aid in effecting the object, and thus restore quiet. The foreign consuls had a meeting upon the subject, and replied that the chief source of anxiety to the intendant at Shanghai was to keep his jurisdiction in a quiet state. It is notorious to all that these foreign vagabonds rob in and about this city and elsewhere to the great discredit of all foreigners who are involved in these acts, but each country has its own laws by which these men can be suitably punished." We may, therefore, further observe on this matter that when foreigners and natives live together at the open ports, if the former have no regular occupation, they band together to plunder and stir up the utmost disorder. To seize them after the crimes are committed causes the foreign officers and people much trouble, so that the better way is to take preventive measures and nip the evil in the bud. The intendant at Shanghai is always fully sensible of the evils caused by the vagabonds, and has taken suitable and effective measures to concert with the consuls to repress them. But we are further desirous that you will advise the American consuls elsewhere to take speedy and decisive measures to restrain these lawless men from going about committing such excesses, and we have the sincerest hope that through their efforts both natives and foreigners can attend to their own affairs. While sending our own instructions to the high officers at Shanghai and the provincial authorities in Fuh Kien to do all they can to stop these evils, we also now send your excellency this note of information with our respectful salutations and compliments, to which we shall be glad to get a reply. Cards of PAU-YUN, Names of the four Americans (derived from the sound of the Chinese characters) are Small, Jennings, Smith, and Wycherly. The names of the fourteen Frenchmen are too much altered to recognize. K. Mr. Williams to the Members of the Foreign Office. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Peking, August 17, 1865. SIRS: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of yesterday, in which you inform me that on the 26th of June last a party of twenty or more foreigners committed a robbery at Amoy, in which they killed and wounded some natives, and that fourteen of them had been turned over to the French consul and four to the American consul for examination and punishment, &c., &c. As more than a month has elapsed since this occurrence, I have every reason to conclude that the consuls have taken all proper measures to learn the facts of the case, and if they were able to ascertain who it was that killed Chin Kween he will be dealt with according to law, and the others be suitably punished. There will be no improper leniency shown to the criminals.. I am always ready to join in every effort to maintain the public tranquillity and to relieve the fears of all well-disposed people, and shall, therefore, co-operate to the best of my power and further the suggestions made in your note, by advising the American consul to do all that he can to carry them out and put a stop to the evils caused by these lawless men. I avail myself of sending this reply to wish you daily happiness, and have the honor to be your obedient servant, S. WELLS WILLIAMS. PAU-YUN and other members of the Foreign Office, Peking. Mr. Williams to Mr. Seward. No. 8.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Peking, October 5, 1855. SIR: I have the honor to enclose translation of a despatch received from the foreign office relating to the extension of the privilege accorded to vessels trading along the coast of China to those which ply between this country and Japan and Saigon, (the only port yet opened in French Annam,) of paying tonnage dues once in four months. The number of steamers now running regularly between Shanghai and Japanese ports is five, but the trade employs many more vessels; and this concession will be an advantage to a score or two of small craft plying between the two countries. I forward you a synoptical report of the foreign trade with China during the year 1864, made out according to the instructions of the inspector general of customs, which, I have no doubt, gives a better idea of the commerce with this empire than has before been made. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, SEPTEMBER 26, 1866, (TUNGCHI 4th year, 8th moon, 7th day.) Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith makes a communication: I have recently consulted with M. de Bellouet, French chargé d'affaires, respecting a modification of that part of Article XXII of the treaty with France which relates to the levying of tonnage dues, and have settled the alterations to be made in it. I accordingly now enclose a copy of the amended portion of the article. It has been decided that at Ningpo and all the open ports north of it the regulation shall come into effect on the 15th of October, and at Fuhchau and parts south of it on the 1st of November next. His Excellency S. WELLS WILLIAMS, United States Chargé d'Affaires. ALTERATION IN ARTICLE XXII OF THE FRENCH TREATY WITH CHINA. After the expiration of the two days mentioned in Article XX, and before proceeding to discharge cargo, every French merchant vessel shall pay tonnage dues in the following manner: For vessels of 150 tons measurement and over, at the rate of four mace per ton; and for vessels under 150 tons measurement, at the rate of one mace per ton. Whenever a mer chant vessel is about to leave one port in China to go to another to trade, or to that part of Annam now under French rule, or to any port in Japan, the master of the vessel shall report the same to the collector of customs, who shall issue a special certificate of the date of the clearance; and if within four months from the date the said vessel reaches any other port in China, she shall not be required to pay tonnage dues again; but after the expiration of the four months they shall be held to be due. Small boats and vessels under the French flag, whether they are decked or not, under 150 tons burden, shall likewise pay tonnage dues once in four months, and the same rule shall apply to all Chinese vessels hired by French merchants from the natives. The above shall be regarded as the authorized text of Article XXII of the French treaty, in all that relates to tonnage dues, and the original form shall henceforth be regarded as null. Mr. Williams to Mr. Seward. No. 9.] LEGATION OF the United STATES, SIR: Since the date of my despatch No. 5, I have received Nos. 135 to 142, inclusive, addressed to Mr. Burlingame, with several recent proclamations issued by the President, and notification of June 2, from the State Department, respecting passports. All their directions have been attended to. The progress of the insurgents in the south of Chihli province, spoken of in that despatch, has been greatly checked by the decisive measures taken by the government. The banditti have retired to the mountainous regions of Honan, and large numbers of their adherents have dispersed among the population. In such risings the imperialists often cause the continuance of these bands, and aggravate their excesses, by the harsh measures they adopt against their prisoners, whom the laws sentence to death. Having no knowledge of the plan of exchanging prisoners, and quite unable to detain them for any length of time, the government either banishes or puts them to death. This severity provokes retaliatory measures from the insurgents, who both torture and kill their prisoners; and thus the barbarities on both sides provoke and prolong the evils of misrule and brigandage. The imperial government issued directions in July last to the captain generals of the Manchu Bannermen and other officials, to apportion unoccupied lands among the poor families of this force, and, having settled them upon their lots, to withhold all pensions in future, and leave them to their own efforts. Those stationed in garrison in the provinces are allowed to leave their banner for any . pursuit whatever they like, and every privilege belonging to native Chinese is allowed to them. The edict is apparently the first step towards completely disbanding this large body of idlers, whose inefficiency has been proved upon many occasions, and whose expense is becoming intolerable. The numbers who have availed themselves of the new regulations are not great in this region; but as the government has the card in its own hand, and nothing to fear from a rising of these useless idlers, it may ere long take more decisive measures, withhold the present pittance and disband the garrisons. The number of Manchu troops in this city drilled on the foreign system does not exceed 4,500 at present, with about 2,000 more at Tientsin; while in 1825 the rank and file of the Manchu force in this province was 131,500 men, and including their families, must now exceed 200,000 people supported for no useful purpose. Though it would be somewhat hazardous, and even cruel, to scatter this body immediately, the edict now issued shows that its dispersion and utilization have forced itself on the attention of the rulers. It may interest you to learn that the Russian minister has lately received a telegraphic apparatus which he has had put up in his legation, and has exhibited the mode of operation to Prince Kung and other high officials. They practiced the transmission of short sentences in Chinese, and the Prince afterwards expressed himself gratified with what he had seen, and thanked Mr. Vlangaly very politely for the trouble he had been at in exhibiting the telegraph. The Chinese spoken and written languages are poorly adapted for conveying messages by telegraph, but experience and science will doubtless be able to overcome the obstacles of numerous dialects and puzzling characters, so as to accurately transmit messages across the empire. The safety of the wire itself, amid a superstitious and ignorant people, is likely to be a greater obstacle to its success. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, No. 10.] S. WELLS WILLIAMS, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. Mr. Williams to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Peking, October 14, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge your letters of introduction addressed to Mr. Burlingame, dated January 17, and brought by Messrs. E. C. Tainter and F. E. Woodruff; also a circular concerning the sentence and punishment of the conspirators, and despatch No. 145. The young gentlemen reached Peking in August, and were received by Mr. Hart, inspector general of customs; they will remain a year in the city pursuing their studies. Last year Mr. Hart furnished Mr. Burlingame with a general account of the Chinese revenue service, and the establishment of the foreign inspectorate in 1860, a copy of which I believe was sent you. He is endeavoring gradually to make the service so cosmopolitan that the treaty powers will all feel that they are represented in its members. At first it was not possible to do this in consequence of the want of suitable men. Of the seventy-one employés above the rank of tide waiters and examiners, there are forty-six Englishmen, nine Americans, nine Frenchmen, five Germans, one Dane, and one Swiss, distributed at fourteen ports. Last year nine persons (four English, three Americans, and two Germans,) resigned or died, or were dismissed; seven new ones were employed, and next year seven more are expected to arrive from France, Spain, Russia, and England. When the fifteen open ports are supplied, about ninety commissioners and clerks will be employed, all of whom will ultimately be required to speak and read the Chinese language. The arrangement includes, besides the fifteen commissioners, five chief clerks, and four classes of other clerks, numbering respectively ten, fifteen, thirty, and thirty-five persons in each, all of whom have the prospect of promotion, according to their character, qualifications, and time of service. None of the foreigners in the customs are in any way connected with their own governments, and the Chinese authorities here and in the provinces are learning to look upon the present system with more and more interest, and to appreciate the advantage of utilizing western learning, integrity, and skill in a service found to be too tempting for natives to carry on honestly. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, S. WELLS WILLIAMS, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. Chargé d'Affaires. Mr. Williams to Mr. Seward. No. 12.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to enclose a copy, marked A, of a printed letter from. the United States consul general at Shanghai upon the needs of the United States consulates in China, and respectfully commend the same to your careful attention. Its exhibition of these needs is so well supported by facts and explained by arguments drawn from his experience, that it cannot fail to be appreciated; and I content myself with a few remarks in support of the last paragraphs. I would, however, go further than Mr. Seward has done in paragraph 25, and in order to attain the end of securing experienced consular officers, recommend the establishment of a special consular service for China, in which the junior members shall become competent and eligible to the higher posts after they have learned the Chinese language and had some training in the consulates. The need of competent interpreters has been so often brought before the department that I am afraid of wearying by repetition, but it is vital to the efficiency of our consular service and measurably to the honor of our nation; and in order to get these interpreters the country must educate them. During the thirty-two years of my residence in China, there has not been an American consular officer, except young Mr. Hyatt, of Amoy, who could read or speak Chinese, that was not or had not been connected with missions; and the ministers sent out since 1844 have likewise depended on the same class of people for their translators. While Holland, Portugal, and Spain, not to speak of greater nations, have maintained students in preparation for consular duties, our officers have been obliged to depend on missionaries as translators; and when they were not available, to hire half-instructed natives, whose documents and speech they could not criticise, or lastly to apply to English or French interpreters to aid them. If it be objected that, as there is no pressing need of interpreters in the Levant, there should be none in China, the difference is satisfactorily explained by the more general ability of Turkish officials to speak the French or Italian languages, and they have an acquaintance, too, with the usages of European nations. The Chinese officials, however, have had no opportunity to learn foreign languages, and know very little of the laws and civilization of other countries, so that everything must be explained through their own language. This, of course, throws the burden of such duties very much upon the interpreter, who should, therefore, form one of the consul's staff. But in order to secure the services of the interpreter after he has been educated, he should, I think, have the prospect of promotion and an adequate salary; otherwise no one can be expected to remain in such a service so far from home when other more remunerative positions are open to him after he has acquired the language. The English, French, Russian, and Dutch governments have what amounts to a special service for China and Japan; and some of the English consuls, who began as students, have lived in this country over twenty years, and now hold the highest posts. One of them is now British minister to Japan. It is this permanence, which brings with it so many advantages to both parties, that I wish to secure to our own country by raising up similarly well-trained servants. It must be apparent to yourself that the constant changing of consuls in this country must result in disadvantages that do not ensue in other countries, where they exercise no executive and judicial authority. We weaken our national character with the Chinese rulers, who have little personal knowledge of consuls who only remain a year or two in office, and with whom they can never converse directly. This disadvantage reacts upon the consul, who feels his isolation, and consequently takes less interest in a people from whom he is thus shut out, and with whose officers he is usually in a state of chronic dissatisfaction. The changes not unfrequently injure the standing of the consular office in the estimation of Americans themselves, who often have more knowledge of the Chinese people and usages than a new comer, who, it may be, has come from Milwaukie or St. Louis to act as their judge and representative, without any previous preparation. The changes are more rapid when the consul is a clerk in a mercantile house, and the disrepute of the service and country is greater in the eyes of the Chinese, who have, as you are aware, strenuously objected to their employ. The remedy for these things seems to me to be a special service of educated men who are desirous of maintaining their country's character. The treaties with China, Japan, and Siam have really constituted as many governments over our citizens living in those countries; and these governments, as Mr. Seward well remarks, are exercised in the midst of a dozen different powers, each with its own code and corps of officers. In China our obligation to maintain this authority over our citizens is becoming more and more pressing and practical. A case in point occurred at Amoy a few months ago, which may be quoted to illustrate this, the particulars of which are given in enclosures B and C. When the number of Americans was few, and all were occupied with regular business, the consul had not much trouble; but latterly the opening of this country and its internal disturbances have attracted lawless men. More |