No. 377.
Mr. Bingham to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Legation of
the United States,
Tokio, May 9, 1883.
(Received June 7.)
No. 1677.]
Sir: Referring to my No. 1671, of date the 20th
April ultimo, in relation to the Treasury draft for the payment of the money
to His Imperial Japanese Majesty’s Government, appropriated by the act of
Congress approved 22d of February last, on account of the Simonoseki
indemnity, I have the honor to further acquaint you that, on the 22d
instant, his excellency Mr. Inouye, His Majesty’s minister for foreign
affairs, addressed a communication to me in reply to my note to him of date
the 19th of April last (a copy of which last-named note I had the honor to
inclose with my said No. 1671) wherein the minister was pleased among other
things to say, that “it is a source of satisfaction to me (him) to be able
to assure your excellency in reply (to my note of 19th of April) that His
Imperial Majesty’s Government regards the spontaneous return of the money
which was paid by the Government of Japan to that of the United States under
the convention of October 22, 1864, not only as an additional proof of the
friendly disposition of your excellency’s Government towards His Imperial
Majesty’s Government, but as a strong manifestation of that spirit of
justice and equity which has always animated the United States in their
relations with Japan, and it will, I am convinced, tend to perpetuate and
strengthen the mutual confidence, and the feeling of cordial good-will and
friendship which at present happily subsist between the people of our
respective countries.”
The minister, as you will observe in this communication of the 22d ultimo (a
copy of which 1 have the honor to inclose herewith), after requesting that I
should indorse the Treasury draft to his order as His Imperial Majesty’s
minister for foreign affairs, adds a request that I would “be pleased to
convey to the President of the United States the sentiments contained” in
his said communication.
The minister having called on me to thank me in person for my note of the
19th instant before the receipt of the foregoing communication, and having
then verbally requested that I should indorse the draft to his order in his
official capacity, I did, on the 23d ultimo and before the receipt by me of
the inclosed communication of the minister dated the 22d instant, address a
note to the minister (a copy of which is inclosed), and transmitted
therewith the draft indorsed to his order as His Majesty’s minister for
foreign affairs.
[Page 606]
To this note his excellency made reply, under date the 26th ultimo (a copy of
which is herewith inclosed), wherein the acknowledgment is made of the
Treasury draft as dated 2d March, 1883, payable to your order, and indorsed
to the order of Mr. Inouye, His Imperial Japanese Majesty’s minister for
foreign affairs, and stating that “the draft calls for $785,000.87, and is
paid to His Imperial Majesty’s Government in fulfillment of the act of
Congress approved February 22, 1883.”
Allow me to add that it was fitting that this act of justice and liberality
should be approved, as it was, by the President on the anniversary of the
nativity of the Father, of our Country.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
1677.—Translation.]
Mr. Inouye to Mr.
Bingham.
Foreign
Office, Tokio,
The 22d, the 4th month, the 16th year,
Meiji.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your excellency’s note dated April 19, 1883, acquainting me
that you are in receipt of an instruction from your excellency’s
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,
indorsed to your excellency’s order, calling for the sum of $785,000.87,
which sum your excellency is instructed to pay to the Imperial
Government in fulfillment of the act of Congress of the 22d of February
1883 (a copy of which was found indorsed therein), and your excellency
adds that you are prepared to deliver and duly indorse the said draft to
the Imperial Government in such manner as I may wish to designate.
Your excellency is pleased, in addition, to express the satisfaction felt
by the President that he is enabled by the action of Congress to carry
out the desire long entertained by the Government of the United States,
and that the President does not doubt the money will be accepted by His
Imperial Majesty’s Government as an additional evidence of the friendly
interest of the Government of the United States in matters that concern
the welfare and progress of the people and Government of Japan.
It is a source of satisfaction to me to be able to assure your excellency
in reply, that His Imperial Majesty’s Government regards the spontaneous
return of the money which was paid by the Government of Japan to that of
the United States, under the convention of October 22, 1864, not only as
an additional proof of the friendly disposition of your excellency’s
Government, but as a strong manifestation of that spirit of justice and
equity which has al ways animated the United States in their relations
with Japan, and it will, I am convinced, tend to perpetuate and
strengthen the mutual confidence and the feeling of cordial good-will
and friendship which at present happily subsist between the people of
our respective countries.
In this sense His Imperial Majesty’s Government does not hesitate to
accept the money in question, and in accordance with your excelleney’s
request that I would designate some person to receive the draft, I beg
that you will have the goodness, at your convenience, to indorse it to
my order, as His Imperial Majesty’s minister for foreign affairs.
Requesting that your excellency will be pleased to convey to the
President of the’ United States the sentiments contained in this
communication,
I avail myself, &c.,
INOUYE KAORU,
H. I. J. Minister for
Foreign Affairs.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 1667.]
Mr. Bingham to Mr.
Inouye.
United
States Legation,
Tokio,
Japan, April 23,
1883.
Sir: Referring to my note No. 1998 of date the
19th instant, which I bad the honor to address to your excellency,
acquainting you of the receipt by me of a draft on the, Treasury of the
United States, dated March 21, 1883, payable to the order of the
Secretary
[Page 607]
of State of the
United States of America, and by him indorsed to my order, which draft
calls for the sum of $785,000.87, and which the Secretary of State
instructed me to pay to your Government, in fulfillment of an act of
Congress of the 22d February, 1883, a copy of which I inclosed with my
said No. 1998, I now beg leave, in accordance with the said
instructions, and also with your verbal request, to deliver said draft
to you with my indorsement thereon to pay the same to your order, as His
Imperial Majesty’s minister for foreign affairs.
I will thank you for an early acknowledgment of this and of my previous
note, No. 1998, and also of the receipt of the inclosed draft indorsed
as aforesaid by me to your order.
I beg leave, &c.,
[Inclosure.]
Draft indorsed by Mr. Frelinghuysen and Mr. Bingham as follows:
Pay to the order of John A. Bingham, envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary of the United States of America in Japan.
FRED’K T. FRELINGHUYSEN
,
The
Secretary of State of the United States of America.
Pay to the order of Inouye Kaoru, His Imperial Japanese Majesty’s
minister for foreign affairs.
JOHN A. BINGHAM
,
Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States
of America in Japan.
[Inclosure 3 in No.
1677.—Translation.]
Mr. Inouye to Mr.
Bingham.
Foreign
Office, Tokio,
The 26th, the 4th month, the 16th year,
Meiji.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your excellency’s note of the 23d instant, covering a draft
on the Treasury of the United States dated March 21, 1883, payable to
the order of the Secretary of State of the United States of America, and
by him indorsed to your excellency’s order, and by your excellency
indorsed to my order as His Imperial Japanese Majesty’s minister of
foreign affairs. The draft, as you advise me, calls for $785,000.87,
which sum your excellency states the honorable the Secretary of State
instructed you to pay to His Imperial Majesty’s Government, in
fulfillment of the act of Congress approved February 22, 1883.
I avail myself, &c.,
INOUYE KAORU,
His Imperial Japanese
Majesty’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.
