The Express.
London, England, 1857-03-18 00:00:00

THE ()BAER or VICTOJILA.

Thin morning was published, as a return to an
address of the Ilmwe of Commons, a copy of the royal war-
rant, dated the 29th day of January, 1868, laying down the
regulations under which the decoration of the Victoria Craw
is to be conferral.
This warrant is to follows:

Vicronia It: Whereas, we, taking into our royal con-
sideration that there exists no meane of adequately reward-
ing the individual gallant services either of ;Amu of the
lower grade; in our naval and military service, or of warrant
and petty others, seamen, and marines, in our navy, and
non-commisaiuned officers and soldier in our army; and
whereas the third class of our most Honourable Order of the
Bath is limited, except in very rare cases, to the higher
ranks of both servires, end the granting of medals, both in
our navy and army, is only awarded for long eervice or
meritorious conduct, rather than for bravery in action
or distinction before an enemy, ouch CAWS alone excepted
whom a general medal is granted fur a particular action or
campaign, or a clasp added to the medal for some eepocial
engagement, in both of which case* all share equally in
the boon, and those who by their valuer have particularly
signalised themselves undistinguished from their
comrades: now, for the purpose of attaining en end so de-
sirable as that of rewarding individual instances of merit and
valour, we have instituted and created, and by these pre-
sents, for no, our heirs and successors, institute and meets a
new naval and military decoration, which we are &grans
should be highly prised and eagerly sought after by the
officers and men of our naval and military services, and are
graciously phased to make' ordain, and establish the follow-
, ing rules and ordinances for the government of the same,which
shell from henceforth be inviolably observed and kept:
Firefly It is ordained, that the distinction shall be styled
and dominated "the 'Victoria Cross,' and shall consist of a
Maltese Cross of biome, with our royal crest in the centre,
and underneath which an escroll, bearing this inscription,
"For Valour."

Secondly. It is ordained, that the arms shad be erispended
from the left breast, by a blue riband for the navy, and by a
red ritand for the army.
Thirdly. It is ordained, that the names of those epee
whom we may be pteamed to confer the decoration shall be
published in the Lsen',” Gavtte, and a registry thereof
kept in the office of our Secretary of State for War.
Fourthly. It is ordained, that any one who,after having
received the crss, obeli again perform an et of bravery,
which, if he had not re. rived such cross, would have enti-
tled him to it, ouch further act shall be recorded by a bar at-
tached to the riband by which the oyes is suspended, and foe
every additional act of bravery ea additional bar may be
added. . .

Fifthly. It is ordained that the cross shall only be awarded
to thew) officers or men who hove *erred us in the preware
of the enemy, and shall have then performed some signal act
of colour or devotion to their country.
Sixthly. It is ordained. with a view to place all persons on
a perfectly °Tod footing to relation to eligibility for the de-
coral ion, that neither rank, nor lone/service nor wounds, nor
any other circumstance or condition whibioaver, save the
merit of conspicuous bravery, shall be held to establish •
sufficient claim to the honour.

feventhly. It is unlaised that the decoration may be con-
ferred on the spot where the act to be rewarded by the grant
of such decoration hen been performed, under the following
eirmenstances Whoa the fleet or army in which such
act bas lean pereented Is under the eye and command of an
admiral or 1,-enerrl officer commanding the forcee. 2. Where
the navel or military bore is under the eye and command of
an admiral or commodore commanding a squadron or de-
tached naval force, or of a general commanding a corps, or
division or brigade one distinct and detached service, when
such nelminal, iemmodore, or metal officer shall have the
power of !weltering the deeoration on the vet, subject to
continuation by us.
Eighthly. It is ordained where such set shall not have
been performed in night of a commending officer as Mermaid,
then the claimant for the honour Phiall prove the act to the
satisfaction of the captain or officer commanding hie ship. or
to the officer commending the regiment to which the claim-
ant belongs, and ouch captain or such commanding officer
shall report the mine through the trawl channel to the
rebuke( or commodore commanding the force employed en
the service, or to the officer commanding the forces in the
field, who shall call for such domaiption and attestation of
the act so he may think reryuieite, and on approval shall
recommend the grant of the decoration.
Ninthly. It is ordained, that every person nelected for the
nom, under Rule 7, 'hall be publicly decorated before the
naval or military force air holy to which he belongs, and
with which the act of bravery for which he in to he rewarded
shall have been perfored, end his Ulnae shall be recorded
in a general order, together with the mum of hie especial
distinction.
Tenthly. It in ordained, that every person selected under
rule eight shell receive his decoration se soon as possible,
and his name shall likewise appear in a general ceder as
above required, such general order to be issued by the naval
or military commander of the forces employed on the
service.
Bkventhly. It is ordained, that the general orders above
referred to mall from time to time be transmitted to our se-
cretary of State for War, to be laid before us, and shall be
by him registered.
Twelfthly. It is ordained, that an eases may arise not
falling within the rules above specified, or in which a claim,
though well founded, may not have been established on the
!mot, we will, on the joint eineniseion of our Secretary of
State for war and of our commander-in-chief of our army,
or on that of our Lord High Admiral or Lord. Commie:don-
ere of the Admiralty in the case of the navy, confer the deco-
ration, but never without conclusive proof of the performance
of the act of bravery for which the clam is made.
Tbirteenthly. It is ordained that, in the event of a gallant
and daring act haying been performed by a squadron, ship's
company, a detached body. of seamen and marines, not under
in number, or by •lengede, regiment, troop, or company,
in which the admiral, genend, or other officers conaroanding
ouch Rolfe', 'wry deem that all are equally brave and distin-
guished, and that no special 'election can be made by them :
then in such cam, the admiral, general, or other older com-
manding, may direct, that for any retch body of seamen or
merino., or for every stoop or company of soldiers, One
officer shall be elected by the officers engaged fur the deco-
ration ; and, in like manner, one petty officer or nenomer-
miseimed officer shall be selected by the petty
officers end non-commissioned officer% engaged; and
two seamen or private soldier% or Marine, shall
be *elected by the seamen, or private erldiers, or ma-
einem engaged respectively for the decoration ; and the names
of those *elected Shall be transmitted by the senior officer in
command of the naval forte, brigade, regiment, troop, or
company, to the admiral or general officer commanding, who
shall in due manner confer the decoration se if the acts were
done under his own eye.
Foneteenthly. It is ordained, that every warrant officer,
petty officer, seaman, or marine, or noneoremilaioned officer
or soldier, who shell have received the core, shall, from
the date of the act by which the decoration hes been gained.
be entitled to a special pennon of ten pounds a year, and
each additional her conferred under Rule Four on such war-
rant or petty officers or non-commimioned officers or men,
shall carry with it an additional pennon of five pound. per
annum.
Fifteenthly. In order to make such sublitional provision as
shall effeetnelly preserve pure 1 his moat honourable distinction,
it is ordained, that if any ream on whom such distinction
shall be conferred, be convicted of treason, cowardice, Blasi,
or of any infamous mime, or if he be amused of any
offence and doth not after a reasonable time surrender himself
to be tried for the same, his name shall forthwith be erased
from the registry of individuals npoa whom the mid decora-
tion shall have been conferred by an especial warrant under
our royal sign manual, and the pension conferred under Rule
le shall cease and determine from the date of such warrant.
It is hereby further declared that we, our heir. and rine-
name, shall be the sole judges of the eireurintance denim&
ing such ezpubdon ; moreover, we shell at all times have
power to restore Buell persons as may at an tiN hove beet!
expelled, both to the enjoyment of they decoonthon tad
pennon.
Given at Our Court at Buckingham Talmo, this 29th
of January, in the 19th year of our reign, and in the
y of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
By her Majesty's commands
Enicas.