum hostilities mailed any
Prince, State, or Potentate, or against the subjects or
citizens of any Prince, Sitste, or Potentate, or against
the person,' exeroining, (or aanuming to exercise, the
power, of government in any colony, province, or part
of any province or country, or against the iiihibitants of
any foreign colony, province. or part of any province or
country, with whom His Maleaty shall not then be
at war, or shall within the United Kingdom, or any
of I d.PlUilliUll., or in any settlement,
colony, territory, islAnol, or place, belonging or
nothject to His Majesty, issue or deliver any co 11111 l is.
Most for any shop or vessel, to the intent that
such ship or vessel Khali be employed at aforesaid, every
such person to offending shall toe deemed guilty of •
misdemeanor, and ',hall, upon conviction thereof, upon
soy information or indictment, be punished by fine and
inipri.oinnent, or either of them, at the discretion of
the Court in which sucli offenoler &loan be convicted ;
and every suclo ship or vessel, with the tackle, apparel
and furniture, together with all the materials, arms,
and tores which may belong to or be on
board of any sucla ship or ceasel, chill be forfeited ; 111111
it dual be lawful for any officer of His Mnjusty'n
Undone' or Excise, or any °Meer of His ilaje.ty's Navy,
who is by law empowered to wake seizures for ally for-
feiture incurred under any of the lawn of Customs or
Excise, or the laws of trade and navigation, to seize
mach ships and vessels aforesaid, and in Nuch places and
in such wanner, in which the officers of His Jolajesty's
Cuodions or Excise, and the officers of His Majesty's
Navy are empowered respectively to make seizure'
undrr the laws of ruitoms and Excise, or under the
laws of trade and navigation ; and that every such ship
and veseel, with the tackle, apparel and furniture,
together with all the material*, arms, ammunition,
and stores which may belong to or be on board of Mich
ship or vessel, may be proiecuted and condemned in
the like wanner and in such courta as ships or vessels
may he prosecuted and condemned for any breach of
the laws :snide fur the protection of the revenues of
Customs and Excise, or of the laws of trade and naviga-
tion." . . _

It is in and by the said Act further enacted, "That if
any person in any part of the Coiled Kinilmn of Great
BritAin and Ireland, or in any part of His Majesty's
dominions beyond the seas, without the leave and licence
of Ills Majesty for that purpose first had and obtained
as aforesaid, shall by adding to the number of the guns
of such vessel, or by changing those on board for other
guns, or by the addition id any equipment for war, in-
creme or augment, or procure to be increased or aut.
mented, or shall be knowingly concerned in increasing
or augmenting the warlike force of any ship or vessel of
war, or cruiser, or other armed vessel, which, at the
time of her arrival in any part of the United Kingdom,
or any of His Majesty's dominions, was • ship or war,
cruiser, or armed vessel, in the service of any foreign
Prince, State, or Potentate, or of any person or persons
exercising or miming to exercise any powers of govern-
ment in or over any colony, province, or port of any
province, or people belonging to the subjects of any such
Prince, State, or Potentate, or to the inhabitants of any
colony, province, or part of any province or country
under the control of any person or persons so exercising
or assuming to exercise the posers of government,
every such person so offending shall be deemed guilty
of a misdemeanor, and shall, upon being convicted
thereof upon any information or indictment, be punished
by fine and imprisonment, or either of them, at the dis-
cretion of the Court before which such offender shall be
convicted."

Now, in order that none of our subjects rosy unwarily
render themselves liable to the penalties imposed by the
said statute, we do hereby idnetly command that no
person or persons whosoever do commit any act, mutter,
or thing whatsoever contrary to the provisions of the
statute, upon pain of the several penalties by the said
astute imposed and 4 our high thspialauro.

And we do hereby further warn and admonish all our
loving subjects and all persons whatsoever entitled to
our protection to observe towards each and all of the
aforesaid Sovereigns, their sulsje, ts, and territories, and
towards all belligerent& %illation er with whom we are at
peace, the duties of neutrality ; aml to respect in all
and each of thew the exercise of those belligerent rights
which we and our Royal predooeseors have always
claimed to exercise.

--
Anil we do hereby further warn &Hour loving subjects,
and All ',crawls whatsoever entitled to our proteetion,
that if any of them shall mesume, in contempt of this
our Royal Proclamation and of our high displessuie to
do any in derugution of their duty u ,uhjects of a
neutral Sovereign, in a war hi tween other tiovereigne,
or in violation or contraventiou of the law of nations in
that behalf, as snore especially by breaking, or endea-
vouring to break, any blockade lawfully and actually
established by or in behalf of any or either of the said
Sovereigns by carrying officers, soldiers, despatches,
arms ammunition, military stores or materials, or any
article or articles considered and deemed to he contra-
band of war, according to the law or modern flinagri of
nations, for the use or service of any or either of the
said Sovereigns, that all permini so offending, together
with their ships and goods, will rightfully incur, and he
justly liable to, hostile capture, and to the penalties
denounced by the law of notions in that behalf.
And we do hereby give notice, that all our subjects
and persons entitled to our protection who may
conduct themselves in the premised will do so at their
peril, and of their own wrong; and that they will in no
wise obtain any protection from us against sueli capture
or such penalties as aforesaid, but will. on the cunt,...7y,
incur our high displeasure by such misconduct.
Given at our Court at Buckingham Palace, this

Lith day of May, in the year of Our Lord 19,
and in the :and year of our reign.
GOD save the QUEEN.