Mr. Portman to Mr. Seward.
No. 14 bis.]
Legation of the United States in
Japan,
Yedo,
April 14, 1866.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith, No.
7, copy of a memorandum signed this day, acknowledging the receipt from
the Japanese government, of the sum of five hundred thousand (500,000)
dollars, the second instalment of the Simonoseki indemnity.
The memorandum is dated the 8th of January last, the day on which this
money was received by the Oriental Banking Corporation at Yokohama, as
stated in my despatch No. 4, of the 14th of that month; but until now no
receipt from the representatives of the four treaty powers who signed
the convention of the 22d of October, 1864, had been applied for.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient
servant,
A. L. C. PORTMAN, Chargé d’ Affaires ad
interim in Japan.
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
[Memorandum.]
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, ($500,000,) as the second instalment of the indemnity due
to the aforesaid four powers under the convention of the 22d
October, 1864, the conditions of which convention, in respect to the
periods fixed for the payment of the several instalments of the said
indemnity are reaffirmed by the ministers of the Tycoon in their
letter addressed to the representatives of the aforesaid four
powers, at Osacca, on the 24th November last.
Under these conditions, the instalment, of which the receipt is
hereby acknowledged, became due on the 17th day of November, 1865,
being the twenty-ninth day of the ninth month of the first year of
Kei Ô.
Dated at Yokohama
the 8th day of
January, A. D. 1865.
HARRY S. PARKES, H. B. M.’s Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in
Japan.
LEON ROCHES, Ministre Plenipotentaire de
S. M Impériale au Japon.
A. L. C. PORTMAN, Chargé d’Affaires ad
interim of the United States in Japan.
D. DE GRAEFF VON POLSBROEK, H. N. M.’s
Political Agent and Consul General in
Japan.
