No. 183.
Mr. Bayard
to Mr. Denby.
Washington, July 1, 1887.
Sir: I have received your No. 366, of May 14, 1887, concerning the Chinese minister’s objection to the third section of the act of Congress approved February 3, 1887, to enforce our treaty provision with China respecting the opium traffic.
In this connection reference is made to the Department’s No. 210, of the 25th instant, as having already recognized the right of China, under the treaties, to administer her customs laws in respect to opium and other contraband goods. It is not the desire of the Department to encroach upon that jurisdiction, and it is hoped that the approval of your suggestion, to instruct the consuls in China, while taking exclusive cognizance of penal charges against citizens of the United States, to follow the rules heretofore applied in confiscation cases, will avoid any conflict of jurisdictional claims.
I am, etc.,