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the power vested in me by the constitution and the laws do hereby declare and proclaini.
(1)-The neutral flag covers enemy's goods with the exception of contraband of war.
(2) Neutral goods not contraband of war are not liable to confiscation under the enemy's flag.
(3)-Blockades in order to be binding must be effective.
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(4)-Spanish merchant vessels in any ports or places within the United States shall be allowed till May 21st, 1898, inclusive for loading their cargoes and departing from such ports or places and such Spanish merchant vessels if met at sea by any United States ship 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 abore term, provided that nothing herein contained shall apply to Spanish vessels having on board any officer in the military or naval service of the enemy, or any coal except such as may be necessary for their voyage, or any other article prohibited or contraband of war, or any despatch of or to the Spanish Government.
(5)-Any Spanish merchant vessel which prior to April 21st, 1898, shall have sailed from any foreign port bound for any port or place in the United States shall be permitted to enter such port or place and to dischange her cargo and afterwards, forthwith to depart without molestation, and any such vessel if met at sea by any United States ressel shall be permitted to continue her voyage to any port not blockaded.
(6) The right of search is to be exercised with strict regard for the rights of neutrals and the voyages of mail steamers are not to be interfered with except on the clearest grounds of suspicion of a violation of law in respect of contraband or blockade.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, on the 26th day of April, in the year of our Lord oue thou- sand eight hundred and ninety-eight, and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-second.
For the President,
WILLIAM MCKINLEY,
Joux SHERMAN,
Secretary of State.
PRECAUTIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES,
Senor José de Navarro, Spanish Consul, in- forms us that he has received the following telegrams:-
опо
The
[April 30, 1898.
Spanish passengers, including officials and their dangerous than a regular warfare carried families, who were leaving the Philippines in on near the coast of America, where direct are small. Who сап view of the critical state of affairs, caused by European interests the recent fresh outbreak of the rebellion say where it will end, if once a spark is put to in the islands. Amongst the passengers were
the powder-barrel in the explosive Far East. General Primo de Rivera, Marquis de Estella, The port of Iloilo, in the Island of Cebu, is a Field-Marshal of Spain, the retiring much more liable to capture and blockade; but Governor-General. His nephew, Colonel de with the few ships at his command, and Rivera, was also on board, AR Was the the difficulty of obtaining food and fresh water Admiral Dewey's task is by no means Bishop-elect of Porto Rico, who was of the Augustiu fraternity in Manila. the sinecure that many people who do not know. ship was so full of passengers that the entire the position suppose. There are fully 24,000 saloon floors were used as sleeping accommoda-Spanish troops still in the Philippines, and tion. The greatest anxiety was felt by all on though the rebellion seems dangerous again board as to the state of the crisis with the among the Tagalos and Illocos in the Island of United States, as daily there was an expectation Luzon, many of the other tribes, including the that an American cruiser would overhaul the important Viscayans, are loyal to the Spaniards mail and capture it., The Leo XIII., to a cer- because they hate the Tagalos and Illocos more tain extent, was prepared for an emergency of than they do their foreign rulers, and these men this kind; she had a couple of 4 inch Houtoria are not at all mean soldiers. The campaign guus mounted abeam of the funnel and a cou- in Caba is a matter upon which we at present ple of Nordenfeldts in the bows. It does not know little, and we have not even heard what is appear, however, that very efficient holding the pature of the hostilities reported to have down arrangements had been made, for the guns broken out there. It is considered probable that were mounted in a hurry at Manila, and the an American force will sail from Key West and carriages bolted through to the deck in a rough the Tortugas, to the west of Havana, probably and ready way. The probability is that the in Bahai Hondo, and then march on Havana wheu a sufficient force is concentrated. But shock if discharged, if that be true, would carry the fastenings away at the first firing. There the difficulties of a campaign for white men in will be considerable anxiety felt by all on board the Pearl of the Antilles at this season are very the whole way home, for they can only ascer. great. The rainy weather is just setting in, tain from port to port what is really the state of and we know that a wetting in Cuba in spring or summer means a cold to all white men, and affairs, and the American ships in the Mediter ranean or eles where will know perfectly well the that cold is inevitably followed by yellow fever. whereabouts of that and all other Spanish This horrible disability accounts for the frightful ·
mortality amongst the Spanish troops who have lost more than 50 per cent. of their men, fresh from Spain, by disease contracted solely from climatio causes. In the Philippines, too, we know that the typhoon season is coming on and the rainy seasou is also about to set in, which makes that region almost as unhealthy in the early summer as is Cuba. Where the American ships, if they are injured, are to be repaired, and where they are to refit, draw food and ammunition from we have yet to learn; but looking at it impartially, we should say that the Spaniards in Manila, In an article on the situation tho China Gazette says:-People who think that Admiarl making due allowance for the rebels and other Dewey's squadron has an easy task before it disabilities, are in stronger position than the would do well to remember what happened attacking forces. Admiral Dewey will scarcely when Manila was last attacked by the Brbe able to land more than 300 or 1,000 men, and nules he first lays Manila in ruins by bombard, in 1792. The attack by General Draper and Admiral Cornish, with thirteen warships, began
met, to attempt to occupy the place with such a force would be sheer madness. So far as we on the 22nd September of that year, when the
can see at present all he can do is to blockade assailing force was composed of 1,500 British fusileers, and 1,400 Sepoy musketeers, and troops, 3,000 British bluejackets, 800 Sepoy the approaches to Manila and Iloilo. other forces, making a total of 6,830 British which were line-of-battle ships of the largest. fighting men, and thirteen men-of-war, five of
kiud then afloat. The whole Spanish force
mail steamers.
29th April.
H.M.S. Linnet left yesterday afternoon for Manila to watch proceedings there. The China and Manila Steamship Co.'s steamer Esmeralda left for the same destination in the hope of being able to bring back passengers before She communication is finally interrupted. carried no cargo from here. AN OPINION ON THE PROSPECTS IN THE
PHILIPPINES.
From H.E. the Rear Admiral Commanding the Philippine squadron-"Arrangements are being made for closing the ports and exting-in Manila at the time consisted of the King's uishing the lights in the Philippines."
From H.E. the Governor-General of the Philippines" Until further notice the coast and harbour lights in the Archipelago will be extinguished with the exception of the light at Cape Melville, Neutral vessels coming to Manila must take pilots at Corregidor to avoid the perils of the channels."
THE FEELING OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIVES, The Manila Comercio alleges that great en- thusiam prevails amongst the Philippine popula- tion for the defence of the islands against the Americans, but qualifies the allegation by reference to the phlegmatic character of the natives, which prevents the excited expression of opinion. In private conversation, however, the determination of the natives is said to be unmistakably expressed. The treason of a few hundreds or a few thousands of rebels does not affect the virtue of the race, and our coutem- porary opines that the Filipinos will prove them- selves worthy of Spain. Reading between the lines, it would seem that the attitude of the natives is one of marked coldness.
FOREIGNERS INVITED TO JOIN IN THE
DEFENCE.
The Governor-General's proclamation requir- ing all able bodied Spaniards to enrol them- selves for military service also accords permis- sion to foreigners to join with the exception of North Americans.
THE FLIGHT FROM MANILA, The Singapore Free Press of the 19th April says-The mail steamer Leo XIII, which came in on Sunday from Manila, was crowded with
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Regiment of Infantry, six hundred strong, all Spaniards, with 80 pieces of artillery. The natives were disaffected then, as they are now, and the Spanish had also to contend with a formidable Chinese rebellion, which was not quelled until from 8,000 to 10,000 Chi- Dese were slaughtered. But owing to the natural strength of the place, and the difficulty of passing the island of Corregidor (which has now been mounted with modern guns, and mine- fields extended all through the channel to the mainland) the British force was not able to land until the 2nd of October, when, after two or three days' further fighting, the place finally surrendered on the advice of the Arch- bishop. Nor were there any torpedoes or elec. tric mines to fear in those days. The Bay of Manila is 120 miles in circumference, with a very narrow channel between the Islands of Corregi- dor and Faile, and is capable of ready defence by torpedoes and mines. When these are passed Manila is still over 20 miles off, and from all we learned on the occasion of our last visit, there is quite a respectable reception awaiting our American friends in the temporary batteries erected on the shore. There cannot be less than 12,000 Spanish troops, who are now all more or less seasoned, available for the defence of Manila, leaving out of consideration the four cruisers, the four smaller vessels, and the six gunboats, with half-a-dozen very effective torpedo craft; so that the capture of Manila is by no means the easy matter it would seem, even if no complications with other Powers are to be feared from an attack. A shot 'fired in the Far East will be much more
SUPREME COURT,
26th April.
IN ADMIRALTY JURISDICTION.
BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGTON (CHIEF JUSTICE) WITH COMMANDERS HASTINGS AND HENDERSON AS ASSESSORS,
<<
THE
19
AND POWAN
COLLISION.
KWANGLEE"
In this case the China Merchants Steam
Navigation Company, owners of the Kwanglee, and the Hongkong, Canton, and Macao Steam- boat Company, owners of the Powan, claimed damages arising out of the collision which took place in the harbour at about one o'clock on the morning of January 25th between the vessels named.
Mr. Francis, Q.C. (instructed by Mr. H. Lị Dennys) appeared for the owners of the Kwang. lee, and Mr. Pollock (instructed by Messrs. Deacon and Hastings) for the owners of the Powan.
Mr. Francis read the petition and the answer in the case, and, continning, said he had in the first place to submit that on the pleadings there was a clear admission that the steamer Powan came into collision with the Kwanglee
at that time moored to a wharf in the harbour. and that under those circumstances the entire onus of proof and the responsibility of opening the case rested entirely upon the owners of the Powan. The simple fact that a vessel at anchor fiad been run into was on the face of it proof of negligence. Ho submitted that the pleadings it was clearly admitted saw a mast-head light at that defendants a distance of 300 yards away, but never-
on
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