nor any goods exported from, the said settlements by sea from or to any place other than a British Possession except into or from the port of Bathurst.

And whereas by the 4th clause of the said Order it was provided, that articles not otherwise prohibited than by the law of navigation, might be warehoused in the said settlements under the conditions therein mentioned; and whereas by the 43rd clause of the said Order provision is made for payment of a duty on the re-exportation of coal from the aforesaid Settlements to any foreign place in any foreign ship.

And whereas the above recited provisions have become in part nugatory, and are in fact (so far as respects French subjects) repugnant to the terms of a Convention made on the 7th of March, 1857, between Her Majesty and His Majesty the Emperor of the French, and to a certain statute, made and passed in the session of Parliament held in the 21st and 22nd years of Her Majesty's reigu [cap. 35],† entitled "An Act to remove doubts as to the operation of a Convention between Her Majesty and the Emperor of the French relative to Portendic and Albreda," to wit, the aforesaid Convention of the 7th of March, 1857.

And whereas it is expedient that the above recited provisions of the aforesaid Order in Council should be repealed, and that further provision should be made respecting the trade of the aforesaid Settlements and their dependencies, as is hereafter contained.

1. Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, and in pursuance and exercise of all powers enabling Her on that behalf, doth Order, and it is hereby ordered, that the above mentioned 3rd, 4th, and 43rd clauses of the aforesaid Order in Council of the 31st day of January, 1849, shall be, and they are hereby repealed.

2. And Her Majesty, by and with such advice as aforesaid, and in pursuance of all such powers as aforesaid, doth further Order, and it is hereby further ordered, that French vessels in the River Gambia shall be subject to the same duties, tolls, and regulations, as British vessels; and every article imported or exported in French vessels shall pay the same duty as is or may be imposed upon the like article when imported or exported in British vessels. And it is further ordered, that all vessels arriving within the River Gambia shall come to anchor, shall enter inwards and outwards, and shall pay all duties and charges at the port of Bathurst.

And the Right Honourable Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, Bart., one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, is to give the necessary directions herein accordingly.

WM. L. BATHURST.

*Vol. XLVII. Page 36.

+ Vol. XLVIII. Page 967.

NOTICES to British Labourers and others, employed on Foreign Railways and Steam Vessels, informing them that they are not entitled to relief as Distressed British Subjects.-1856, 1859.

Foreign Office, July 11, 1856.

WHEREAS divers British subjects, who have entered into engagements for employment abroad as railway labourers, miners, engineers, stokers, and firemen, on board steam-vessels, and in other capacities (such engagements in general containing no provision for the maintenance of such British subjects, or for furnishing them with the means of returning to this country), have applied to Her Majesty's Consuls in foreign parts for relief as distressed British subjects, and considerable expense has been incurred in relieving such persons, and in sending them back to this country:

Notice is hereby given, that for the future all persons who accept engagements for employment in foreign countries, as such railway labourers, miners, engineers, stokers, and firemen, as aforesaid, or in any other capacity, are not considered by Her Majesty's Government to be entitled to relief as distressed British subjects, or to be sent back to this country at the public expense; and such persons are hereby warned that Her Majesty's Consuls abroad have received orders henceforward not to afford relief in such cases.

Foreign Office, April 26, 1859.

WHEREAS divers British subjects, who have entered into engagements for employment abroad as railway labourers, miners, engineers, stokers, and firemen, on board steam-vessels, and in other capacities (such engagements in general containing no provision for the maintenance of such British subjects, or for furnishing them with the means of returning to this country), have applied to Her Majesty's Consuls in foreign parts for relief as distressed British subjects, and considerable expense has been incurred in relieving such persons, and in sending them back to this country: the notice given on the 11th of July, 1856, is hereby repeated, warning all who accept engagements for employment in foreign countries, as such railway labourers, miners, engineers, stokers, and firemen as aforesaid, or in any other capacity, that they are not considered by Her Majesty's Government to be entitled to relief as distressed British subjects, or to be sent back to this country at the public expense; and such persons are hereby warned that Her Majesty's Consuls abroad have received orders not to afford relief in such cases.

BRITISH PROCLAMATION, prohibiting British Subjects from serving in, and from fitting out Vessels, or taking any part in the War between Austria and France and Sardinia. -London, May 13, 1859.

VICTORIA R.

BY THE QUEEN.-A PROCLAMATION.

WHEREAS we are happily at peace with all Sovereigns, Powers, and States;

And whereas, nothwithstanding our utmost exertions to preserve peace between all the Sovereign Powers and States now at war, hostilities have unhappily commenced between His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Austria, on the one part, and His Majesty the King of Sardinia and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the French, on the other part;

And whereas a state of war now exists between His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Austria, on the one part, and His Majesty the King of Sardinia and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the French, on the other part, and between their respective subjects and others inhabiting within their countries, territories, or dominions;

And whereas we are on terms of friendship and amicable intercourse with all and each of these Sovereigns, and with their several subjects, and others, inhabiting within their countries, territories, or dominions;

And whereas great numbers of our loyal subjects reside and carry on commerce, and possess property and establishments, and enjoy various rights and privileges, within the dominions of each of the aforesaid Sovereigns, protected by the faith of Treaties between us and each of the aforesaid Sovereigns;

And whereas we, being desirous of preserving to our subjects the blessings of peace, which they now happily enjoy, are firmly purposed and determined to abstain altogether from taking any part, directly or indirectly, in the war now unhappily existing between the said Sovereigns, their subjects and territories, and to remain at peace with, and to maintain a peaceful and friendly intercourse with, all and with each of them, and their respective subjects, and others inhabiting within any of their countries, territories, and dominions, and to maintain a strict and impartial neutrality in the said hostilities and war, unhappilly existing between them;

We, therefore, have thought fit, by and with the advice of our Privy Council, to issue this our Royal Proclamation.

And we do hereby strictly charge and command all our loving subjects to govern themselves accordingly, and to observe a strict neutrality in and during the aforesaid hostilities and war, and to

abstain from violating or contravening 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 at their peril.

And whereas in and by a certain statute made and passed in the 59th year of His Majesty King George III [cap. 69],* entitled “An Act to prevent the enlisting or engagement of His Majesty's subjects to serve in a foreign service, and the fitting out or equipping, in His Majesty's dominions, vessels for warlike purposes without His Majesty's licence," it is amongst other things declared and enacted as follows: "That if any person within any part of the United Kingdom, or in any part of His Majesty's dominions beyond the seas, shall, without the leave and licence of His Majesty, for that purpose first had and obtained as aforesaid, equip, furnish, fit out, or arm, or attempt or endeavour to equip, furnish, fit out, or arm, or procure to be equipped, furnished, fitted out, or armed, or shall, knowingly, aid, assist, or be concerned in the equipping, furnishing, fitting out, or arming, of any ship, or vessel, with intent, or in order that such ship or vessel shall be employed in the service of any foreign Prince, State, or Potentate, or of any foreign colony, province, or part of any province or people, or of any person 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 cruize or commit hostilities against any Prince, State, or Potentate, or against the subjects or citizens of any Prince, State, or Potentate, or against the persons exercising, or assuming to exercise, the powers of government in any colony, province, or part of any province or country, or against the inhabitants of any foreign colony, province, or part of any province or country, with whom His Majesty shall not then be at war, or shall, within the United Kingdom, or any of His Majesty's dominions, or in any settlement, 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 employed as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, and shall, upon conviction thereof, upon any information or indictment, be punished by fine and imprisonment, or either of 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 furniture, together with all the materials, arms, ammunition, and stores, which may belong to or be on 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 under any of the laws of Customs or Excise, or *Vol. VI. Page 130.

the laws of trade and navigation, to seize such ships and vessels aforesaid, and in such places and in such manner, in which the 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 furniture, together with all the materials, arms, ammunition, and stores, which may belong to, or be on board of such ship or vessel, may be prosecuted, and condemned, in the like manner, and in such courts as ships or vessels may be prosecuted 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 part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or in any part of His Majesty's dominions beyond the seas, without the leave and licence of His Majesty for that purpose first had and obtained as aforesaid, shall, by adding to the number of the guns of such vessel, or by changing those on board for other guns, or by the addition of any equipment for war, increase or augment, or procure to be increased or augmented, or shall be knowingly concerned in increasing or augmenting, the warlike force of any ship or vessel of war, or cruizer, or other armed vessel, which, at the time of her arrival in any part of the United Kingdom, or any of His Majesty's dominions, was a ship of war, cruizer, or armed vessel, in 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, or port of any province or people, belonging to the subjects of any such Prince, State, or Potentate, or to the inhabitants of any colony, province, or part of any province or country, under the control of any person or persons so exercising, or assuming to exercise, the powers of Government, every such person so offending shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, and shall, upon being convicted thereof, upon any information or indictment, be punished by fine and imprisonment, or either of them, at the discretion of the Court before which such offender shall be convicted."

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, whatsover, contrary to the provisions of the said statute, upon pain of the several penalties by the said statute imposed, and of our high displeasure.

And we do hereby further warn and admonish all our loving subjects, and all persons whatsoever entitled to our protection, to