[Neutrality. Turkey and Greece.] No. 125.-BRITISH PROCLAMATION, prohibiting British Subjects from taking part in the Contest between The Ottoman Porte and the Greeks, or between other Belligerents. 30th September, 1825. GEORGE R. WHEREAS, His Majesty being at Peace with all the Powers and States of Europe and America, has repeatedly declared His Royal determination to maintain a strict and impartial Neutrality in the different Contests in which certain of those Powers and States are engaged : And whereas the commission of acts of hostility by individual Subjects of His Majesty against any Power or State, or against the Persons and Properties of the Subjects of any Power or State, which being at Peace with His Majesty is at the same time engaged in a Contest, with respect to which His Majesty has declared his determination to be neutral, is calculated to bring into question the sincerity of His Majesty's declarations: And whereas if His Majesty's Subjects cannot be effectually restrained from such unwarranted commission of acts of hostility, it may be justly apprehended that the Governments aggrieved thereby might be unable on their part, to restrain their Subjects from committing acts of violence upon the Persons and Property of unoffending Subjects of His Majesty : And whereas The Ottoman Porte, a Power at Peace with His Majesty, is and has been for some years past engaged in a Contest with the Greeks, in which Contest His Majesty has observed a strict and impartial Neutrality: And whereas great numbers of His Majesty's loyal Subjects reside and carry on a beneficial commerce, and possess establishments, and enjoy privileges within The Dominions of The Ottoman Porte, protected by the faith of Treaties between His Majesty and that Power: And whereas His Majesty has received recent and undoubted information, that attempts are now making to induce certain of His Majesty's Subjects to fit out Ships of War and Privateers in the Ports of His Majesty's Kingdom, and to embark therein, for the purpose of carrying on, under the Greek Flag, hostile operations [Neutrality. Turkey and Greece.] against The Ottoman Government, of capturing and destroying Turkish Ships and Property, and of committing depredations on the Coasts of the Turkish Dominions : And whereas, such hostile operations would be directly contrary to the provisions of the Act, passed in the 59th year of the Reign of His late Majesty [cap. 69],* intituled "An Act to prevent the enlisting or engagement of His Majesty's Subjects to serve in Foreign Service, and the fitting out or equipping, in His Majesty's Dominions, Vessels for Warlike purposes, without His Majesty's licence," in which it is, amongst other things, enacted, “that if any natural born Subject of His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, without the leave or licence of His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, for that purpose first had and obtained under the sign manual of His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, or signified by Order in Council, or by Proclamation of His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, shall take or accept, or shall agree to take or accept, any military commission, or shall otherwise enter into the military service as a commissioned or non-commissioned Officer, or shall enlist or enter himself to enlist, or shall agree to enlist or to enter himself to serve as a Soldier, or to be employed, or shall serve in any warlike or military operation in the service of, or for, or under, or in aid of any Foreign Prince, State, Potentate, Colony, Province, or part of any Province or People, or of any Person or Persons exercising, or assuming to exercise, the Powers of Government, in or over any Foreign Country, Colony, Province, or part of any Province or People, either as an Officer or Soldier, or in any other military capacity; or if any natural born Subject of His Majesty shall, without such leave or licence as aforesaid, accept, or agree to take or accept, any commission, warrant, or appointment as an Officer, or shall enlist or enter himself, or shall agree to enlist or enter himself to serve as a Sailor or Marine, or to be employed or engaged, or shall serve in and on board any Ship or Vessel of War, or in and on board any Ship or Vessel used, or fitted out, or equipped, or intended to be used for any warlike purpose in the service of, or for, or under, or in aid of any Foreign Power, Prince, State, Potentate, Colony, Province, or part of any Province or People, or of any Person or Persons exercising, or assuming to exercise the Powers of Government in or over any Foreign Country, Colony, Province, or part of any Province or People; or if any natural born Subject of His Majesty shall, *Repealed by Act 33 and 34 Vict., cap. 90. 9th August, 1870. [Neutrality. Turkey and Greece.] without such leave and licence as aforesaid, engage, contract, or agree to go, or shall go to any Foreign State, Country, Colony, Province, or part of any Province, or to any Place beyond the Seas, with an intent, or in order to enlist or enter himself to serve, or with intent to serve, in any warlike or military operation whatever, whether by Land or by Sea, in the service of, or for, or under, or in aid of, any Foreign Prince, State, Potentate, Colony, Province, or part of any Province or People, or in the service of, or for, or under, or in aid of, any Person or Persons exercising, or assuming to exercise, the powers of Government in or over any Foreign Country, Colony, Province, or part of any Province or People, either as an Officer or a Soldier, or in any other military capacity, or as an Officer, or Sailor, or Marine, in any such Ship or Vessel as aforesaid, although no enlisting money, or pay, or reward shall have been, or shall be, in any or either of the Cases aforesaid, actually paid to, or received by him, or by any Person to or for his use or benefit; or if any Person whatever within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or in any part of His Majesty's Dominions elsewhere, or in any Country, Colony, Settlement, Island, or Place belonging to or subject to His Majesty, shall hire, retain, engage, or procure, or shall attempt, or endeavour to hire, retain, engage, or procure any Person or Persons whatever to enlist, or to enter, or engage to enlist, or to serve, or to be employed in any such service or employment as aforesaid, as an Officer, Soldier, Sailor, or Marine, either in Land or Sea Service, for, or under, or in aid of, any Foreign Prince, State, Potentate, Colony, Province, or part of any Province or People, or for, or under, or in aid of any Person or Persons exercising or assuming to exercise, any powers of Government as aforesaid, or to go, or to agree to go, or embark from any part of His Majesty's Dominions for the purpose or with the intent to be so enlisted, entered, engaged, or employed as aforesaid, whether any enlisting money, pay or reward shall have been, or shall be, actually given or received, or not, in any or either of such cases every Person so offending shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon being convicted thereof, upon any information or indictment, shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment, or either of them, at the discretion of the Court before which such offender shall be convicted :' And it is further enacted, "that if any Person within any part of the United Kingdom, or in any part of His Majesty's [Neutrality. Turkey and Greece]. 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 cruise 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 misdemeanor, 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 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 [Neutrality. Turkey and Greece.] 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:" His Majesty, therefore, being desirous of preserving to His Subjects the blessings of Peace which they now happily enjoy, and being resolved to persevere in that system of neutrality which ́ His Majesty has so repeatedly declared his determination to maintain; in order that none of His Majesty's Subjects may unwarily render themselves liable to the penalties imposed by the Statute herein mentioned, has thought fit, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, to issue this His Royal Proclamation: And His Majesty does hereby strictly command that no Person or Persons whatsoever do presume to take part in any of the said Contests, or to commit or attempt any act, matter, or thing whatsoever, contrary to the provisions of the said Statute, upon pain of the several Penalties by the said Statute imposed, and of His Majesty's high displeasure: And His Majesty, by and with the advice aforesaid, doth hereby enjoin all His Majesty's Subjects strictly to observe, as well towards The Ottoman Porte and the Greeks, as towards all other Belligerents with whom His Majesty is at Peace, the duties of Neutrality; and to respect in all, and each of them, the exercise of those Belligerent Rights which His Majesty has always claimed to exercise, when His Majesty has Himself been unhappily engaged in War. Given at Our Court at Windsor, the 30th day of September, 1825, and in the 6th of Our Reign. God save the King. |