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the Court in which the same may be brought, and not otherwise, and the defendant in every such action or suit shall be entitled to the benefit of the provisions made with respect to defendants in actions or suits, in an Act passed in the 6th and 7th years of Her Majesty, intituled "An Act to remove doubts as to the exercise of power and jurisdiction by Her Majesty within divers countries and places out of Her Majesty's dominions, and to render the same more effectual."

XXXIII. And it is further ordered, that the term "Consul" in this present Order shall be construed to include all and every officer in Her Majesty's service, whether Consul-General, Consul, ViceConsul, or Consular Agent, or person duly authorized to act in any of the aforesaid capacities within the dominions of the Kings of Siam, and engaged in carrying out the provisions of this Order; and that wherever in this Order, with reference to any person, matter, or thing, any word or words is or are used importing the singular number, or the masculine gender only, yet such word or words shall be understood to include several persons as well as one person, females as well as males, and several matters or things as well as one matter or thing, unless it be otherwise specially provided, or there be something in the subject or context repugnant to such construction.

XXXIV. And it is further ordered, that this Order shall take effect from and after the 1st day of December next ensuing.

And the Right Honourable the Earl of Clarendon, and the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India, and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, are to give the necessary directions herein, as to them may respectively appertain.

C. C. GREVILLE.

BRITISH ORDER IN COUNCIL, placing the Trade and Shipping of the Two Sicilies on the footing of National Trade and Shipping in British Ports.*-August 21, 1856.

At the Court at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, the 21st day of
August, 1856.
PRESENT,

THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY IN COUNCIL.

WHEREAS by an Act passed in the Session of Parliament holden in the 15th and 16th years of the reign of Her present Majesty, [cap. 47],† intituled "An Act to enable Her Majesty to abolish otherwise * "London Gazette" of August 22, 1856. + Vol. XLI. Page 682.

(ANNEX 2.)-VESSELS in Ordinary, Repairing, Equipping, &c.

(Annex 3.)—VESSELS on the Stocks and in progress of Construction on 1st October, 1856.

Ships-of-the-line.-Alabama, Kittery; Virginia, Boston; New York, Norfolk; New Orleans, Sackett's Harbour.

Auxiliary Steam-Frigates.-Franklin, Kittery; Niagara, New York; Minnesota, Philadelphia; Roanoke, Colorado, Norfolk. Steamer.-Stevens's Iron Steamer, Hoboken, N. J.

BRITISH PROCLAMATION, declaring as Traitors all British Subjects who shall assist Her Majesty's Enemies.*—Windsor, February 8, 1855.

VICTORIA R.

BY THE QUEEN.-A PROCLAMATION.

WHEREAS information has been received that certain acts of a highly treasonable nature have been, or are about to be, done or attempted by certain British subjects adhering to the Queen's enemies, either within Her Majesty's dominions, or in parts beyond the seas; such as building, or aiding and assisting in building, or equipping, ships of war, providing stores, or tackling, arms, and ammunition, for such ships, or manufacturing or fitting, or aiding, or assisting in manufacturing or fitting, steam machinery, either for such ships or for other warlike purposes; or by entering into contracts, engagements, or agreements for some of the aforesaid purposes, or otherwise adhering to, aiding, assisting, or abetting, the Queen's enemies in parts beyond the seas, in levying or carrying on war against Her Majesty now, Her Majesty, by this Her Royal Proclamation, doth warn all such persons engaging in any such treasonable designs or attempts as aforesaid, or otherwise adhering to, assisting, aiding, or abetting the Queen's enemies, that they will be liable to be apprehended and dealt with as traitors, and will be proceeded against with the utmost rigour of the law.

Given at our Court, at Windsor, this 8th day of February, in the year of our Lord 1855, and in the 18th year of our reign. God save the Queen.

BRITISH NOTIFICATION of the raising of the British and French Blockade of Russian Ports, pending the Ratifications of the Treaty of Peace.†—April 8, 1856.

Foreign Office, April 8, 1856. NOTICE is hereby given, that pending the ratification of the Treaty of Peace, an armistice by sea, as well as by land, has been agreed upon between Great Britain and her Allies, on the one part, and Russia on the other; and that, consequently, orders have been given for immediately raising the blockade of Russian ports.

* "London Gazette," of February 9, 1855.
+"London Gazette," of April 8, 1856.

than by Treaty, on condition of reciprocity, differential duties on foreign ships," it is provided that where it shall appear to Her Majesty that by the laws or regulations of any foreign Power, the trade and shipping of Great Britain in the ports of such foreign Power have been placed upon the same footing as the trade and shipping of such foreign Power, either absolutely or on condition of equal or like benefits being conceded to the vessels of such foreign Power in the ports of Her Majesty, it shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by Order to be by her made, with the advice of Her Privy Council, and to be published in the "London Gazette," to order and declare that the trade and shipping of such foreign power shall have the benefit of the provisions of the said Act.

And whereas it appears to Her Majesty that by the regulations of the Government of the Two Sicilies, the trade and shipping of Great Britain in the ports of the Two Sicilies have been placed on the same footing as the trade and shipping of the Two Sicilies on condition of equal or like benefits being conceded to the vessels of the Two Sicilies in the ports of Her Majesty:

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by virtue of the power vested in Her by the said recited Act, and by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, is pleased to order and declare, and it is hereby ordered and declared, that, from and after the publication hereof in the "London Gazette," the trade and shipping of the Two Sicilies shall have the benefit of the provisions of the said recited Act.

And the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury are to give the necessary directions herein accordingly.

C. C. GREVILLE.

ACT of the British Parliament, to provide for taking Evidence in Her Majesty's Dominions in relation to Civil and Commercial Matters pending before Foreign Tribunals.

[19 & 20 Vict. cap. 113.]

[July 29, 1856.]

WHEREAS it is expedient that facilities be afforded for taking evidence in Her Majesty's dominions in relation to civil and commercial matters pending before foreign tribunals: be it enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

I. Where, upon an application for this purpose, it is made to appear to any court or judge having authority under this Act that

any court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction in a foreign country, before which any civil or commercial matter is pending, is desirous of obtaining the testimony in relation to such matter of any witness or witnesses within the jurisdiction of such first-mentioned court, or of the court to which such judge belongs, or of such judge, it shall be lawful for such court or judge to order the examination upon oath, upon interrogatories or otherwise, before any person or persons named in such order, of such witness or witnesses accordingly; and it shall be lawful for the said court or judge, by the same order, or for such court or judge or any other judge having authority under this Act, by any subsequent order, to command the attendance of any person to be named in such order, for the purpose of being examined, or the production of any writings or other documents to be mentioned in such order, and to give all such directions as to the time, place, and manner of such examination, and all other matters connected therewith, as may appear reasonable and just; and any such order may be enfored in like manner as an order made by such court or judge in a cause depending in such court or before such judge.

II. A certificate under the hand of the Ambassador, Minister, or other Diplomatic Agent of any foreign Power, received as such by Her Majesty, or in case there be no such Diplomatic Agent, then of the Consul-General or Consul of any such foreign Power at London, received and admitted as such by Her Majesty, that any matter in relation to which an application is made under this Act is a civil or commercial matter pending before a court or tribunal in the country of which he is the Diplomatic Agent or Consul having jurisdiction in the matter so pending, and that such court or tribunal is desirous of obtaining the testimony of the witness or witnesses to whom the application relates, shall be evidence of the matters so certified; but where no such certificate is produced other evidence to that effect shall be admissible.

III. It shall be lawful for every person authorized to take the examination of witnesses by any order made in pursuance of this Act to take all such examinations upon the oath of the witnesses, or affirmation in cases where affirmation is allowed by law instead of oath, to be administered by the person so authorized; and if upon such oath or affirmation any person making the same wilfully and corruptly give any false evidence, every person so offending shall be deemed and taken to be guilty of perjury.

IV. Provided always, that every person whose attendance shall be so required shall be entitled to the like conduct money and payment for expenses and loss of time as upon attendance at a

trial.

V. Provided also, that every person examined under any order