Mr. Peirce to Mr. Hay.
(Mr. Pierce acknowledges receipt of Department’s telegram1 of the 21st instant and reports having communicated its contents to Count Lamsdorff and having left a copy with him as a memorandum.
Count Lamsdorff paid careful attention to Mr. Pierce’s reading of the telegram and stated that its meaning was perfectly clear to him. He promised to at once transmit it to the Emperor, who is now absent in the Crimea, and request an official reply. He stated informally that the view taken by the United States that prima facie plenipotentiary authority of Li Hung Chang and Prince Ching is for the present sufficient is also entertained by the Russian Government. He appeared to regret that the United States legation will not be withdrawn to Tientsin, but gave no definite expression of regret, although observing that he considers Tientsin a better place for conducting the negotiations than Pekin. The Russian minister to China will within a few days depart from Pekin for Tientsin, if he has not already done so.
The views of the Russian Government in regard to the circular note of the German Government appear to be in complete accord with those of the Government of the United States.)