AFRICA. ACT of the British Parliament, "for the Prevention and Punishment of Offences committed by Her Majesty's Subjects in South Africa." [26 & 27 Vict., cap. 35.) [June 29, 1863.] WHEREAS the inhabitants of certain territories in South Africa to the southward of the 25th degree of south latitude not being within the jurisdiction of any civilized Government, and crimes and outrages being likely (unless prevented) to be committed within such territories by subjects of Her Majesty being therein, it is requisite to provide for the punishment of offences committed by Her Majesty's subjects within such territories: Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: I. The laws which are now, or which shall hereafter be in force in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope for the punishment of crimes therein committed shall be, and the same are hereby extended and declared applicable to all Her Majesty's subjects within any territory in Africa being to the southward of the 25th degree of south latitude, and not being within the jurisdiction of any civilized Government, and every crime or offence committed by any of Her Majesty's subjects within any such territory shall be cognizable in the courts of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope, or of the Colony of Natal, or of any of Her Majesty's possessions in Africa to the southward of the said 25th degree of south latitude, and shall be inquired of, tried, and prosecuted, and on conviction punished, in such and the same manner as if the said crime or offence had been committed, and as if the law rendering the same punishable had been in force within such Colony or Possession. II. It shall be lawful for the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, with the advice of his Executive Council, to address to any one or more of Her Majesty's subjects, being within or about to resort to any such territory as aforesaid, one or more Commission or Commissions, authorizing him or them to exercise within such territory the office of a magistrate for the purpose of preventing the perpetration therein by any of Her Majesty's subjects of any crimes or offences, and for the purpose of arresting, committing to custody, and bringing to trial before any such courts as aforesaid any of Her Majesty's subjects charged on sufficient evidence before him or them with the commission of any crime or offence within any such territory; and it shall also be lawful to the Governor of the said Colony, with the like advice, and by any Commission or Commissions as aforesaid, to define with all practicable and convenient precision the local limits within which the jurisdiction of any such magistrate or magistrates shall be so exercised, and to which it shall so extend; and within the limits so to be defined as aforesaid, every such magistrate shall have, exercise, and enjoy all such powers and authorities over and in reference to Her Majesty's subjects inhabiting, or being within the same as shall by any such Commission or Commissions be specially granted: Provided always, that no such powers or authorities shall be so granted by any such Commission or Commissions, save only such as shall be necessary for accomplishing the purposes aforesaid with promptitude and effect. III. All such Commissions as aforesaid shall be made to continue in force only during Her Majesty's pleasure; and the Governor for the time being of the Cape of Good Hope shall be, and he is hereby bound and required to transmit a copy of every such Commission by the earliest opportunity to Her Majesty, through one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, for her approbation or disallowance. IV. Nothing herein or in any such Commission or Commissions contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to invest Her Majesty, her heirs or successors, with any claim or title whatsoever to dominion or sovereignty over any such territory as aforesaid, or to derogate from the rights of the tribes or people inhabiting such territory, or of chiefs or rulers, to any such sovereignty or dominion. V. For the purposes of this Act, any person lawfully administering the government of the Cape of Good Hope shall be deemed and taken to be the Governor thereof. * VI. An Act passed in the 6th and 7th years of His Majesty William IV, intituled "An Act for the prevention and punishment of offences committed by His Majesty's subjects within certain Territories adjacent to the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope, is hereby repealed: Provided always, that all Commissions issued by the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope under authority of the said Act of Parliament, and all Acts performed under authority or in pursuance of such Commissions, at any time before this Act shall be proclaimed in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope shall be of the same force and effect as if this Act had not passed. * See Vol. 9, Page 121. AUSTRIA. BRITISH ORDER IN COUNCIL, containing Regulations for preventing Collision at Sea to British Vessels, and to the Vessels of Austria, Belgian, Hanover, Hayti, Italy, MecklenburgSchwerin, Oldenburg, Portugal, and Prussia. April 28, 1863. At the Court at Windsor, the 28th day of April, 1863. PRESENT, THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY IN COUNCIL. WHEREAS the rules and practice observed for the purpose of preventing collisions at sea, which were formerly adopted by maritime nations, have proved insufficient to satisfy the requirements of modern navigation; and whereas various alterations in such rules and practice have from time to time been made by different nations, but the rules so altered have been found to be in some cases inconsistent with each other, and in other cases to have the force of municipal law only; and whereas certain regulations for the purposes aforesaid have been sanctioned by the "Merchant Shipping Act Amendment Act, 1862,"* and are contained in Table C, in the schedule to that Act. And whereas the said regulations have, in pursuance of the provisions in the said Act contained, been modified by an Order in Council, bearing date the 9th day of January, 1863,† and the said regulations so modified are appended to the said Order, and to this Order. And whereas, by virtue of the said Act and of the said Order, the said regulations so appended as aforesaid, will, so far as relates to British and French ships, and also so far as relates to other Foreign ships when within British jurisdiction, come into operation on the 1st day of June, 1863. And whereas it is provided by the same Act, that whenever it is made to appear to Her Majesty that the Government of any Foreign country is willing that the regulations for preventing collision contained in Table C in the schedule to the said Acts, or such other regulations for preventing collision as are, for the time being, in force under the said Act, should apply to the ships of such country when beyond the limits of British jurisdiction, Her Majesty may, by Order in Council, direct that such regulations shall apply to the ships of the said Foreign country, whether within British jurisdiction or not. And it is further provided by the said Act, that whenever an * See Page 328. See Page 219 (FRANCE). Order in Council has been issued applying any regulation made by or in pursuance of the said Act to the ships of any Foreign country, such ships shall in all cases arising in any British court be deemed to be subject to such regulation, and shall for the purpose of such regulation be treated as if they were British ships. And whereas it has been made to appear to Her Majesty that the following Governments, that is to say: The Government of His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, The Government of His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, The Government of His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Oldenburg, The Government of His Majesty the King of Portugal, The Government of His Majesty the King of Prussia. Are willing that the said regulations appended to the said Order and to this Order, should, on and after the 1st day of June, 1863, apply to ships belonging to their respective countries when beyond the limits of British jurisdiction. Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by virtue of the power vested in Her by the said recited Act, and by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, is pleased to direct : That the said regulations appended to the said Order in Council, bearing date the 9th day of January, 1863, and to this Order shall, on and after the said 1st day of June, 1863, apply to ships belonging to the following countries, that is to say: Austria, Belgium, Hanover, Hayti, Italy, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Oldenburg, Portugal, Prussia, whether within British jurisdiction or not. ARTHUR HELPS. REGULATIONS REFERRED TO IN THE FOREGOING Order. Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. [See Page 221.] BRAZIL. DECISION of the King of the Belgians, as Arbitrator in the Case of the Arrest of certain British Naval Officers by the Brazilian Police. Lachen, June 18, 1863. Nous, Léopold, Roi des Belges, ayant accepté les fonctions * See Order in Council, July 27, 1863. d'arbitre qui nous ont été conférés de commun accord par la Grande Bretagne et par le Brésil, dans le différend qui s'est élevé entre ces Etats au sujet de l'arrestation, le 17 Juin, 1862, par le poste de la police Brésilienne situé à la Tijuca, de 3 officiers de la Marine Britannique, et des incidents qui se sont produits à la suite et à l'occasion de cette arrestation; Animé du désir sincère de répondre par une décision scrupuleuse et impartiale à la confiance que les dits Etats nous ont témoignée ; Ayant à cet effet dûment examiné et murement pesé tous les documents qui ont été produits de part et d'autre ; Voulant, pour remplir le mandat que nous avons accepté, porter à la connaissance des Hautes Parties intéressées le résultat de notre examen, ainsi que notre décision arbitrale sur la question qui nous a été soumise dans les termes suivants, à savoir; Si dans la manière dont les lois Brésiliennes ont été appliquées aux officiers Anglais il y a eu offense envers la Marine Britannique : Considérant qu'il n'est nullement démontré que l'origine du conflit soit le fait des Agents Brésiliens, qui ne pouvaient raisonnablement pas avoir de motifs de provocation; Considérant que les officiers lors de leur arrestation n'étaient pas revêtus des insignes de leur grade, et que dans un port fréquenté par tant d'etrangers ils ne pouvaient prétendre à être crus sur parole lorsqu'ils se déclaraient appartenir à la Marine Britannique, tandis qu'aucun indice apparent de cette qualité ne venait à l'appui de leur déclaration; que, par conséquent, une fois arrêtés ils devaient se soumettre aux lois et réglements existants et ne pouvaient être admis à exiger un traitement différent de celui qui eût été appliqué dans les mêmes conditions à toutes autres per sonnes ; Considérant que, s'il est impossible de méconnaître que les incidents qui se sont produits ont été des plus désagréables aux officiers Anglais et que le traitement auquel ils ont été exposés a dû leur paraître fort dur, il est constant toutefois que, lorsque par la déclaration du Vice-Consul Anglais la position sociale de ces officiers eut été dûment constatée, des mesures ont aussitôt été prises pour leur assurer des égards particuliers, et qu'ensuite leur mise en liberté pure et simple a été ordonnée ; Considérant que le fonctionnaire qui les a fait rélâcher a prescrit leur élargissement aussitôt que cela lui a été possible, et qu'en agissant ainsi il a été mû par le désir d'épargner à ces officiers les conséquences fâcheuses qui aux termes des lois devaient forcément résulter pour eux d'une suite quelconque donnée à l'affaire ; Considérant que, dansson rapport du 6 Juillet, 1862, le Préfet de Police n'avait pas seulement à faire la narration des faits, mais qu'il devait rendre compte à l'autorité supérieure de sa conduite et des motifs qui l'avaient porté à user des ménagements; |