138 
Japan and the Japanese, 
prepared to insist upon a favourable reply. Very shortly, he 
obtained one. A treaty was agreed upon, whereby certain 
ports were to be opened for commerce, and consuls per- 
mitted to reside in the country. In October of the same 
year a treaty was made with England, embodying the same 
concessions. Another treaty was concluded with England 
in 1858, under the direction of Lord Elgin, which secured 
more protection and toleration for the foreigner. This 
treaty very wisely secured that foreign residents should be 
amenable only to the laws of their own country, except in 
such civil cases where the defendant happened to be a 
Japanese. By this condition, security against religious per- 
secution and intolerance was obtained j for the old blood- 
thirsty laws against Christianity were still in force. No 
Protestant or Roman Catholic could be exposed to the 
danger of torture or death because of his religion; while 
at the same time, certain concessions were granted at 
specified ports, upon which foreigners were to reside. 
These ports were Hakodate, Kanayawa, Nagasaki, Niigata, 
Hiogo, Osaka, and Yeddo. Yeddo is now called Tokio. 
At that date, however, any Japanese found travelling in a 
foreign land, was liable to the punishment of death the 
instant he returned home; but in June, 1866, a further 
treaty was obtained, signed by the representatives of the 
English, French, Dutch, and Japanese representatives, 
whereby Japanese subjects received permission to visit 
foreign countries, either for purposes of trade, education, 
or employment. Along with this permission, were granted 
others, designed to extend and enlarge the trade and com- 
merce of the country. As the consequence, the old customs 
of Japan gave way before the outward march of civilization, 
and little by little, the land and its inhabitants forsook its 
Asiatic seclusion, and adopted, one by one, European ideas 
