Mr. Pung to Mr. Blaine.
Washington , June 23, 1890. (Received June 23.)
Sir: It affords me great pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of the note of the 14th instant, in which you honor me with a further discussion of the scope of article 3 of the treaty of 1880 and of the duty imposed therein upon the Government of the United States.
While I share with you the regret you express that our views on these questions continue to be at variance, I experience great pleasure in being informed of the opinion of your learned colleague, the Attorney-General, that the ordinance of the city of San Francisco, which has occasioned the present correspondence, is not only contrary to the treaty stipulations with China, but also to the Constitution of your country, and, therefore, void. In view of this opinion, and of the further fact that for reasons unknown to me you have not as yet found it convenient to reply to the repeated notes of this legation concerning the broader question of the binding obligation and validity of the treaties celebrated between the two nations, I do not deem it necessary at this time to prolong the discussion of this subordinate subject.
Thanking you for the courteous attention which you have given to my notes respecting it,
I with pleasure renew, etc.,