§ Sir CHARLES W. DILKEasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the Government approve of the following "Regulation" lately issued by a British Minister:—
Any British, subject who shall within the dominions of His Imperial Majesty the Mikado print or publish a newspaper in the the Japanese language, shall be deemed guilty of an offence, and upon conviction thereof before any British Consular or other Court, shall be liable to imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months, with or without hard labour.
§ Mr. BOURKEThe Regulation to which the hon. Baronet has alluded was issued by Her Majesty's Minister in Japan in consequence of representations that were made to him by the Japanese Government respecting the publication of newspapers in Japan and in the Japanese language by persons who were British subjects, and therefore, according to our Treaty with Japan, were not amenable to Japanese authority, but were amenable to the authority of the 479 Consular Court. We have not yet received the full particulars, which we expect by the next mail; and, therefore, I am unable to say whether or not the British Minister's Regulation will be approved.