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 service 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 he 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, hi 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 ensuring 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 he on the builder of such ship of proving that he did not know that the ship was intended to he 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 he guilty of an offence against this Act, and shall he 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)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.
Any person who aids, abets, counsels, or procures the commission of any offence against this Act shall he liable to be tried and punished as a principal offender.
The term of imprisonment to he awarded in respect of any offence against this Act shall not exceed two years.