Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D.
C.
Mr. Adams to Lord Stanley
Legation of the United
States, London,
August 20,
1866.
My Lord: I have the honor to apprise your
lordship that from information received by my government, through
Mr. Portman, the acting chargé d’affaires of the United States in
Japan, it appears that on the 13th of April the authorities of that
country addressed an application to him, soliciting the assent of
the President, as representing one of the four powers, parties to
the convention of 1864, to an extension of the time designated for
the payment of the three remaining instalments of the indemnity
therein provided.
To that application an answer has been made by the Secretary of
State, dated the 18th of July, in a note, a copy of which I have the
honor to submit to your lordship for the information of her
Majesty’s government. I am instructed further to add that my
government, desirous in its action of co-operating in the course
determined on by the other parties to the treaty, will be happy to
learn the decision of her Majesty’s government, should any have been
arrived at, upon the question thus presented.
I pray your lordship to accept, &c., &c.
The Right Hon. Lord Stanley, &c., &c., &c.
Lord Stanley to Mr. Adams
Foreign Offige,
August 23,
1866.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 20th instant, in which you enclose a
copy of a despatch from Mr. Seward to the United States chargé
d’affaires in Japan, on the subject of the application of the
Tycoon’s government for delay in paying the remaining instalments of
the Simonoseki indemnity money.
It appears, from that despatch, that the President is of opinion that
in the absence of an sufficient equivalent for such an extension,
and also in the absence of any adequate guarantees for a more just
and faithful execution of the treaties, that extension ought not to
be granted; but, Mr. Seward states that the United States chargé
d’affaires will be instructed to concur in such course as the
European powers shall conclude to adopt, and you add that your
government will be happy to learn the decision of her Majesty’s
government, should an have been arrived at upon this question.
I have the honor to state to you, in reply, that in the despatch in
which her Majesty minister in Japan, forwarded a copy of the
application for delay, which he, in common with his colleagues, had
received from the Japanese government, her Majesty’s minister state
that they had determined that, before submitting that application to
their respective governments, the representatives of the treaty
powers would await the result of the negotiations which they were
engaged with the Japanese government relative to the revision of the
tariff, and other measures calculated to encourage commerce and
improve the relations of the treaty powers with Japan. Sir Harry
Parkes added that he had intimated to the Goroge that his
recommendation of their proposal must greatly depend upon the spirit
in which the should meet the representatives in those
negotiations.
In a further despatch, since received from Sir Harry Parkes, he
reports that the negotiations in question were approaching a
conclusion, and he hoped to be able to report by the next mail that
the convention was signed, or, at all events, that the new tariff
had be agreed upon.
[Page 177]
Under these circumstances it has appeared to her Majesty’s government
that it would be better to defer taking any action upon the
application of the Japanese government until it should be presented
to the treaty powers by their respective representatives, with such
recommendations as they should decide to accompany it with, and it
only, therefore, remains for me, pending the arrival of those
recommendations, to request you will convey to your government the
acknowledgment of her Majesty’s government, for the desire expressed
by the cabinet at Washington to act in concert with Great Britain
and the other treaty powers, in this and other matters affecting
their relations with the Tycoon’s government.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your
most obedient, humble servant,
Charles Francis Adams, &c., &c., &c.
