AT THE COURT AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE, THE 24TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 1843.
PRESENT,
The QUEEN's Most Excellent Majesty in Council.
WHEREAS by an Act, passed in the session of Parliament holden in the third and fourth years of the reign of His late Majesty King William the Fourth, intituled "An Act to regulate the trade to China and India," it was, amongst other things, enacted, that it should and might be lawful for His Majesty, by any such Order or Orders, Commission or Commissions, as to His Majesty in Council should appear expedient and salutary, to give to the Superintendents in the said Act mentioned, or any of them, powers and authorities over and in respect of the trade and commerce of His Majesty's subjects within any part of the dominions of the Emperor of China, and to make and issue directions and regulations touching the said trade and commerce, and for the government of His Majesty's subjects within the said dominions, and to impose penalties, forfeitures, or imprisonments for the breach of any such directions or regulations, to be enforced in such manner as in the said Order or Orders should be specified :
Now, therefore, Her Majesty in Council is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to prohibit, and doth hereby prohibit, Her subjects from resorting, for the purposes of trade and commerce, to any other ports in the dominions of the Emperor of China than those of Canton, Amoy, Foo-chow-foo, Ningpo, and Shanghae, or than may be in the occupation of Her Majesty's forces; and Her Majesty is pleased to order, that any of Her subjects, committing a breach or violation of this direction, shall, upon conviction thereof in any of Her Majesty's Courts of Record or Vice-Admiralty, be, for every such offence, liable to a penalty, not exceeding one hundred pounds, or to imprisonment, for a term not exceeding three months, at the discretion of the Court before which the conviction shall take place; and Her Majesty is hereby further pleased to order, that all proceedings, which may be had under this Order, shall be, as far as circumstances will permit, in conformity with the Law of England:
And the Right Honourable the Earl of Aberdeen, and the Right Honourable Lord Stanley, two of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State; the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury; and the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral; are to give the necessary directions herein as far as them may respectively appertain.
Wm. L. Bathurst.