[Extract.]
Mr. Portman to Mr. Seward
No. 50.]
Legation of the United States in
Japan,
Yedo,
September 5, 1865.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a
copy of a memorandum, signed yesterday, acknowledging the receipt from
the government of the Tycoon of the sum of five hundred thousand
(500,000) dollars, as the first instalment of the indemnity payable
under the convention of the 22d October, 1864.
As stated in my despatch No. 48, of the 22d ultimo, this amount has been
placed, in equal sums of two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000)
dollars each, in the chartered Oriental and chartered Mercantile Banks,
both at Yokohama, subject to the conjoint order of the four powers
represented in the aforesaid convention. * * * * * * * *
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient
servant,
A. L. C. PORTMAN, Charge d’Affaires ad interim
in Japan.
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, Washington.
Memorandum.
At Yokohama,
September 4, 1865.
The undersigned, representatives of Great Britain, France, the United
States, and the Netherlands, hereby acknowledge to have received
from the government of the Tycoon the sum of five hundred thousand
dollars as the first instalment of the indemnity payable to the
aforesaid four powers, under the convention of the 22d of October,
1864.
The government of the Tycoon having applied in April last to the
aforesaid representatives for an extension of time in respect to the
payment of the second instalment of the said indemnity, the
aforesaid representatives have submitted that application to the
consideration of their respective governments, and now await
instructions on the point. The payment of the instalment is entirely
independent of that application; but to prevent the possibility of
misunderstanding it is hereby distinctly declared that the receipt
of the aforesaid sum of five hundred thousand dollars does in no
degree affect the right of the aforesaid four powers to require, if
they see fit to do so, from the government of the Tycoon the
punctual payment of the whole indemnity in quarterly instalments in
the manner stipulated in the aforesaid convention.
HARRY S. PARKES, H. B. M.’s Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in
Japan.
LEON ROCHES, Ministre Plenipotentiaire de
sa Majestie France au Japan.
A. L. C. PORTMAN, Chargé d’ Affaires ad
interim of the United States in Japan.
D. DE GRAEFF VAN POLSBROEK, H. N. M.’s
Political Agent and Consul General in
Japan.
