Chapter 210. to provide for the execution of the provisions of article two of the treaty concluded between the United States of America and the Emperor of China on the seventeenth day of November, eighteen hundred and eighty, and proclaimed by the President of the United States on the fifth day of October, eight
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CHAP. 210.— An Act to provide for the execution of the provisions of article two of the treaty concluded between the United States of America and the Emperor of China on the seventeenth day of November, eighteen hundred and eighty, and proclaimed by the President of the United States on the fifth day of October, eighteen hundred and eighty-one.Feb. 23, 1887. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Opium.Importation by Chinese forbidden.Punishment.Vol. 22, p. 828.
That the importation of opium into any of the ports of the United States by any subject of the Emperor of China is hereby prohibited. Every person guilty of a violation of the preceding provision shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by a line of not more than five hundred dollars nor less than fifty dollars, or by imprisonment for a period of not more than six months nor less than thirty days, or by both such flue and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.
Sec. 2. That every package containing opium, either in whole or in Forfeiture.part, imported into the United States by any subject of the Emperor of China, shall be deemed forfeited to the United States; and proceedings for the declaration and consequences of such forfeiture may be instituted in the courts of the United States as in other cases of the violation of the laws relating to other illegal importations. Sec. 3. That no citizen of the United States shall import opium intoUnited States, citizens forbidden to traffic in opium, in China. any of the open ports of China, nor transport the same from one open port to any other open port, or buy or sell opium in any of such open ports of China, nor shall any vessel owned by citizens of the United States, or any vessel, whether foreign or otherwise, employed by any citizen of the United States, or owned by any citizen of the United States, either in whole or in part, and employed by persons not citizens of the United States, take or carry opium into any of such open ports of China, or transport the same from one open port to any other open port, or be engaged in any traffic therein between or in such open ports or any of them.
Citizens of the United States offending against the provisionsPunishment. of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars nor less than fifty dollars, or by both such punishments, in the discretion of the court. The consular courts of the UnitedJurisdiction. States in China, concurrently with any district court of the United States in the district in which any offender may be found, shall have jurisdiction to hear, try, and determine all eases arising under the foregoing provisions of this section, subject to the general regulations provided by law.
Every package of opium or package containingForfeiture. opium, either in whole or in part, brought, taken, or transported, trafficked, or dealt in contrary to the provisions of this section, shall be 410 forfeited to the United States, for the benefit of the Emperor of China; and such forfeiture, and the declaration and consequences thereof, shall be made, had, determined, and executed by the proper authorities of the United States exercising judicial powers within the Empire of China.
Approved, February 23, 1887.