Official notification., September 1, 1866
Official notification.
In view of the state of war which now exists between the Tycoon of Japan and the lord of the Japanese provinces of Nagato and Suwo, otherwise known as the Daimio Choshu, the undersigned, her Britannic Majesty’s envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary in Japan, deems it advisable to draw the attention of all her Majesty’s subjects in Japan to the undermentioned sections of the order of her Majesty in council of the 9th day of March, 1865:
“Section 81.
“If any British subject commits any of the following offences, that is to say—
“1. In China, while her Majesty is at peace with the Emperor of China, levies war or takes part in any operations of war against the Emperor of China, or aids or abets any person in carrying on war, insurrection, or rebellion against the Emperor of China ;
“2. In Japan, while her Majesty is at peace with the Tycoon of Japan, levies war or takes part in any operations of war against the Tycoon of Japan, or aids or abets any person in carrying on war, insurrection, or rebellion against the Tycoon of Japan :
“Every person so offending shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be liable (in the discretion of the court before which he is convicted) to be punished by imprisonment for any term not exceeding two years, with or without hard labor, and with or without a fine not exceeding $5,000, or by a fine not exceeding $5,000 without imprisonment.
“In addition to such punishment every such conviction shall of itself and without further proceedings make the person convicted liable to deportation; and the court before which he is convicted may order that he be deported from China or Japan to such place as the court directs.”
“Section 92.
“All trade of British subjects in, to, or from any port of Japan, except such ports and towns as are for the time being opened to British subjects by treaty between her Majesty, her heirs or successors, and the Tycoon of Japan, is hereby declared unlawful.
“If any person engages in such trade as a principal, agent, ship-owner, shipmaster, or supercargo, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be liable to be punished (in the discretion of the court before which he is convicted) by imprisonment for any term not exceeding two years, with or without hard labor, and with or without a fine not exceeding $10,000, or by a fine not exceeding $10,000 without imprisonment.”’
“Section 94.
“The officer commanding any of her Majesty’s vessels of war, or any of her Majesty’s naval officers authorized in this behalf by the officer having the command of her Majesty’s naval forces in Japan, by writing under his hand, may seize any British vessel engaged or reasonably suspected of being or having been engaged in any trade by this order declared unlawful, and may either detain the vessel with the master, officers, supercargo, crew, and other persons engaged in navigating the vessel or any of them, or take or cause to be taken the vessel and the master, officers, supercargo, crew, and other persons aforesaid, or any of them, to any port or place in Japan or elsewhere convenient for the prosecution of a charge for the misdemeanor alleged to have been committed.