Foreign Enlistment Act 1819
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
(59 Geo. 3) C A P. LXIX.
[3d July 1819]
'WHEREAS the Enlistment or Engagement of His Majesty's Subjects to serve in War in Foreign Service, without His Majesty's Licence, and the fitting out and equipping and arming of Vessels by His Majesty's Subjects, without His Majesty's Licence, for Warlike Operations in or against the Dominions or Territories of any Foreign Prince, State, Potentate or Persons exercising or assuming to exercise the Powers of Government in or over any Foreign Country, Colony, Province or Part of any Province, or against the Ships, Goods or Merchandise of any Foreign Prince, State, Potentate or Persons as aforesaid, or their Subjects, may be prejudicial to and tend to endanger the Peace and Welfare of this Kingdom: And Whereas the Laws in force are not sufficiently effectual for preventing the same:' Be it therefore enacted by The King'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, That from and after the passing of this Act, an Act passed in the Ninth Year of the Reign of His late Majesty KingGeorge the Second, intituled and also an Act passed in the Twenty ninth Year of the Reign of His said late Majesty KingGeorge the Second, intituled FrenchKing; and for better enforcing an Act passed in the Ninth Year of His present Majesty's Reign to prevent the enlisting His Majesty's Subjects to serve as Soldiers without His Majesty's Licence; and for obliging such of His Majesty's Subjects as shall accept Commissions in the Scotch Brigade in the Service of the States General of the United Provinces, to take the Oaths of Allegiance and Abjuration; and also an Act passed in Ireland in the Eleventh Year of the Reign of His said late Majesty King George the Second, intituled and also an Act passed inIreland in the Nineteenth Year of the Reign of His said late Majesty King George the Second, intituled Williamthe Third, intituled 'An Act to prevent Foreign Education; ' and all and every the Clauses and Provisions in the said several Actscontained, shall be and the same are hereby repealed.
II Subjects enlisting or engaging to enlist or serve in Foreign Service, military or naval.
II. And be it further declared and enacted, That if any natural born Subject of His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, without the Leave or Licence of His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, for that Purpose first had and obtained, under the Sign Manual of His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, or signified by Order in Council, or by Proclamation of His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, shall take or accept, or shall agree to take or accept, any Military Commission, or shall otherwise enter into the Military Service as a Commissioned or Non Commissioned Officer, or shall enlist or enter himself to enlist, or shall agree to enlist or to enter himself to serve as a Soldier, or to be employed or shall serve in any Warlike or Military Operation, in the Service of or for or under or in aid of any Foreign Prince, State, Potentate, Colony, Province or Part of any Province or People, or of any Person or Persons exercising or assuming to exercise the Powers of Government in or over any Foreign Country, Colony, Province or Part of any Province or People, either as an Officer or Soldier, or in any other Military Capacity; or if any natural born Subject of His Majesty shall, without such Leave or Licence as aforesaid, accept, or agree to take or accept, any Commission, Warrant or Appointment as an Officer, or shall enlist or enter himself, or shall agree to enlist or enter himself, to serve as a Sailor or Marine, or to be employed or engaged, or shall serve in and on board any Ship or Vessel of War, or in and on board any Ship or Vessel used or fitted out, or equipped or intended to be used for any Warlike Purpose, in the Service of or for or under or in aid of any Foreign Power, Prince, State, Potentate, Colony, Province or Part of any Province or People, or of any Person or Persons exercising or assuming to exercise the Powers of Government in or over any Foreign Country, Colony, Province or Part of any Province or People; or if any natural born Subject of His Majesty shall, without such Leaveand Licence as aforesaid, engage, contract or agree to go, or shall go to any Foreign State, Country, Colony, Province or Part of any Province, or to any Place beyond the Seas, with an intent or in order to enlist or enter himself to serve, or with intent to serve in any Warlike or Military Operation whatever, whether by Land or by Sea, in the Service of or for or under or in aid of any Foreign Prince, State, Potentate, Colony, Province or Part of any Province or People, or in the Service of or for or under or in aid of any Person or Persons exercising or assuming to exercise the Powers of Government in or over any Foreign Country, Colony, Province or Part of any Province or People, either as an Officer or a Soldier, or in any other Military Capacity, or as an Officer or Sailor, or Marine, in any such Ship or Vessel as aforesaid, although no enlisting Money or Pay or Reward shall have been or shall be in any or either of the Cases aforesaid actually paid to or received by him, or by any Person to or for his Use or Benefit; or if any Person whatever, within the United KingdomofGreat Britain and Ireland , or in any Part of His Majesty's Dominions elsewhere, or in any Country, Colony, Settlement, Island or Place belonging to or subject to His Majesty, shall hire, retain, engage or procure, or shall attempt or endeavour to hire, retain, engage or procure, any Person or Persons whatever to enlist, or to enter or engage to enlist, or to serve or to be employed in any such Service or Employment as aforesaid, as an Officer, Soldier, Sailor or Marine, either in Land or Sea Service, for or under or in aid of any Foreign Prince, State, Potentate, Colony, Province or Part of any Province or People, or for or under or in aid of any Person or Persons exercising or assuming to exercise any Powers of Government as aforesaid, or to go or to agree to go or embark from any Part of His Majesty's Dominions, for the purpose or with intent to be so enlisted, entered, engaged or employed as aforesaid, whether any enlisting Money, Pay or Reward shall have been or shall be actually given or received, or not; in any or either of such Cases, every Person so offending shall be deemed guilty of a Misdemeanor, and upon being convicted thereof, upon any Information or Indictment, shall be punishable by Fine and Imprisonment, or either of...
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