2996
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 80

“If any person, without the license of Her Majesty, being a British subject, quits or goes on board any ship with a view of quitting Her Majesty’s dominions, with intent to accept any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with a friendly State, or, whether a British subject or not, within Her Majesty’s dominions, induces any other person to quit or to go on board any ship with a view of quitting Her Majesty’s dominions with the like intent—

“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.

“If any person induces any other person to quit Her Majesty’s dominions, or to embark on any ship within Her Majesty’s dominions, under a misrepresentation or false representation of the service in which such person is to be engaged, with the intent or in order that such person may accept or agree to accept any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with a friendly State—

“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.

“If the master or owner of any ship, without the license of Her Majesty, knowingly either takes on board, or engages to take on board, or has on board such ship within Her Majesty’s dominions any of the following persons, in this Act referred to as illegally enlisted persons, that is to say,—

“(1.) Any person who, being a British subject, within or without the dominions of Her Majesty, has, without the license of Her Majesty, accepted or agreed to accept any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with any friendly State :

“(2.) Any person, being a British subject, who, without the license of Her Majesty, is about to quit Her Majesty’s dominions with intent to accept any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with a friendly State :

“(3.) Any person who has been induced to embark under a misrepresentation or false representation of the service in which such person is to be engaged, with the intent or in order that such person may accept or agree to accept any commission or engagement in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with a friendly State :

“Such master or owner shall be guilty of an offence against this Act, and the following consequences shall ensue, that is to say,—

“(1.) The offender 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 : and

“(2.) Such ship shall be detained until the trial and conviction or acquittal of the master or owner, and until all penalties inflicted on the master or owner have been paid, or the master or owner has given security for the payment of such penalties to the satisfaction of two Justices of the Peace, or other Magistrate or Magistrates having the authority of two Justices of the Peace : and

“(3.) All illegally enlisted persons shall, immediately on the discovery of the offence, be taken on shore, and shall not be allowed to return to the ship.

Illegal Shipbuilding and Illegal Expeditions.

“If any person within Her Majesty’s dominions, without the license of Her Majesty, does any of the following acts, that is to say,—

“(1.) Builds, or agrees to build, or causes to be built any ship with intent or knowledge, or having reasonable cause to believe, that the same shall or will be employed in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with any friendly State ; or

“(2.) Issues or delivers any commission for any ship with intent or knowledge, or having reasonable cause to believe, that the same shall or will be employed in the military or naval ser-

vice of any foreign State at war with any friendly State ; or

“(3.) Equips any ship with intent or knowledge, or having reasonable cause to believe, that the same shall or will be employed in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with any friendly State ; or

“(4.) Despatches, or causes or allows to be despatched, any ship with intent or knowledge, or having reasonable cause to believe, that the same shall or will be employed in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with any friendly State ;

“Such person shall be deemed to have committed an offence against this Act, and the following consequences shall ensue :—

“(1.) The offender 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.

“(2.) The ship in respect of which any such offence is committed, and her equipment, shall be forfeited to Her Majesty.

“Provided that a person building, causing to be built, or equipping a ship in any of the cases aforesaid, in pursuance of a contract made before the commencement of such war as aforesaid, shall not be liable to any of the penalties imposed by this section in respect of such building or equipping if he satisfies the conditions following, that is to say,—

“(1.) If forthwith upon a Proclamation of neutrality being issued by Her Majesty he gives notice to the Secretary of State that he is so building, causing to be built, or equipping such ship, and furnishes such particulars of the contract and of any matters relating to or done or to be done under the contract as may be required by the Secretary of State.

“(2.) If he gives such security, and takes and permits to be taken such other measures, if any, as the Secretary of State may prescribe for insuring that such ship shall not be despatched, delivered, or removed without the license of Her Majesty until the termination of such war as aforesaid.

“Where any ship is built by order of or on behalf of any foreign State when at war with a friendly State, or is delivered to or to the order of such foreign State, or any person who to the knowledge of the person building is an agent of such foreign State, or is paid for by such foreign State or such agent, and is employed in the military or naval service of such foreign State, such ship shall, until the contrary is proved, be deemed to have been built with a view to being so employed, and the burden shall lie on the builder of such ship of proving that he did not know that the ship was intended to be so employed in the military or naval service of such foreign State.

“If any person within the dominions of Her Majesty, and without the license of Her Majesty,—

“By adding to the number of the guns, or by changing those on board for other guns, or by the addition of any equipment for war, increases or augments, or procures to be increased or augmented, or is knowingly concerned in increasing or augmenting, the warlike force of any ship which at the time of her being within the dominions of Her Majesty was a ship in the military or naval service of any foreign State at war with any friendly State,—

“Such person 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.

“If any person within the limits of Her Majesty’s dominions, and without the license of Her Majesty,—

“Prepares or fits out any naval or military expedition to proceed against the dominions of any friendly State, the following consequences shall ensue :—

“(1.) Every person engaged in such preparation or fitting-out, or assisting therein, or employed in any capacity in such expedition, 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 offended is convicted ; and imprisonment, if awarded, may be either with or without hard labour.

“(2.) All ships and their equipments, and all arms and munitions of war, used in or forming part of such expedition shall be forfeited to Her Majesty.