Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session of the Fortieth Congress, Part I
Mr. Seward to Mr. Burlingame
Sir: With reference to your despatch of the 29th of March last, No. 133, transmitting a memorandum from Robert Hart, esq., inspector general of customs, of China, concerning the progress making by that empire in its lighthouse system, I now transmit, in reply to that communication, a copy of a letter of the 24th ultimo from the Secretary of the Treasury, enclosing one from Admiral Shubrick, which is accompanied by a report of a special committee of the Lighthouse Board through its chairman, Major General Delafield. I also enclose a copy of another letter of the same date from the Secretary of the Treasury, applying for the specific information as to the latitude and longitude of the lights, beacons, &c, enumerated by Mr. Hart, and such other facts as are called for in the resolutions of the committee at the close of their report.
The commercial interests of the world and considerations of humanity commend the generous enterprise of the Chinese government, as set forth in the memorandum of Mr. Hart, to universal approval.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Anson Burlingame, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
Mr. McCulloch to Mr. Seward
Sir: Your letter of the 25th July last, submitting, for examination of this department, a communication, of the 29th March previous, from Mr. Burlingame, relating to the liberal provisions which had been made by the Chinese authorities for the establishment of lighthouses on their coasts, and requesting any suggestions on the subject which this department might find reason to make, having, with the despatch of Mr. Burlingame, been referred to the Light-house Board, I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of their report, which embodies the views of this department on the subject. The despatch of Mr. Burlingame, as requested in your communication, is herewith returned.
I am, very respectfully,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
Commodore Shubrick to Mr. McCulloch
Sir: I have had the honor to receive the letter from the honorable Secretary of State of the 25th July last, with accompanying despatch and enclosures from the United States minister at China, the same having been referred to this board.
I transmit herewith a copy of the report of a special committee to which the subject was referred, as embodying the views of this board.
The letter of the honorable Secretary of State and its enclosures are herewith returned. Very respectfully,
Hon. H. McCulloch, Secretary of the Treasury.
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The special committee, to which was referred the communication of Mr. Burlingame, of the 29th March, 1867, to the Secretary of State, relating to the provisions made by the Chinese government for lighting and otherwise facilitating the navigation of the coasts of that country, has examined it with attention, and now reports, for the information of the board, that it is accompanied with a report from Robert Hart, esq., inspector general of customs, of China, descriptive of the existing lights, beacons, buoys, and light-vessels; the resources annually appropriated to these purposes, and the proposed system for their preservation and future extension.
The contents of Mr. Hart’s report are useful, as furnishing a reliable statement of all existing lights, beacons, and other facilities for designating the harbors and shoals on the coast of China, and serviceable to our naval and commercial marine navigating the Chinese seas.
It is interesting to be thus enabled to place on our files the fact of the Chinese government having already made much progress in lighting its coasts and harbors upon the same general system as that adopted by the United States, and common to the European powers; for which we are indebted to Fresnel, of the French engineers.
From this report it appears that the insurrection in China has, until lately, prevented the resources of the country being applied to lighting the coast. The suppression in a great measure of that rebellion has enabled the government of China to appropriate annually the “tonnage dues” to lighting the coast, and otherwise facilitating the coast and river navigation.
A careful survey of the coast and its harbors is represented as having been made, neutralizing thereby and freeing it comparatively of dangers that have been still further lessened by the construction of light-houses.
Eleven of the principal ports are now lighted and buoyed by stationary and floating lights, and the bars and shoals in the rivers are more particularly defined by buoys corresponding, in details of construction and general principles, with the system adopted by the United States Light-house Board.
The only auxiliaries and facilities used by the United States, and not apparently known to the Chinese authorities, are the fog-signals and bell-buoys, and our system of screw-pile light-houses.
In Mr. Hart’s frequent conversations with the provincial officials, and other government [Page 511] functionaries, he states that he has ever found them ready and very willing to carry out such suggestions as were made; and he is quite certain that they will furnish the means for carrying out unobjectionable plans, as well as to improve the harbor generally, with the aid of the engineering talent and skill at command of the Europeans, serving as examples for like structures elsewhere for the Chinese government.
The amounts hitherto expended by the Chinese government from “tonnage dues” annually have been small, for the reasons previously stated. During the last five years the annual expenditure for light-ships, beacons, buoys, repairs, &c., about $83,000, while the revenue has been at the rate of about $333,000.
The Chinese government will hereafter provide funds and secure the services of first-class men; and the only assistance to be asked for is one which the treaty powers (of which the United States is one) are, by exterritorial privileges, bound to afford, to wit, the prevention of acts and doings on the part of all foreigners settled at the ports pronounced to be of a hurtful tendency by the Chinese agents, and to recognize and support these agents in the performance of their duties.
The preceding is from Mr. Hart’s report as inspector general of customs, of the 21st January, 1867. He appended a note of the 1.6th March, 1867, stating that he has, since the date of his report, received “official instructions” from the board of foreign affairs, authorizing him to carry out all that bis memoir sets forth, serving to improve the navigation of the coasts and rivers. Mr. Hart further states that the suppression of the rebellion, of the final payment of indemnities to foreign powers, and authority under imperial decrees, allowing Chinese to build and own vessels for foreign commerce, and of similar model to European ships, both steamers and sailing ships, renders the lighting of the coast a subject of increased private interest and national importance.
The customs at the ports open to foreign commerce have in a great measure been under his supervision, and are now in such good working order that he proposes to apply the “ tonnage dues” to three objects :
1st. To an engineer department for the improvement of coast and river navigation.
2d. To a harbor-master’s department, with its functionaries at the treaty ports to superintend the anchoring of ships, the pilots and police of the rivers and harbors: and
3d. To a coast light-house office, to take charge of the lighting department generally, and most especially of about 15 light-houses now to be built on the most necessary points on the coast.
The flourishing condition of the treasury of the colony of Hong Kong will enable it to put up and place all needful lights, beacons, buoys, &c. The annual collections from tonnage dues do not exceed $500,000 or fall below $350,000.
In the selection of men for the light-house service he proposes to employ them without respect to nationality, provided individual fitness can be secured, and not attempt to provide a representative of every treaty power for every port, but continue to make the service cosmopolitan in its general construction. A fair attempt will be made to represent with approximate correctness the chief treaty powers. His chief object will be to keep in existence on a cosmopolitan basis a thoroughly efficient service, and to carry out faithfully and well for the Chinese government the works it pays for and approves of. Such is the information derived from authentic sources through our minister in China, on the system now being extended in that country for lighting the coasts and establishing other facilities for the commerce of all countries trading with it.
As one of the treaty powers referred to in the report of the inspector general of customs, the United States has certain rights and duties to perform in relation to lights, &c.
The import trade and commerce of our country with China amounts at this time to $10,800,000, and our exports to $10,100,000. This property is freighted in 185 vessels, that may be valued at $15,000,000, making a total of $35,900,000 as the value of the property in which our citizens are interested, and for the safety of which the light-houses are necessary. This value will unquestionably be greatly increased by the introduction of steamers from our western coast, and further facilities by railroad across the continent and by the Isthmus of Panama.
The committee is of the opinion that the industrial interests and welfare of the United States will be benefited by the objects in view presented in Mr. Hart’s report, and that the Light-house Board should do all in its power to promote the same, and to that end recommend the adoption of the following resolutions :
1st. That publicity be given in the usual way of the existence of the light-houses, beacons, and buoys specified in the report of the inspector general of customs.
2d. That the chairman of the Light-house Board take such measures as may be in his power to ascertain the latitude and longitude of each of the existing lights on the coast of China, and publish the same; and that he endeavor to obtain the number of Americans resident in China appointed to carry out the cosmopolitan system of the inspector general.
3d. That two sets of the publications and plans of the Light-house Board be prepared and appropriately bound, and forwarded through our minister in China, Anson Burlingame, esq., for the inspector general of customs and for the imperial library of the Emperor.
4th. That the attention of the inspector general be respectfully invited to the organization of the Light-house Board, the regulations for its government under the general direction of [Page 512] the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, the rules and regulations governing the light-house keepers, and the laws enacted by Congress creating and defining the duties of the Light-house Board; to the screw-pile sea coast light-houses in sandy foundations in latitudes free from ice, and for similar iron structures in harbors; to the stone and brick towers for light-houses on the main land; to the designs for light-houses combined with keepers’ houses for localities adapted thereto; the plans for light-ships and their moorings for the open sea and bays, and to the plans of beacons and buoys of various descriptions; which references it is hoped will make the system of this country fully understood, and enable the inspector general of customs to adopt any parts thereof that to him may appear advantageous for the coast of China.
5th. That the chairman of the Light-house Board cause a copy of Mr. Hart’s communication, with its accompanying papers, to be placed on the files of the board.
6th. That a copy of this report be submitted to the Secretary of the Treasury in reply to his reference to the Light-house Board of the communication to him from the Secretary of State of the 25th July, 1867.
All of which is respectfully submitted, by
Mr. McCulloch to Mr. Seward
Sir: At the instance of the Light-house Board I have the honor to request that our minister to China be desired to obtain such data in reference to existing aids to navigation on that coast as will enable that board to publish the usual and necessary notices to mariners, and that he also communicate the number of Americans appointed to carry out the cosmopolitan system of Mr. Hart, inspector generai of customs.
I am, very respectfully,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.