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. Every law made or to be made by the Legislature of any such possession as aforesaid for the purpose of establishing the validity of any marriage or marriages contracted in such possession shall have and be deemed to have had from the date of the making of such law the same force and effect for the purpose aforesaid within all parts of Her Majesty's dominions as such law may have had or may hereafter have within the possession for which the same was made: Provided that nothing in this law contained shall give any effect or validity to any marriage unless at the time of such marriage both of the parties thereto were, according to the law of England, competent to contract the same. II. In this Act the word "Legislature" shall include any authority competent to make laws for any of Her Majesty's possessions abroad, except the Parliament of the United Kingdom and Her Majesty in Council. ACT of the British Parliament, explaining the Foreign Jurisdiction Act of 24th August, 1843 [and defining the term "British Colony" used therein]. [28 & 29 Vict. cap. 116.] [July 5, 1865.] BE it declared and 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 asembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: I. In the Foreign Jurisdiction Act (that is to say, the Act of the 6th and 7th years of Her Majesty's reign, chapter 94,* "to remove doubts as to the Exercise of Power and Jurisdiction by Her Majesty within divers countries and places out of Her Majesty's Dominions, and to render the same more effectual," the term "British Colony" includes and shall be construed to include any of Her Majesty's possessions out of the United Kingdom. II. This Act may be cited as "The Foreign Jurisdiction Act Amendment Act, 1865." * Vol. XXXI. Page 984. CORRESPONDENCE relative to the Political Relations between Great Britain and Abyssinia; the Ill-treatment and Imprisonment of the British Consul (Captain Cameron) and others; the Mission of Mr. Rassam to King Theodore; &c.*-1865. [Continued from Vol. LIV. Page 1152.] No. 442.-Précis of Intelligence brought down from Abyssinia by Fautsh Wandafrash, the Private Messenger who was sent up from Massowah on October 28, 1864.-(In Mr. Rassam's letter to India Office, January 28, 1865.-Received by India Office, February 28, 1865.)+ I was sent up to Gondar by Haj Adam Koorman (a Gondar merchant), about 51 days ago, to collect some information regarding the Consul and the other European prisoners. Also to find out what has become of your messengers that you had sent up to the King of Abyssinia on your arrival at Massowah about 5 months ago. I went up to Gondar in 13 days; and on arriving there I found that the King had gone to Debra Tabor; so I continued my journey thither, and reached that place in two days. At Debra Tabor I learnt that His Majesty had gone to Zabeet, and consequently I followed him to that place; but on arriving there, I discovered that he had gone on to Magdala, about 5 days' journey further to the south. At Zabeet I heard that the King was making long stages, as he intended to chastise the different rebellious Chiefs who had risen against him in different parts of Abyssinia. His first intention was to penetrate into Shoa, and subdue the insurrection which has appeared there; and afterwards he would go to Lakota (about 8 days' journey to the east-south-east of Gondar), to punish its Chief, Wakshim Gobazay, who had thrown off his allegiance to the King, and was plundering the adjacent districts, and killing every person who showed any partiality to the Royal cause. It is premised that, after he punishes those rebels, he would proceed northward to coerce the rest of the rebels, Tisso Gobazay of Walka-ait, Garstakla, Negoosie of Agou, and others. The most powerful of these Chiefs is Waksham Gobazay of Sukota, who is supposed to be able to bring to the field of battle against the King, of cavalry alone, about 4,000; and of foot soldiers he is expected to out-number the King's. It is almost certain that the King will return victorious, because the rebels would not have the pluck to face his army when it is commanded by him in person. At Zabeet I heard that the King had left all his prisoners, both *Laid before Parliament, 1868. + Communicated to India Office by Foreign Office, March 1, 1865. Europeans and natives, on the top of the mountain at Magdala, as he did not wish to be encumbered by them on his expedition against the rebels. I deemed it disadvantageous to follow the Consul and his fellowprisoners to Magdala, as I knew I could not possibly see them there on account of the strict watch kept at that place on all the prisoners. I learnt that all the European prisoners were well, and amply provided for with victuals by the King. I have not heard that any of them had died since they were confined. As I found it was useless for me to follow the King any further, I returned the next day from Zabeet to Debra Tabor. I stayed there with Mr. Flad, as we were acquainted with each other before then. Mr. Flad informed me that he and the other Europeans who are working for the King at Gaffat, outside Debra Tabor, had waited on His Majesty while he was staying there, to intercede for the release of their fellow-countrymen. The King had received them well, and promised to accede to their request if they went to him again the next day. Before the appointed time had come, however, he sent to tell them not to go to him, as he had determined not to release the prisoners until he received the letter of the English Queen. Mr. Flad told me also that both he and the rest of the Europeans who are at large are longing to quit the country, but they were unable to do so in consequence of the surveillance placed upon their movements by the King. They are prohibited from going out of Debra Tabor without his special licence. It is believed that when the King receives the Queen's letter he would release all the prisoners. The messengers of the Naib of Arkeeko, who went up with your second letter reached the King before my arrival at Debra Tabor. They had delivered the letters to the King, and were ordered to join your former messengers, under the care of Samuel, the King's Steward. They were all told to wait until they were sent back with an answer. The report which was brought to you that the King had imprisoned your first two messengers was not true; they are not only at large, but are treated well by the King. I am certain that they had never been imprisoned, because I was assured of this fact by both Mr. Flad and Busha Garuzzuhre, the Commissioner of Customs of the district of Tigré, who had been with the King for some time. The Aboona (Metropolitan of Abyssinia) is with the King, and it is said that he is now treated with more consideration by His Majesty. After I remained with Mr. Flad at Debra Tabor two days, I left to come back to Massowah, but on reaching Wagara in 4 days on [1861-65. LV.] 40 my way down, I was stopped by Ali Wishat, who had been placed by the King there to apprehend all persons who would be found travelling through that place without any legitimate purpose. He kept me in confinement 14 days, with a number of others whom he had seized like me; but on hearing that Tisso Gobazai (one of the leaders of the rebels) was coming to attack him, he gave us our liberty and fled to Gondar. I then continued my journey hitherward, and as I had to maintain myself on my way down by begging, I could not come down in less than 14 days from Wagara. Before me at Massowah, this 19th day of December, 1866. No. 451.-Mr. Layard to Mr. Rassam. H. RASSAM. SIR, Foreign Office, February 17, 1865. I AM directed by Earl Russell to send you a letter from Her Majesty the Queen to King Theodorus of Abyssinia, which is to be substituted for the one previously sent to you, and which you will deliver into the hands of His Majesty when you are able to reach his presence. You will return to this office the letter first sent. I am further directed to inform you that, in order that Her Majesty's Government may receive the earliest information of your proceedings, Earl Russell wishes you to send copies of your official reports direct to this office, through the Resident at Aden. I inclose a copy of the Queen's letter to the King of Abyssinia. I am, &c. Mr. Rassam. A. H. LAYARD. (Inclosure.)—Her Majesty the Queen to the King of Abyssinia.† May 26, 1864. VICTORIA, by the grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c., to Theodore, King of Abyssinia, sendeth greeting. We have duly received the letter which your Majesty delivered to our servant Cameron, and we have read with pleasure the friendly expressions which it conveys. We learn with satisfaction that your Majesty has successfully established your authority in the country over which you rule, and we trust that you may long continue to administer its affairs in peace and prosperity. Our servant Cameron has no doubt conveyed to you the assurances of our friendship and goodwill, and we are glad to learn by your letter that he had been duly received by your Majesty. Accounts have indeed reached us of late that your Majesty had withdrawn your favour from our servant. We trust, however, that these accounts have originated in false representations on the part of persons ill-disposed to your * Vol. LIV. Page 1224. + Written on a sheet of emblazoned vellum. Majesty, and who may desire to produce an alteration in our feelings towards you. But your Majesty can give no better proof of the sincerity of the sentiments which you professs towards us, nor insure more effectually a continuance of our friendship and goodwill than by dismissing our servant Cameron, and any other Europeans who may desire it, from your Court, and by affording them every assistance and protection on their journey to the destination to which they desire to proceed. With the view of renewing to you. the expression of our friendship, and of explaining to you our wishes respecting our servant Cameron, we have directed our servant Hormuzd Rassam, First Assistant to the Political Resident at Aden, to proceed to your residence, and to deliver to you this our Royal letter. We have instructed him to inform your Majesty that if, notwithstanding the long distance which separates our dominions from those of your Majesty, you should, after having permitted our servant Cameron and the other Europeans to take their leave and depart, desire to send an embassy to this country, that embassy will be very well received by us. And so, not doubting that you will receive our servant Rassam in a favourable manner, and give entire credit to all that he shall say to you on our part, as well as comply with the requests which he is instructed to make to you, we recommend you to the protection of the Almighty. Given at our Court at Balmoral, the 26th day of May, in the year of our Lord, 1864, and in the 27th year of our reign. To our good Friend, Theodore, Your good Friend, VICTORIA R. No. 456.-Mr. Colquhoun to Earl Russell.-(Received February 23.) MY LORD, Cairo, February 12, 1865. MR. CALVERT, on examining the Coptic priest, Abd el Melek, mentioned in my despatch of the 9th instant, thought it important that he should arrive here as speedily as possible, having matter to communicate he wished should only meet my ear. He accordingly sent him on to Suez by an English steamer, which was on the point of leaving Djeddah, paying his passage, and giving him funds to reach Cairo with all speed. Abd ul Melek reached this late on the evening of the 10th, and proceeded to the Consulate, where he was lodged. Yesterday he came out here, and after questioning him, I thought the nature of his communication to be such as to induce me to employ the greatest precaution. I therefore preferred entrusting to Mr. Ayrton the task of taking his declaration, as I have every |