CO129-112 - Acting Governor Mercer - 1866 [3-4] — Page 372

No. 4.

PROCLAMATION,

368

[L.S.] RICHARD GRAVES MACDONNELL,

By His Excellency SIR RICHARD GRAVES MACDONNELL, Knight, and Companion of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same.

Whereas The Right Honorable The Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies has communicated to the Government of this Colony Her Majesty's determination to observe the duties of neutrality during the existing hostilities between Her Catholic Majesty and the Republics of Chili and Peru in a Circular Despatch, of which the following is a Copy:-

CIRCULAR.

DOWNING STREET, February 26th, 1806.

SIR, Her Majesty being fully determined to observe the duties of neutrality during the existing hostilities between Her Catholic Majesty and the Republies of Chili and Peru, and being moreover resolved to prevent as far as possible the use of Her Majesty's harbours, ports and coasts, and the waters within Her Majesty's territorial jurisdiction, in aid of the warlike purposes of either belligerent, has commanded me to communicate to you, for your guidance, the following rules, which are to be treated and enforced as Her Majesty's orders and directions.

Her Majesty has been pleased to command that these rules shall be put in force in the United Kingdom and in the Channel Islands on and after Friday, the 2nd of March next, and in Her Majesty's territories and possessions beyond the seas six days after the day when the Governor or other chief authority of euch of such territories or possessions respectively shall have notified and published the same, stating in such notification that the said rules are to be obeyed by all persons within the same territories and possessions,

I. During the continuance of the present hostilities between Her Catholic Majesty and the Republics of Chili and Peru, all ships of war and privateers of either belligerent are probibited from making use of any port or roadstead in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or in the Channel Islands, or in any of Her Majesty's Colonies or Foreign Possessions or Dependencies, or of any waters subject to the territorial jurisdiction of the British Crown, as a station or place of resort for any warlike purpose, or for the purpose of obtaining any facilities of warlike equipment; and no ships of war or privateer of either belligerent shall hereafter be permitted to sail ont of or leave any port, roadstead, or water subject to British jurisdiction, from which any vessel of the other belligerent (whether the same shall be a ship of war, a privateer, or a merchant ship) shall have previously departed, until after the expiration of at least twenty-four hours from the departure of such last mentioned vessel beyond the territorial jurisdiction of Her Majesty.

II. If any ship of war or privateer of either belligerent shall, after the time when this order shall be first notified and put in force in the United Kingdom and in the Channel Islands, and in the several Colonies and Foreign Possessions and Dependencies of Her Majesty respectively, enter any port, roadstead, or waters belonging to Her Majesty either in the United Kingdom or in the Channel Islands, or in any of Her Majesty's Colonies or Foreign Possessions or Dependencies, such vessel shall be required to depart and to put to sea within twenty-four hours after her entrance into such port, roadstead, or waters, except in case of stress of weather, or of her requiring provisions or things necessary for the subsistence of her crew, or repairs; in either of which cases the authorities of the port, or of the nearest port (as the case may be), shall require her to put to sea as soon as possible after the expiration of such period of twenty-four hours, without permitting her to take in supplies, beyond what may be necessary for her immediate use; and no such vessel which may have been allowed to remain within British waters for the purpose of repair shall continue in any such port, roadstead, or waters, for a longer period than twenty-four hours after her necessary repairs shall have been completed: Provided, nevertheless, that in all cases in which there shall be any vessels (whether ships of war, privateers, or merchant ships) of the said belligerent parties in the same port, roadstead, or waters within the territorial jurisdiction of Her Majesty, there shall be an interval of not less than twenty-four hours between the departure therefrom of any such vessel (whether a ship of war, a privateer, or a merchant ship) of the one belligerent, and the subsequent departure therefrom of any ship of war or privateer of the other belligerent; and the times, hereby limited, for the departure of such ships of war and privateers respectively, shall always in case of necessity be extended, so far as may be requisite for giving effect to this proviso, but not further or otherwise.

III. No ship of war or privateer of either belligerent shall hereafter be permitted while in any port, roadstead, or waters subject to the territorial jurisdiction of Her Majesty, to take in any supplies, except provisions and such other things as may be requisite for the subsistence of her crew; and except so much coal only as may be sufficient to carry such vessel to the nearest port of her own country or to some nearer destination; and no coal shall be again supplied to any such ship of war or privateer in the same or any other port, roadstead, or waters, subject to the territorial jurisdiction of Her Majesty, without special permission, until after the expiration of three months from the time when such coal may have been last supplied to her within British waters as aforesaid.I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient bumble Servant,

The Officer Administering the Government of Hongkong.

EDWARD CARDWELL.

Now, therefore, it is hereby declared, that the above Rules are to be obeyed by all persons within the said Colony of Hongkong, and that obedience to the said Rules will be strictly enforced.

By His Excellency's Command,

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.

Given at Victoria, Hongkong, this 12th Day of April, 1866.