While carrying on the old, it presents several new features.

British subjects are enjoined to abstain from violating, not only "the laws and statutes of the realm," but also (for the first time) "the law of nations." They are also (for the first time) warned that, if any of them "shall presume, in contempt of this our Royal Proclamation, and of our high displeasure, to do any acts in derogation of their duty as subjects of a neutral Sovereign, ...

or in violation of the law of nations, ...

as, more especially," by breach of blockade, or carriage of contraband, &c., they will "rightfully incur, and be justly liable to, hostile capture, and to the penalties denounced by the law of nations in that behalf"; and notice is (for the first time) given that those "who may misconduct themselves in the premises will do so at their peril, and of their own wrong; and that they will in no wise obtain any protection from Us against such capture, or such penalties as aforesaid, but will, on the contrary, incur Our high displeasure by such misconduct." The proclamations of 1861 and February and March 1866 complicate matters, by making the warning clause as to blockade and contraband apply also to the statutory offences of enlistment, &c.; but the proclamation of June, 1866, gets rid of this complication by returning to the formula of 1859, which has been also followed in 1870, 1877, 1898, and in the present year.
The formula as it now stands, after the process of growth already described, may be said to consist of seven parts--viz.

(1) a recital of neutrality; (2) a command to subjects to observe a strict neutrality, and to abstain from contravention of the laws of the realm or the law of nations in relation thereto; (3) a recital of the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1870; (4) a command that the statute be obeyed, upon pain of the penalties thereby imposed, "and of Our high displeasure"; (5) a warning to observe the duties of neutrality, and to respect the exercise of belligerent rights; (6) a further warning to those who, in contempt of the proclamation "and of Our high displeasure," may do any acts "in derogation of neutral duty, or in violation of the law of nations," especially by breach of blockade, carriage of contraband, &c., that they will be liable to capture "and to the penalties denounced by the law of nations"; (7) a notification that persons so misconducting themselves "will in no wise obtain any protection from Us," but will, "on the contrary, incur Our high displeasure by such misconduct." The question which I have ventured to raise is whether the _textus receptus_, built up, as it has been, by successive accretions, is sufficiently in accordance with the facts to which it purports to call the attention of British subjects to be properly submitted to His Majesty for signature.