Mr. Burlingame to Mr. Seward
Sir: Referring to my despatch of last spring relating to the condition of the indemnity fund, I have now the honor to acknowledge yours of April 5th, No. 195, in which you direct me to purchase hills on London and remit the surplus of the fund to you. This, though a little different from the first intimation, has been complied with; and on the 11th instant I transmitted orders to Messrs. Olyphant & Company, the depositary at Hong Kong, to draw out the sum of [Page 501] two hundred and twenty thousand dollars, for which I furnished them an order on the manager of the Oriental Bank corporation. The management of this transaction was necessarily left very much to their judgment and knowledge, my directions being to get safe bills of exchange payable to your order on the most advantageous terms, and remit them directly to you. By the time that I learn the amount of interest money still remaining in the bank, I shall probably have received your reply to my previous despatch about building, and then the whole can be drawn out.
I still cherish the hope that this money will be applied to the purpose for which I have so often urged its appropriation, and the school which its income might support will yet be established to do good to this people, and be an honor to the American name in this land, I confidently rely on your own influence in its favor to aid in carrying out the plan which you have approved.
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.