The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-12-10
QUEEN vICTORIA's PROCLAMATION
The Masoa and sIideI Dispatches.

The Masoa and sIideI Dispatches.
Queen Victoria having issued her declara
tion of war agains, Russia on the 2Sth o
March, 1854, she made proclamation on The
l7th of April that, "desirous OF rendering
the war IA little ouerous IT'S possible 10 th'
! Powers with whom she remains at peace,
she "wss willing to waive part of ber bel
! ligerent rights. 1t is impossible for her Maj
esty to forego the exercise of her right o
seizing articles contraband Of war and of pre-
renting neutrots from bearing The enen,y''
| desputches, and she must maintain the righ
Of a belligerent to prevent neuyas from
breaking any effective blockade which may
be established with an adequate force against
The enemy's forts, harbors, or coasts In
her proclamation of May Is, 1861. it is an
nounced-.
"And whereas bostiIities have unhsppily
commenced between the Government Of the
United States of Amerca and certain States
styling themselves "ibe Confederate States
of America r,t- .. ........... ~
"And whereas we, being at peace with the
Government oe the United States, have de-
cInred our royal determination to maintain a
strict aud impartial neutrality in the con-
test between the said contending partes
"And we do hereby strictly charge and
commend all our loving subjects TO observe a
strict neutrality in and during the aforesaid
hostililies, and to abstain from violating or
con'ravening either the laws or statutes Of the
realm in this behalf, or the law Of nations IN
relation thereto, as they will answer 10 the
contrary at their peril"
This proclamation then recites al length a
portion Of the statute OF 59th of George III,
wherein the offender is to he punished with
fine and imprisonment, or either, at the dis.
crction OF the court, and continues:
"And we d. hereby further warn all our
loving subjects, and persons entitled to our
protection, that if any of them shall presun e,
in contempt of this our royal proclamation
AMI Of our bigh pleasure, to do any act in de-
rogation OF their duty AS subjects of neu
trail Sovereign IN the said contest, or in VIC
latiOn or in contravenlion of the law of ma
tlcns in that behalf-as for example and M re
especially There specifying offences in the
aforesaid statute or by breaking or endeav-
oring to break any blockade lawfully and ac
tuaIy established 10y or on behalf of either
Of the contending parties; or by carrying of.
fcerS, soldiers, dispatches, arms, military
stores oi materials, or any article considered
and deemed to be coatrabaad of Wor, accor.
ding 10 the tdO of modern usage of nations,
for Me use Of seroioe of either of the said
conteniing parties, all persons so off,nding
will incur and be liable to the several penal.
ties and penal consequences by the said stat
ute or by the law of nations in that behalf
imposed or denounced. And we do hereby
declare that all our uljects and persons en-
tiled to our protection who may misconduct
themselves in the pr misses pW do so at their
peril and of their owu wong, and that III q
wW IN no wise oJtrn any protection from
as against any liabilities or penal conse
gueaces, bit WiH, on the contrary, incur our
high dispisosure by such misconduct. Given
at our Court at the White Lodge Richmond
Park" DC.
Tn" London Times, commenting on this
proclamation, remarks:
Hitherto the proclamation has only re-
minded the subj cts Of the Queen of the pen
altics which the law of this country denoun
ccs against an infacIion of neutrality, aud
polulS Oul l3le p'tlultes Nllu WHlCn sICu OI-
fences may be visited by the law of the land
VI b, the law Of nations. Bot ia the last
the proclamation Seems to 90 be.
yond tins. and TO make an announcement Of
the policy which will be adopted in cases
which are provided for neither by the law of
the land nor by the law of nations, but
which arise out OF the peculiar conditions of
present unhappy conflict. 1t will be lobserv-
ed that in this place the word such Is omit
ted. The liabilities and penal Consequences
are not confined to thoss under the act or un
der the law Of nations. but are left wide and
indefinite, rs il on purpose to embrace the very
case we are supposlng."
The captain Of the steamer Trent a British
subject, docs not hesitate to bear the despatch-
es OF the rebels in tn face of all this warning
His act is the more fragrant from his carrying
the mails ot his Governmen on n regular ocean
mail line to and from England. How can the
English Government screen him from public
prosecu,i,n! Mt only the captain but "all
hands have violated spirit if not the letter Of
the law, and both letter and spirit of ths proc.
lanation. And why should not the u s., by
Il law Of nations, ask of Great Britain this
cxemple to be made Of offended justice and
dghtl a. p.