Mr. Burlingame to Mr. Seward.
No. 12.]
Shanghai,
March 22, 1862.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that
receiving notice last month from Messrs. Olypr ant & Co.,
depositaries of claims at Hong Kong, that there was a sufficient sum in
their hands to pay all that was due on the awards made by the
commissioners of claims, I directed Mr. Williams to superintend the
payment of same to the claimants. This he did to the amount of $37,176
15, leaving a balance in the hands of the depositaries of $5,471 93. The
entire amount of the awards was $489,694 78, which has been rateably
paid to the claimants, in five instalments,
within less than two years.
As to the disposition of the balance in hand, with that yet to be derived
from the Chinese government through customs received at the port of
Canton alone, [Page 840] probably within
two or three years, I will take the liberty in an early despatch of
making such suggestions as shall occur to me.
The rebellion still rages, but as yet it has made no direct assault upon
Shanghai. Since the 2d of February, six battles have been fought within
thirty miles of this place, with great loss to the rebels. This is the
order in which they occurred: Yankin-dong, Tai-mosan, Kon-jon, Seo-dong,
Suk-kein, and Chuk-kein. At Kon-jon the English and French participated,
acting as a reserve to Colonel Ward. They were commanded by Admirals
Hope and Protet. Chuk-kein was fought by her Majesty’s gunboat Flamer.
Without giving you all the details of these battles, I will write, in
general terms, that while there were not more than twelve hundred men at
any one time on the side of the imperialists, there were said to be from
five to twenty thousand men on the side of
the rebels; and while the rebels are superior to the imperial soldiers
in this part of the empire, and nearly always beat them when the
imperialists are led by native officers, they are unequal to the Chinese
trained and led by Europeans or Americans. They were beaten in every
battle with great slaughter.
Admiral Hope informs me that he was astonished at the courage of the
Chinese, led by Colonel Ward at Kon-jon. It is thought by many that they
are superior to the sepoys, and that they, when properly instructed,
will not only be capable of defending themselves, but equal to
aggressive war. I send you a copy of a communication, marked A, received
from Sieh, lieutenant governor of the province of Kiang-see, informing
me that the imperialists propose to attack Ning-po, now in the hands of
the rebels, and requesting me to give notice to my countrymen, so that
they may avoid the “flying balls,” and find means of escape, lest
“pearls and stones” may be destroyed together. I am happy to call your
attention to another communication from Sieh, containing the gratifying
information that the Emperor, on the 21st of the first moon, (February
19,) gave his consent that the ports of Tung-chow and New-chang should
be open for the export of beans and bean-cakes. The trade in these is
very large and important to our shipping interests, and by the 5th
article of the supplementary treaty was not permitted to foreigners.
I have appointed Franklin B. Forbes acting consul at Tein-Tsin. This
nearly completes the appointments necessary for the conducting of our
business at the treaty ports. I have taken great care to recommend no
one to the government who was not strongly recommended and thought to be
worthy of the place for which he was selected. It is quite difficult to
get men without pay to take those places, and yet our increasing trade
renders it highly important that we should have consuls at all the
treaty ports, and that these should not be mere adventurers.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State.
A.
Sieh, lieutenant governor of the province of Kiang-see, hereby begs
to inform your excellency that he has received a despatch from his
government, through the minister of foreign affairs, in reference to
the occupation of Ningpo, in the province of Cheh Kiang, by robbers;
and I am ordered at once to raise troops for the purpose of hemming
them in and destroying them. This renders necessary for the foreign
merchants, resident at Ningpo, to remove to a distance in order to
secure their own safety. A communication has been addressed to the
[Page 841] representative of
England requesting him to give instructions to the English consul at
Ningpo to take necessary measures to secure this object.
I am also instructed to furnish your excellency with a copy of that
communication, that you also may take such measures as are necessary
on this account.
Ningpo being in the hands of the robbers, it is necessary that the
imperial armies should immediately take means for their destruction.
Merchants and others of your. honorable countrymen residing there
should act in accordance with the suggestion of the Chinese minister
of foreign affairs, in the communication referred to, and remove, at
once, to a distance, in order that they may secure their own safety.
I therefore enclose herewith a copy of the communication to the
English minister, in order that your excellency may issue such
instructions as you may think proper to the consul at Ningpo, so
that the American residents there may remove to a distance.
I shall be glad to receive an early reply.
Communication from the minister of foreign
affairs to the British minister.
The minister of foreign affairs would inform the English minister
that information has been received of the occupation of the city of
Ningpo by robbers. It may be difficult to prevent them from
extending their power and collecting vessels so as to obtain
possession of other ports on the sea-coast. It will therefore be
necessary to guard with the greatest vigilance the ports in the
vicinity of Ningpo, and the officers in command of the imperial
troops are to collect their forces and station them in such places
as may be necessary to repel the robbers.
The vessels of foreign countries therefore cannot enter and depart.
Ningpo being already in the hands of the robbers, it is all the more
necessary to exterminate them; therefore military officers cannot
but endeavor to accomplish it to the utmost of their power.
It is therefore inconvenient, on many accounts, for vessels of your
honorable country to frequent this port. Hereafter, if our soldiers
should come together in clouds and engage the robbers, there would
be great danger of these vessels being injured by the flying balls.
If notice should be given beforehand of the approach of an attacking
force, it might come to the knowledge of the robbers and put them on
their guard against it. Should I not give previous notice to the
merchants, then the vessels might not at the time of the attack be
able to find means of escape, so that pearls and stones might be
burnt up together, i. e. good and [bad] men
be alike destroyed. The merchants have brought their property from a
great distance. Would it not be lamentable if they should be
involved in such calamity? Out of regard for the interests of the
merchants I make this communication to your excellency, in order
that you may communicate with the consul, and take such measures as
you deem proper to enable the merchants to escape to a distance in
good time.
I should be glad of an early reply.
B.
Sieh, lieutenant governor of the province of Kiangsu, has received a
communication from the minister of foreign affairs to the following
effect:
According to the fifth article of the treaty foreign vessels are not
permitted ot load at the ports of Tung-chow and New-chang with beans
and bean-cakes; [Page 842] the object
of the prohibition being to protect the native trader from, and
prevent a deficiency of food in, those districts. It appears,
however, that the number of foreign vessels frequenting those ports
is very great; they bring foreign goods, and as those districts can
give nothing in exchange but the beans and bean-cakes, the
exportation of which is prohibited, those vessels are, for the most
part, obliged to leave without any return cargo. But considering
that we have been long at peace with foreign nations, if the
prohibition in respect to the beans and bean-cakes at the
above-mentioned places be removed, the native traders will not be
embarrassed, and foreign vessels will be much benefited, a memorial
therefore was presented to the Emperor to permit foreign vessels to
export beans and bean-cakes from the ports of Tung-chow and
New-chang, and on the 21st of the 1st moon (February 19) he gave his
consent.
It has been determined, in reference to this article, that an export
duty is to be paid in full when the vessel receives her cargo. On
entering another port an import duty of half the amount of the
former is to be paid. If, after this, the merchant wishes to
re-export it by sea, it is to be placed on the same footing with
other articles exported to foreign countries, and the custom-house
of the port will give a drawback chop as evidence that the duty has
already been paid. Further, according to the regulations already
determined upon, goods which have paid the half export duty at the
port of shipment, and also the half import duty at the port of
entry, if they are afterwards taken into the interior, either by
foreign or native merchants, shall be liable, in addition, to the
usual duty at each custom-house, and also to a further tax of one per cent. at each custom-house station.
The same rule shall be observed with respect to beans.
Having received the above communication, I at once inform your
excellency, that you may communicate the fact to the consuls at the
several ports, that they may give notice that hereafter foreign
vessels are permitted to export beans and bean-cakes from the ports
of Tung-chow and New-chang.
