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right of a belligerent to prevent neutrals from breaking any effective blockade which may be established with an adequate force against the enemy's forts, barbours, or coasts.
But Her Majesty will waive the right of seizing enemy's property laden on board a neutral vessel, unless it be contraband of war.
It is not Her Majesty's intention to claim the confiscation of neutral property, not being contra- band of war, found on board enemy's ships, and Her Majesty further declares, that being anxious to lessen as much as possible the evils of war, and to restrict its operations to the regularly organized forces of the country, it is not her present intention to issue letters of marque for the commissioning of privateers.
Westminster, March 28, 1854.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1854:
At the Court at Buckingham-Palace, the 29th day of March, 1854.
PRESENT,
The QUEEN'S Most Excellent Majesty in Council.
And
Her Majesty having determined to afford active assistance to Her Ally, His Highness the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, for the protection of his dominions against the encroachments and unpro- Poked aggression of His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of all the Russias, Her Majesty therefore, is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, that general reprisals be granted against the ships, vessels, and goods of the Emperor of all the Russias, and of his subjects or others inhabiting within any of his countries, territories, or dominions, so that Her Majes ty's fleets and ships shall and may lawfully seize all ships, vessels, and goods belonging to the Em- peror of all the Russias, or his subjects or others inhabiting within any of his countries, territories, or dominions, and bring to same to judgment in such Courts of Admiralty within Her Majesty's do- minions, possessions, or colonies, as shall be duly commissionated to take cognizance thereof. to that end Her Majesty's Advocate-General, with the Advocate of Her Majesty in Her Office of Admiralty, are forthwith to prepare the Draft of a Commission, and present the same to Her Majesty at this Board, authorizing the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral to will and require the High Court of Admiralty of England, and the Lieutenant and Judge of the said Court, his Surrogate or Surrogates, as also the several Courts of Admiralty within Her Majesty's dominions, which shall be duly commissionated to take cognizance of, and judicially proceed upon, all and all manner of captures, seizures, prizes, and reprisals of all ships, vessels, and goods that are or shall be taken, and to hear and determine the same; and, according to the course of Admiralty and the Law of Nations, to adjudge and condemn all such ships, vessels, and goods, as shall belong to the Em- peror of all the Russias or his subjects, or to any others inhabiting within any of his countries, terri tories, or dominions and they are likewise to prepare and lay before Her Majesty, at this Board, a Draft of such Instructions as may be proper to be sent to the said several Courts of Admiralty in Her Majesty's dominions, possessions, and colonies, for their guidance herein,
From the Court at Buckingham-Palace, this twenty-ninth day of March, one thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
CRANWORTH, C.
GRANVILLE, P. ARGYLL, C. P. S. NEWCASTLE.
BREADALBANE,
LANSDOWNE.
ABERCORN.
ABERDEEN.
CLARENDON.
DRUMLANRIG.
MULGRAVE.
F. RUSSELL.
ERNEST BRUCE.
SYDNEY HERBERT.
J. R. G. GRAHAM.
STEPHEN LUSHINGTON.
W. E. GLADSTONE.
WILLIAM MOLESWORTH.
At the Court at Buckingham-Palace, the 29th day of March, 1854.
PRESENT,
The QUEEN's Most Excellent Majesty in Council.
It is this day ordered by Her Majesty, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, that no ships or vessels belonging to any of Her Majesty's subjects, he permitted to enter and clear out for any of the ports of Russia, until further order; and Her Majesty is further pleased to order, that a general embargo or stop be made of all Russian ships and vessels whatsoever, now within or which shall hereafter come into any of the ports, harbours, or roads, within any of Her Majesty's dominions, together with all persons and effects on board the said ships or vessels; provided, always, that no- thing herein contained shall extend to any ships or vessels specified or comprised in a certain Order of Her Majesty in Council, dated this twenty-ninth day of March, for exempting from capture or detention Russian vessels under special circumstances; and Her Majesty is pleased further to order, and it is hereby ordered, that the utmost care be taken for the preservation of all and every part of
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the cargoes on board any of the said ships or vessels, so that no damage or embezzlement whatever be sustained; and the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, are to give the necessary directions herein as to them may respectively appertain.
At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 29th day of March, 1854.
The QUEEN'S Most Excellent Majesty in Council.
PRESENT,
C. C. Greville.
Her Majesty being compelled to declare War against His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of all the Russias and being desirous to lessen as much as possible, the evils thereof, is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, that Russian merchant vessels, in any ports or places within Her Majesty's dominions, shall be allowed until the tenth day of May next, six weeks from the date hereof, for loading their cargoes and departing from such ports or places; and that such Russian merchant vessels, if met at sea by any of Her Majesty's ships, shall be permitted to continue their voyage, if on examination of their papers it shall appear that their cargoes were taken on board before the expiration of the above term. Provided, that nothing herein contained shall extend, or be taken to extend, to Russian vessels having on board any officer in the Military or Naval Service of the enemy, or any article prohibited or contraband of war, or any despatch of or to the Russian Government.
And it is hereby further ordered by Her Majesty, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council as aforesaid, that any Russian merchant vessel which, prior to the date of this order, shall have sailed from any foreign port bound for any port or place in Her Majesty's dominions, shall be permitted to enter such port or place and to discharge her cargo, and afterwards forthwith to depart without molestation, and that any such vessel, if met at sea by any of Her Majesty's ships, shall be permitted to continue her voyage to any port not blockaded.
And the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, are to give the neces- sary directions herein as to them may respectively appertain.
VICTORIA R.
By the QUEEN,
A PROCLAMATION,
C. C. Greville.
WHEREAS by Our Order in Council, bearing date the twenty-ninth day of March, one thou- sand eight hundred and fifty-four, We have ordered that general reprisals be granted against the ships, goods, and subjects of the Emperor of all the Russias, his subjects, or others inhabiting within any of his countries, territories, or dominions (save and except any vessels to which Our license bas been, or may be granted, or which have been directed to be released from the embargo, and have not since arrived at any foreign port,) so that Our fleets and ships shall and may lawfully seize all ships, vessels, and goods belonging to the Emperor of all the Russias or his subjects, or others inhabiting within any of his countries, territories, or dominions, and bring the same to judgment in any of the Courts of Admiralty within Our dominions, duly authorized and required to take cognizance thereof, We do hereby order and direct that the net produce of all such prizes taken by any of Our ships or vessels of war (save and except when they shall be acting on any conjunct expedition with Our Army, in which case We reserve to Ourselves the division and distribution of all prize and booty taken, and also, save and except as hereinafter mentioned,) shall be for the entire benefit and encouragement of Our flag officers, captains, commanders, and other commissioned officers in Our pay; and of all subordinate warrant, petty, and non-commissioned officers, and of the seamen, marines, and soldiers on board Our said ships and vessels at the time of the capture, after the same shall have been to Us finally adjudged lawful prize.
Whenever any prize shall be taken by any of Our fleets, squadrons, ships, or vessels of war, whilst acting in conjunction with any fleet, squadron, ships, or vessels of war belonging to any other Power or Powers in alliance with Us, Our High Court of Admiralty, or the Vice-Admiralty Court within Our dominions adjudicating thereon, shall apportion to such Ally or Allies a share or shares of the proceeds of such prize or prizes, proportionate to the number of officers and men, &c., present and employed on the part of such Ally or Allies, as compared with the number of officers and men, &c., present and employed on Our behalf in such capture or captures, without reference to their respective ranks; and the share or shares so set apart for such Ally or Allies shall be transmitted to
persons as may be duly authorized on behalf of such Ally or Allies to receive the same. Ships or vessels being in sight of the prize, as also of the captor, under circumstances to cause intimidation to the enemy and encouragement to the captor, shall be alone entitled to share as joint captors.
such
After having deducted the portion set apart as aforesaid for Our Allies, a distribution, so far as regards Her Majesty's Forces, shall be as follows;
The flag officer or officers shall have one-twentieth part of the whole net proceeds arising from prizes captured from the enemy, by any of the ships or vessels under his or their command, and of the rewards conferred for the same, according to the following conditions and modifications, save and except as hereinafter provided and directed, that is to say:
When there is but one flag officer he shall have the entire one-twentieth part; when two flag off- cers shall be sharing together, the chief shall have two-thirds, and the other flag officer shall have the remaining one-third of the one-twentieth part; and when there shall be more than two flag officers, the chief shall have one half of the said one-twentieth part and the remaining half shall be
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