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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.

PRESENT,

The QUEEN'S Most Excellent Majesty in Council.

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 has 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 such 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.

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 offi- 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