3454
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 143

VICTORIA BY THE GRACE OF GOD—Of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India. To our right, trusty, and well-beloved councillor George Joachim Goschen, our trusty and well-beloved Sir Frederick William Richards, Knight Grand Cross of our Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Admiral of our Fleet, Sir Walter Talbot Kerr, commonly called Lord Walter Talbot Kerr, Knight Commander of our Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Vice-Admiral in our Navy, Arthur Knyvet Wilson, Esquire, Companion of our Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Victoria Cross, Rear-Admiral in our Navy, Arthur William Moore, Esquire, Companion of our Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Companion of our Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Rear-Admiral in our Navy, and Joseph Austen Chamberlain, Esquire, our Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging and to our Commissioners for executing that office for the time being, Greeting.

WHEREAS it is expedient that upon the outbreak of war between us and any foreign state there shall be found or forthwith constituted throughout our dominions, possessions, and colonies, Prize Courts duly commissioned to take cognizance of captures, recaptures, seizures, prizes, and reprisals of ships, vessels, and goods to which Prize Courts our Fleets and ships may bring to judgment, all ships, vessels, and goods seized by them: These are therefore to authorize and we do hereby authorize and enjoin you our said Commissioners now and for the time being or any two or more of you by Warrant from time to time notwithstanding the existence of peace to will and require any such Courts or persons as follows, that is to say, Vice-Admiralty Courts which shall be duly commissioned within our dominions, possessions, or colonies (other than our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) and Courts of Law or persons being Colonial Courts of Admiralty within the meaning of the Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890, as you our said Commissioners now and for the time being or any two or more of you shall select upon Proclamation being made in that part of our dominions, possessions, or colonies within which such Court or person has jurisdiction in Admiralty by our Vice-Admiral thereof that war has broken out between us and some foreign state or states and not otherwise to take cognizance of and judicially to proceed upon all and all manner of captures, recaptures, seizures, prizes, reprisals, of all ships, vessels, and goods then already seized and taken and which thereafter shall be seized and taken and all other matters of prize falling within the jurisdiction of Prize Courts and to hear and determine the same and according to the course of Admiralty and the Law of Nations and the statutes, rules, and regulations in that behalf for the time being in force to adjudge and condemn all such ships, vessels, and goods as shall belong to the state or states named in the Proclamation aforesaid or to the subjects of such state or states or to any other persons inhabiting within any of the countries, territories, or dominions of such state or states or be otherwise condemnable as prize and such Courts or persons are hereby authorized and required to proceed accordingly. And we do hereby further authorize you our said Commissioners now and for the time being and any two or more of you by Warrant to revoke or alter any Warrant which shall have been issued, granted, or made by you or any two or more of you as aforesaid. In witness whereof we have caused these our letters to be made patent; Witness ourself at Westminster the tenth day of July, in the sixty-third year of our reign.

By Warrant under the Queen’s sign manual—

MUir MacKenzie.