No. 376.
Mr. Bingham to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Legation of
the United States,
Tokio
,
April 30, 1883.
(Received May 24.)
No. 1671.]
Sir: In accordance with your instruction No. 725,
dated March 21 last, which reached me yesterday, together with the
inclosures therein mentioned, and especially the draft on the Treasury of
the United States for the sum of $785,000.87, payable to your order, and by
you indorsed to my order, I have officially addressed to his excellency Mr.
Inouye, His Imperial Majesty’s minister for foreign affairs, a note dated
the 19th instant (a copy of which is inclosed herewith), acquainting him of
the receipt of the draft and of my desire to deliver it in person and to
indorse it to such officer of His Majesty’s Government as he may name. You
will please observe that I have fully set forth in my note to Mr. Inouye the
object of the payment of this sum to his Government, and have also expressed
the President’s satisfaction in being enabled by the act of Congress to
refund this money heretofore paid by Japan to our Government in pursuance of
the stipulations of the Simonoseki indemnity convention of 1864.
I have not yet received any official reply from Mr. Inouye. I called at his
house and office yesterday with the draft, but he was not at home. He has
to-day sent his messenger to explain his absence and to assure me of his
desire to respond to my dispatch. I would await his reply, but as the mail
for America is expected to close to-morrow, I think it my duty to prepare
and make this report at once. I have no doubt the draft will be gratefully
accepted and acknowledged by this Government.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure to 1671.]
Mr. Bingham to Mr.
Inouye.
United
States Legation,
Tokio,
Japan
,
April 19,
1883.
Sir: It gives me great pleasure to acquaint
your excellency that I am this morning in the receipt of an instruction
from my Government inclosing a draft, dated March 21, 1883, on the
Treasury of the United States, Washington, D. C, payable to the order of
the honorable the Secretary of State of the United States of America,
and by the honorable Secretary of State indorsed to my order,-calling
for the sum of $785,000.87, which sum I am instructed to pay to the
Government of His Imperial Japanese Majesty in fulfillment of the act of
Congress of the 22d of February A. D. 1883, an official copy of which
act of Congress I have the honor to inclose herewith, which provides for
the reimbursement of the amount received from your Government [Page 605] by that of the United States,
in pursuance of the stipulations of the convention concluded with Japan
On the 22d October, 1864, known as the “Simonoseki” indemnity
convention.
It is made my agreeable duty-under my instruction to express to your
excellency the satisfaction felt by the President that he is enabled by
this action of Congress to carry out the desire long entertained by the
Government of the United States to return this money, and that the
President does not doubt it will be accepted by your excellency’s
Government as an additional evidence of the friendly interest of the
Government of the United States in everything that concerns the welfare
and progress of the people and Government of Japan.
I shall wait upon your excellency in person this day, prepared to deliver
and duly indorse the said draft of my Government in such manner as it
may please you to designate.
I beg leave to renew to your excellency the assurance of my highest
consideration.
