The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-06 00:00:00

SWEDISH DECLARATION.

[FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.]
BOARD OF TRADE, WHITEFIAI Ti MAY 4.
The Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of
Privy Council for Trade and Plantations have received,
through the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy
of a despatch from her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at
Stockholm, enclosing a declaration which has been issued
by the King of Sweden, for the guidance of the trade and
navigation of that country in times of war between Foreign
Powers, a translation of which is hereunto subjoined.
We, Oscar, by the grace of God, King of Sweden and
Norway, &c., recognizing the necessity, in the face of the
collisions threatening to take place between foreign mari-
time Powers, of the rigorous observance by our faithful
subjects engaged in trade and navigation, of the obliga-
tions and precautions requisite to ensure to the Swedish
Flag all the rights and privileges appertaining to it,
in its quality of neutral, and also with a view to
avoiding everything that might render it in any
way suspected by the Belligerent Powers, and
exposed to insult, have judged it expedient, in re-
pealing previous orders on the subject, to decree that the
following rules shall be generally observed in future :-
1. In order to be admitted to enj?y the rights and privi-
leges accruing to the Swedish flag, in its neutral quality,
every Swedish vessel must be furnished with the docu-
ments which, by existing ordinances, q required to prove
its nationality, and these documents must always be on
board the vessel during its voyages.
2. Captains are strictly forbidden to have double or false
papers and bills of lading, or to hoist foreign colours on
any occasion or under any pretext whatever.
3, lf, during the stay of a Swedish vessel at a foreign
port, the crew, whether by desertion, death, illness, or any
other cause, should be so diminished as not to be sufficient
for the working bf the vessel, and foreign sailors should be
therefore engaged, the preference must be given to the
subjects of Neutral Powers ; but in any case the number
of the subjects of the belligerent Powers on board the ship
must not exceed one-third of the total crew. Every
change of this nature in the crew of the ship, with the
causes which have led to it, must be marked by the captain
in the ship's books, and the fidelity of the annotation cer-
tified by the proper Swedish Consul or Vice-Consul, or if
there be no such person at the spot, by the civil authorities,
the notary public, or some other person of the same autho-
rity, pursuant to the customs of the respective countries.
4. The Swedish vessels in their neutral quality may na-
vigate freely to the ports and on the coasts of the nations
at war; but the captains must abstain from all attempts to
enter a blockaded port, as soon as they have been formally
warned of the state of that port by the officer commanding
the blockade.
By a blockaded port, is meant a port which is closed by
one or more of the enemies' vessels of war, stationed so
near that it cannot be entered without evident danger.
5. All merchandise, including property of subjects of the
belligerent Powers, may be freely carried on board Swedish
vessels in their quality of neutrals, with the exception of
contraband of war. By contraband of war, are meant the
following articles : " cannons, mortars, arms of all sorts,
bombs, grenades, balls, flints, matches, gunpowder, salt-
petre, brimstone, cuirasses, pikes, belts, cartouch-boxes,
saddles, and bridles, as well as all articles directly serving
for warlike purposes"—excepting always such a quantity
of these articles as may be necessary for the defence of the
ship and tho crew.
In case any changes .or additions should be made in the
definition of articles composing contraband of war, conse-
quent upon conventions with Foreign Powers,
notifications will be issued.
6. Every Swedish captain is forbidden to employ the
vessel which he commands, in the transport, for any of
the belligerent Powers, of despatches, troops, or munitions
of war, without being forcibly compelled. In this MO he