132

Authorities, and also the Regulations for the
Port of Nagasaki, are printed at the end of the
Convention.
You will be pleased to cause this Convention
to be published and circulated for general in-
formation.

fresh water, provisions,
and other supplies of any
sort they may absolutely
want for the use of the
ships."

I have &c.,
(Signed)
H. LABOUCHERE.

CONVENTION BETWEEN HER MAJESTY
AND THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN.

Signed at Nagasaki, in the English and Japanese
languages, October 14, 1854.
[RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED AT NAGASAKI OCTOBER 9, 1855.]

CONVENTION FOR REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF
BRITISH SHIPS INTO THE PORTS OF JAPAN.

It is agreed between Sir James Stirling, Knight,
Rear-Admiral, and Commander-in-chief of the ships and
vessels of Her Britannic Majesty in the East Indies
and seas adjacent, and Mezi-no Chekfu-no Kami,
Obunyo of Nagasaki, and Nagai Evan Ocho, Omedski
of Nagasaki, ordered by His Imperial Highness the Em-
peror of Japan to act herein, that:-

1st. The ports of Nagasaki (Fisen) and Hakodadi
(Matsmai) shall be open to British ships for the pur-
poses of effecting repairs, and obtaining fresh water,
provisions, and other supplies of any sort they may ab-
solutely want for the use of the ships.

2nd. Nagasaki shall be open for the purposes afore-
said from and after the present date, and Hakodadi from
and after the end of fifty days from the Admiral's de-
parture from this port. The rules and regulations of
each of these ports are to be complied with.

3rd. Only ships in distress from weather, or un-
manageable, will be permitted to enter other ports than
those specified in the foregoing Articles, without per-
mission from the Imperial Government.

4th. British ships in Japanese ports shall conform to
the laws of Japan. If high officers or commanders of
ships shall break any such laws, it will lead to the
ports being closed. Should inferior persons break
them, they are to be delivered over to the commanders
of their ships for punishment.

5th. In the ports of Japan, either now open, or which
may hereafter be opened, to the ships or subjects of any
foreign nation, British ships and subjects shall be en-
titled to admission, and to the enjoyment of an equality
of advantages with those of the most favoured nation,
always excepting the advantages accruing to the
Dutch and Chinese from their existing relations with
Japan.

6th. This Convention shall be ratified, and the rati-
fications shall be exchanged at Nagasaki on behalf of
Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, and on behalf
of His Highness the Emperor of Japan, within twelve
months from the present date.

7th. When this Convention shall be ratified, no high
officer coming to Japan shall alter it.

In witness whereof we have signed the the same, and
have affixed our seals thereunto, at Nagasaki, this four-
teenth day of October, 1854.
(L.S.) JAMES STIRLING,

N.B.-The Japanese text was signed by the Japanese
Plenipotentiaries.

Exposition of the Articles of the Convention of
Nagasaki of the 14th of October, 1854, agreed to
on the 18th of October, 1855, by their Excel-
lencies the Rear-Admiral Commanding-in-chief
and the Japanese Commissioners.

Ist. " The ports of
Nagasaki (Fisen) and
Hakodadi (Matsmai) shall
be open to British ships
for the purposes of effect-
ing repairs, and obtaining

2nd. " Nagasaki shall
be open for the purposes
aforesaid from and after
the present date; and
Hakodadi from and after
the end of fifty days from
the Admiral's departure
from this port. The rules
and regulations of each of
these ports are to be com-
plied with."

3. "Only ships in dis-
   tress from weather, or un-
   manageable, will be per-
   mitted to enter other ports
   than those specified in the
   foregoing Articles, with-
   out permission from the
   Imperial Government."

4. "British ships in
   Japanese ports shall con-
   form to the laws of Japan.
   If high officers or com-
   manders of ships shall
   break any such laws, it
   will lead to the ports being
   closed. Should inferior
   persons break them, they
   are to be delivered over to
   the commanders of their
   ships for punishment."

Exposition.
part of those ports; but
ships must be guided in
anchoring by the direc-
tions of the local Govern-
ment. Safe and convenient
places will be assigned
where ships may be re-
paired. Workmen, ma-
terials, and supplies will
be provided by the Local
Government according to
a tariff to be agreed upon,
by which also the modes
of payment will be regu-
lated. All official com..
munications wil hereafter,
when Japanese shall have
time to learn English, be
made in that language. A
British burial-ground shall
be set apart on Medsume
Sima, fenced in by a stoe
wall, and properly pro-
tected.

The second Article
provides that at each of the
ports of Ngasaki & Hako-
dadi the Port Regulations
shall be obeyed; but the
Japanese Government will
take care that they shall
not be of a nature to create
embarrassment, nor to
contradict in any other
way the general tenour
and intent of the Treaty,
the main object of which
is to promote a friendly
intercourse between Great
Britain and Japan.

The third Article de-
clares that only ships in
distress from weather, or
unmanageable, shall enter
other ports than Nagasaki
and Hakodadi without per-
mission from the Imperial
Government; but ships of
war have a general right
to enter the ports of friendly
Powers in the unavoidable
performance of public
duties, which right can
neither be waived nor re-
stricted; but Her Majesty's
ships will not enter any
other than open ports
without necessity, or with-
out offering proper ex-
planations to the Imperial
authorities.

The fourth Article pro-
vides that British ships
and subjects in Japanese
ports shall conform to the
laws of Japan; and that
if any subordinate British
subjects commit offences
against the laws, they
shall be handed over to
their own officers for
punishment; and that if
high office s or comman-
ders of ships shall break
the laws, it will lead to
the closing of the ports
specified. All this is as
it should be; but it is not
intended by this Article
that any acts of indivi-
duals, whether high or
low, previously unauthor-
ised or subsequently dis-
approved of by Her