Numb. 63.

753

DIEU ET MON DROIT

THE
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
EXTRAORDINARY.
Published by Authority.

WELLINGTON, MONDAY, JULY 23, 1877.

Neutrality to be observed during War between
Russia and Turkey.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 19th July, 1877.

THE following despatches, with enclosures, from
Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for
the Colonies, together with a warrant under the hand
of His Excellency the Governor, are published for
general information.

DANIEL POLLEN.

[CIRCULAR.]
Downing Street, 3rd May, 1877.

SIR, —I transmit to you the Queen's Proclamation
for the maintenance of Neutrality, which, with the
advice of Her Privy Council, Her Majesty has issued
in consequence of the existing state of war between
Russia and Turkey.

I desire that you will immediately give publicity to
the said Proclamation.

I have, &c.,
CARNARVON.

The Officer Administering
the Government of New Zealand.

BY THE QUEEN.
A PROCLAMATION.
VICTORIA R.

WHEREAS we are happily at peace with all Sovereigns,
Powers, and States:

And whereas, notwithstanding Our utmost exertions
to preserve peace between all Sovereign Powers and
States, a state of war unhappily exists between His
Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias and His
Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans, and between
their respective subjects and others inhabiting within
their countries, territories, or dominions:

And whereas We are on terms of friendship and
amicable intercourse with each of these Sovereigns,
and with their several subjects and others inhabiting
within their countries, territories, or dominions:

And whereas great numbers of Our loyal subjects
reside and carry on commerce, and possess property
and establishments, and enjoy various rights and
privileges within the dominions of each of the afore-
said Sovereigns, protected by the faith of treaties be-
tween Us and each of the aforesaid Sovereigns:

And whereas We, being desirous of preserving to
Our subjects the blessings of peace which they now
happily enjoy, are firmly purposed and determined to
maintain a strict and impartial neutrality in the said
state of war unhappily existing between the aforesaid
Sovereigns:

We, therefore, have thought fit, by and with the
advice of Our Privy Council, to issue this Our Royal
Proclamation:

And We do hereby strictly charge and command all
Our loving subjects to govern themselves accordingly,
and to observe a strict neutrality in and during the
aforesaid war, and to abstain from violating or con-
travening either the Laws and Statutes of the realm in
this behalf, or the Law of Nations in relation thereto,
as they will answer to the contrary at their peril:

And whereas in and by a certain Statute made and
passed in a session of Parliament holden in the
thirty-third and thirty-fourth year of Our reign, inti-
tuled "An Act to regulate the Conduct of Her
Majesty's Subjects during the Existence of Hostilities
between foreign States with which Her Majesty is
at Peace," it is, amongst other things, declared and
enacted as follows: —

"ILLEGAL ENLISTMENT.

"If any person, without the license of Her Majesty,
being a British subject, within or without Her
Majesty's dominions, accepts or agrees to accept
any commission or engagement in the military or
naval service of any foreign State at war with any
foreign State at peace with Her Majesty, and in this
Act referred to as a friendly State, or, whether a
British subject or not, within Her Majesty's do-
minions induces any other person to accept or agree
to accept any commission or engagement in the
military or naval service of any such foreign State as
aforesaid, —

"He shall be guilty of an offence against this Act,
and shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment, or
either of such punishments, at the discretion of the
Court before which the offender is convicted; and
imprisonment, if awarded, may be either with or
without hard labour.