Queens Regulations & Admiralty Instructions 1861
Queens Regulations & Admiralty Instructions 1861


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The Queens Regulations and the Admiralty Instructions - 1861


CHAPTER XXIII.

QUARANTINE REGULATIONS.

(Vide also Act 6 Geo. IV, Cap. 78.)

1.

The Captain is to direct every Officer, when sent to any foreign or other Ship, not to go on board until he shall have ascertained that she did not come from any place which may subject her to quarantine; but if she did come from any such place, to obtain whatever information he is sent for, without quitting the boat. But if any of Her Majesty's Ships shall, either at sea or in port, have communication with other Ships, by which they may be subject to quarantine, the Captain is enjoined not to conceal such communication, but to make it known by carrying the proper quarantine flag at one of the mast heads; and he is to prevent the boats of other Ships from coming to the Ship which he commands, until she be liberated from quarantine; till when, he is to observe, in the most strict and particular manner, all regulations for the conduct of Ships in quarantine, as hereinafter explained.

2.

Every commanding Officer or other person having the charge of any of Her Majesty's Ships liable to the performance of quarantine, shall at all times, when such ship meets with any other Ship at sea, or be within two leagues of the coast of the United Kingdom, or the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, or Man, cause to be hoisted a signal to denote that the Ship he commands is liable to the performance of quarantine. The signal in the day-time to be, if the Ship have a clean bill of health, a large yellow flag of six breadths of bunting at the main topmast head; if she shall not have a clean bill of health, a like yellow flag with a circular mark or ball entirely black in the middle thereof, the diameter of which shall be equal to two breadths of bunting; and in the night time the signal shall in both cases be a large signal lantern, with a light therein (such as is commonly used on board Her Majesty's Ships of War), at the same mast head.

3.

The Commanders of any of Her Majesty's Ships of War who shall meet any Vessel liable to perform quarantine coming to a British Port, shall take care to prevent the landing of any persons or articles from on board the same, until the vessel shall be put under the charge of the Superintendent of Quarantine, or his Assistant, or the Principal or other Officer of Her Majesty's Customs, authorized to act at any of the out-ports; and the Captains and commanding Officers of Her Majesty's Ships are at all times to furnish such assistance to the Officers respectively, as may be required of them for enforcing the due performance of quarantine.

4.

All Vessels, as well Her Majesty's Ships of War as others, coming from, or having touched at, any place from whence Her Majesty, Her heirs or successors, by and with the advice of Her or their Privy Council, shall have declared it probable that the plague or other infectious disease may be brought, shall be obliged to perform quarantine in such manner as shall be notified by proclamation, or published in the London Gazette.

5.

All baggage, packets, packages, wearing apparel, books, letters, or any other articles whatsoever arriving in Vessels coming from infected places, are liable to quarantine in the same manner as goods, wares, and merchandise. Any person landing or unshipping, or moving in order to land such baggage, &c., from on board any Vessel liable to quarantine, shall forfeit the sum of 500l.; and any person clandestinely conveying, or concealing for the purpose of conveying, any of the articles above enumerated from a vessel actually performing quarantine, or from a Lazaret, shall forfeit the sum of 100l.

6.

All Her Majesty's Ships of War, Transports, or other Vessels in the actual service of Government, under the command of a Commissioned Officer of Her Majesty's Navy, coming from the Mediterranean, or West Barbary on the Atlantic Ocean, and not furnished with clean bills of health, shall perform quarantine at the Motherbank and nowhere else, in a separate and distinct place, appointed and marked out with yellow buoys for that purpose, in the centre of which place a floating Lazaret, moored with chains, is stationed, with a yellow flag constantly flying at the mast-head.

No persons, vessels, or boats whatsoever, other than the vessels or boats belonging to the Medical Attendant or superintendent of Quarantine, or his Assistant, or other boats regularly employed under the authority of the Commissioners of the Customs in the Quarantine Service shall go, under any pretence whatever, within the limits so marked out, except in case of special necessity and emergency, and with permission first had and obtained from the Superintendent of Quarantine or his Assistant.

7.

Her Majesty's Ships and Vessels liable to quarantine, and furnished with clean bills of health, shall perform a quarantine of 15 days, commencing on the day that the Ship or Vessel shall have arrived at the appointed quarantine station; but the Lords of the Privy Council, in consideration of the inconvenience and expense incurred by Her Majesty's Ships of War arriving from the Mediterranean, in consequence of their detention in quarantine until orders respecting them can be forwarded from London, have given orders that the proper Officers shall release all Ships of War belonging to Her Majesty, or any other nation in amity with Her Majesty, which may arrive from the Mediterranean or from West Barbary Coast, on the Atlantic Ocean, immediately on their arrival, without waiting for special orders from their Lordships; provided the Captain or other Officer, having the charge or command of any such Ship of War shall declare that all persons on board are, and have been, free from any disease of a suspicious nature as to contagion during the voyage. Her Majesty's Ships and Vessels, with foul bills of health, shall perform a quarantine of 30 days; and with suspected bills of health (commonly called touched patents or bills), they shall perform a quarantine of 20 days.

8.

Nothing, however little susceptible it may be thought of infection, is to be conveyed from one Vessel under quarantine to another, nor is any personal intercourse to be permitted from any such vessel to another, and nothing whatever is to be delivered from on board any Vessel under quarantine without an order in writing from the Superintendent or his Assistant, and every such order is to be entered in a book by one of the Guardians appointed by the Superintendent as Quarantine Guardians on board each Ship performing quarantine.

9.

Every person quitting a Vessel liable to quarantine, unless by proper authority, may be apprehended by any constable, and incurs the penalty of imprisonment for the space of six mouths, and forfeiture of the sum of 300l.

10.

Any person or persons liable to perform quarantine, or having had any intercourse or communication with a person or persons liable to quarantine, who shall refuse to repair to the Lazaret Vessel, or place duly appointed for the performance of quarantine, or shall escape, or attempt to escape, therefrom, before quarantine duly performed, shall forfeit 200l., and the quarantine officers may use force to compel such person or persons to return to the Lazaret, or other duly appointed place for quarantine.

11.

Communication may be made by persons in quarantine with others not in quarantine, by letters, under such regulations and restrictions as will prevent the spread of infection; for which purpose an Officer appointed by the Superintendent of Quarantine, shall daily at a fixed hour, go round the different Lazarets and Vessels in quarantine to receive letters. Letters may also be received under similar restrictions, but no personal communication or conference is to be had by persons not under quarantine with persons under quarantine (except the Medical Attendant, the Superintendent of Quarantine, or his Assistant, or any other person duly authorized by Order in Council), unless by permission or in the presence of the Superintendent or his Assistant, and under such regulations and restrictions as shall be directed by him,

12.

The Commanders of all Her Majesty's Ships of War, Transports, and other Vessels, are subject to all the provisions, rules, and regulations concerning quarantine, and to all the pains, penalties, forfeitures, and punishments for any breach or disobedience thereof, in the same manner as the Masters of merchant ships.

13.

The Commanders of all Vessels, whether liable to quarantine or not, neglecting to bring to, on being requested by the Officer of Customs, authorized to act in the Quarantine Service, are liable to a penalty of 100l.



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