The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-15 00:00:00

THE HOSTILITIES IN AMERICA.

PROCLAMATION BY THE QUEEN.
(mom L.tar mores camera)

VICTORIA R.—Whereas we are happily at peace
with all sovereigns, powers sad Mates. And whereas
hostilities have unhappily etemeisineed between the govern-
ment of the Gaited States of America and certain states
styling themselves the Coutederate States of America. Aid
whereas we, being at peace with the government of the
United States, have declared our royal determination to
maintain • strict and impartial neutrality in the con-
test betirees the mid contending • parties. We, there•
bee, have thought fit, by sad with the advice
of our privy eiencil, to issue this our royal proclamation.
Aid we do hereby strictly charge and omunand all oar
loving subjects to observe a strict neutrality in aid during
the aforesaid hostilities, and to abstain from violating or
000travening either the laws and statutes of the realm in
this behalf, or the law of nations in relation thereto, as
they will answer to the contrary et their periL And
whereas in and by • certain statute made and paned in the
filth year of his,Mijaty King George the Third, Wailed
" Az Aot to prevent the militiag or engagement of has Ma.
jesty's subjects to serve in • foreign service, and the fitting
out or equippitig, in his Majesty's dominions, vessels for
warlike purposes, without his Ikhisty's limo." it Ist
amenvit other things, declared and selected an fellows :

" That if any natural-born aubjsct of hia Majcety, be
heirs and successors, without the leave or license of his Ma-
laity, his heirs or successors, for that purpose first had and
obtained, under the sign manual of his Majesty, his heirs
or sucoessom, or signified by Order in Council, or by pro-
clamation of his Majesty, his heirs or successor, shall
take co accept, or shall agree to take or accept, any military
sommission, or shall otherwise enter into the military
swine as • commissioned or noncommissioned officer, or
shall Wig or ester himself to enlist, or shall agree to enlist
ter to seder himself to serve is say warlike or military ope-
ration, in the service of or for or wider or in aid of any
foreign wines, state, potentate, ookay, province, or part of
any 'provisos or people, or of any pima or patios@
exercising or assuming to exercise the powers of government
in or over any foreign country, colony, province, oe part of
any province or people, either as as officer or soldier, or in
any other military capacity ; or if any natural-born subject
of his Majesty shall, without such leave or license as afore.
said, accept or agree to take or accept any commission,
warrant, or appointment as an officer, or shall enlist or enter
himself, or shall agree to enlist or enter himself, to serve se'
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 sad on
board any slip or vessel used or fitted out, or equipped, or
intended to be used for any warlike purpose, in the
service of or for or under or in aid of nay'
foreign power, prince, state, potentate, colony, pro-'.
wince, or part of any provisos or people, or of any
, person or persons exercising or assuming to exercise the
powers of government hi or over any foreign country,
colony, province, or part of any province or people ; or if
any natural-been subject of hie Majesty shall, without such
leave and license as aforesaid, elms, contract, or agree to
go, or shall go to any foreign state, country, colony, pro-
vince, or part of any province, or to any place beyond the
ems, with an intent or in order to enlist or enter himself to
serve, or with intent to serve is may warlike or military ope-
ration whatover,whether by land or by me, in the service of or
for or under or is aid of any foreign prince, state, poten-
tate, colony, province, or part of any province or people,
or in the service of or for or under or in aid of any
perms re perms@ esareling or asemaing to exercise the
powers of government in or over any foreign country,
colony, province, or part of any provisos or people, either
se ea offiesr cc a soldier, or is sap other military capacity,
et se am Aker sr 'Woe, or swiss, ia any mask ship or
vessel se afeeemid, altiesegi w salkting mow, or Poi or
reeled shall hare been er shin bir Wear we either of the
, aem aforesaid ecatelly ffold be cornookrod by biro. or by
any person to or for kis nee or brooli p or if soy pawns
whatever, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain end
Ireland, or is any part of his Majedy's dinnitilens elsewhere,
or in any country, colony, settlement, Wand, er place
longing to or subject to his Majesty, shall hire, retain,
mow, or procure, or shall attempt or endeavour to hire,
retain, engage, or procure, any person or persons whatever
to enlist, or 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 marine, either in Lind or see
service, foe or under or in aid of say foreign prince, state,
poteetate, °platy, province, or pert of any province or
people, or for or under or in aid of any parses or persons
exercising or metuntag to exercise any power of government
as aforesaid, air to go or to agree to go or mastic from any
part of his Majesty's dominions, for the purpose or with in-
tent to bees enlisted, entered, espied, oremployed melon-
rod, whether any enlisting needy, pay, or reward shall have
been or shill be actually even or received, or not ; in any or
olihrs of seek sense. mg person so offending shall be
demised guilty ef a nekdomesaser, and apes being conviotad
thereof, apes shirr biesmatien or imbetenent, shell be
punishable by flee tuff imprisosmont, or either of them, at
the discretion of the rout laden which such offender shall
be convicted."

And it is in and by the said act further enacted—" That
if any passe, within any pest of the trolled Kingdom, or
in any part of his Majesty's aDDIDIiOI2I beyond the seas
shall, without the leave and &ens. of his Majesty for that
purpose first had and obtainedesafortesi% equip, furnish, 8t
out, or arm, or attempt or endeavour to equip, furnish, fit out,
or arm, or procure to be quipped, fantails% fitted out or
armed, or shall knowingly aid, assist, or he sonerrned in the
equipping, furnishing, fitting out, or ersteg si say ship or
yawl, with intent, or in order that suds ship or Milli shall
be employed is the service of soy foreign poise% state,
or potentate, or of any foreign colony, province, or
part of any province or people, or of any per-
son 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 per
sons exercising or assuming to azoreioo the powers of govern.
ment in any colony, province, or part of any province or coun-
try, or aphid the inhabitants ofany foreign colony, province,or
part of nay province or country, with whom his Majesty
shall not that be at war ; or shall, within the United King-
dom, or any of his Majesty's dominioos, or in any settle-
meet, 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 em-
ployed as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, ad shall, upon conviction
thereof, upon any information or indictment, be punished by
fine and imprisonment, or eitherof 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 ftiruiture, together with all the materials,
arms, ammunition, and stores, which may belong to or be
OD 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 officer of his Majesty's navy, who is by law
empowered to make seizures, for any forfeiture incurred
order any of the laws of customs or excise, or the laws of
trade and navigation, to seize such ships and vessels afore-
said, and in such places and in such manner in which the
1 officers of his Majesty's customs 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
the laws of trade and navigation ; and that every
such ship and vessel, with the tackle, apparel, and furoi-
tore, together with all the materials, arms, ammunition,
I and stores which may belong to or be on board of such ship
or vessel, may be prosesuted and ociodenined in the like
manner, and in such courts as ships or vessels may be pro-
secuted and condemned for any breach of the laws made for
the protection of the revenues of customs and excise, or of
the laws of trade and navigation."
And it is in and by the said act further enacted—" That
if any person in any port of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, or in any part of his Majesty's <loud.
nions beyond the sass, without the leave and license of
his Majesty for that purpose first bad sad &Weld as
aforesaid, shall, by adding to the number of the gnus of
such vessel, or by changing those on board for eater guns,
or by the addition of say equipment for iwar, hums* or
augment, or procure to be increased or segussated, or shall
be knowingly cooaned a iscresuber or aspirating the

.
Vif
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 Ifegesty's doini-
Moos, was a ship of war, cruiser, or armed vessel la the
service of any foreign prince, state, or potentate, or of any
person or persons exercising or assuming to exercise any
powers of government in or over any colony, province, er •
part of any province or people belonging to the sub-'
Jaen' of any such prince, state, or potentate, or to the
inhabitants of any colony, province, or part of any pro-
vince or country under the control of any person or per-
sons so exercising or assuming to exercise the powers of
government, every such person so offending shall be donned
guilty of a misdemeanour, and shall, upon being convicted I
thereof, upon any information or indictment, be punished
by fine and impribbnrient, or either of them, at the discos.
tios of the court before which such offender shall he cop;
victal."
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 sevensl penalties by the said statute im-
posed, and of our high displeasure.

And we do hereby further warn all our loving subjects,
and all persons whatsoever entitled to our protection, that
if any of them shall presume, in contempt of this our royal
proclamation, and et our high displeasure, to do any sad in
derogation of their duty, as subjects of a neutral sovereigu,
in the said contest, or in violation or contravention of
the law of nations in that behalf ; as for example
and more especially by entering into the military service
of either of the said contending parties as essimis-
slimed or non-commissioned officers or madam ; or by
serving as officers, sailors, or marines on beard any
ship or vessel of war or transport, of or in tits Barrios al
either of the said contending parties ; or by serving as
oaken, sailors, or marines on board any privateer bearing
letters of marque of or from either of the said contending
parties ; or by engaging to go or going to any place beyond
Who seas, with intent to =list or engage in any such set.
vies, or by prawn( or attempting to procure, within
her Majesty's dossittioes at home or abroad, others to
du so ; or by Elting out, arming, or equipping any
ship or vessel I. be employed as a ship of war or
privateer or transport, by either of the said con-
tending parties ; or by breaking or endeavouring to
break any blockade lawfully and actually established by or
on behalf of either of the said contending parties ; or by
carrying officers, soldiers, despatches, arms, military stores,
or materials, or any article or articles coteidered and deemed
to be contraband of war according to the law or modern'!
usage of nations, for the use or service of either of the said
contending parties, all persons so offending will incur and
be liable to the several penalties and penal consequences by
the said statute, or by the law of nations, in that behalf im-
paled or denounced.

And we do hereby declare that all our subjects, and per.
sou entitled to our protection, who may misconduct them-
selves in the premises, will do so at their peril and of their
own wrong, and that they will in nowise obtain any protec•
tion from us against any liabilities or penal consequences,
but will, on the contrary, incur our high displeasure by such
miemichict.

Germ at oar Court at the White Lodge, Richnood•park,
this lath day of May, in the year of our Lord 1861, and in
the Seth year of our reign.
God lave the Queen.

MUSIC.