Given at Our Court at Saint James's on the twenty-sixth day of February 1865 in the twenty-eighth year of Our Reign.
By Her Majesty's Command,
Stanley.
To Sir Frederick William Adolphus Bruce, Knight Grand Cross of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China.
...
Whereas by an Act passed in the Session held in the sixteenth and seventeenth years of Our Reign intituled An Act to carry into effect a Treaty between Her Majesty and the Emperor of China and to amend an Act passed in the fifteenth year of Her Majesty relating to Trade with China it is amongst other things enacted that if any person being a British subject shall be convicted of any Offence in any Court held before any of Our Consuls in China a free pardon or a pardon subject to such conditions as to the said Consul shall seem fit may be granted to such Offender for such period as to the said Consul shall seem fit.
And whereas it is also enacted that it shall be lawful for Us by any writing under Our Royal Sign Manual to grant to Our Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China (being a person so authorised by such Act as aforesaid) full power and authority to grant at his discretion unconditionally or subject to such conditions as he shall think fit any such pardon or respite as aforesaid and to annex to such pardon or respite such conditions as he shall think fit and to issue the same under his hand.
Now know you that We having taken the premises into Our Royal consideration in pursuance of the said recited Act and of Our especial trust and confidence in your loyalty and ability do by these presents grant unto you the said Sir Frederick William Adolphus Bruce full power and authority in Our name and on Our behalf to grant to any person being a British subject who shall be convicted of any Offence in any Court held before any of Our Consuls in China a free unconditional pardon or a pardon subject to such conditions as to you the said Sir Frederick William Adolphus Bruce shall seem fit.
And We do hereby strictly require and enjoin you the said Sir Frederick William Adolphus Bruce in the exercise of the powers and authorities hereby granted to you to have regard to the instructions given to you in that behalf by or under Our authority and to observe strictly the directions in that behalf given to you by or under Our authority.
And We do hereby declare that any such pardon may be annexed to such conditions as you shall think fit and that you may issue the same under your hand.
And you are hereby strictly required to observe and follow the directions in that behalf given to you by or on Our behalf.