leave England on the 22d instant, per steamship St. Louis for the port of New York. After remaining a day in New York and part of a day in Philadelphia, the ambassador will come to this city, and, after a visit of about week here, his excellency will proceed with his party to Canada to make connection with the steamship which is to sail from Vancouver on September 13 next for China. The ambassador's suite is composed of sixteen secretaries and attachés, twelve military attendants, and nine servants. In connection with the foregoing, I beg to remark that, with the exception of the dates of sailing from England and America, aforesaid, which are, no doubt, such as to harmonize best with the earl's plans and, therefore, would probably admit of no alteration without causing them perhaps serious derangement, the lengths and dates of the visits at the several cities are, I presume, not absolutely determined, but subject to such slight change as circumstances may require. To enable the ambassador to obtain an audience of the President of the United States for the purpose of presenting to His Excellency an autograph letter from His August Sovereign the Emperor of China, I have to request that you, Mr. Secretary, will take such early steps as you may deem proper to make the necessary arrangements, earnestly trusting that some date prior to September 7 may be selected which would suit the pleasure and convenience of the President. In conclusion, I should add that Earl Li, in his cablegram to me, expressed deep and genuine regret at his inability to make as long a a visit in this country as he would wish, owing to the nearness of the date on which he must depart for China. I shall be greatly obliged if you will kindly favor me with an early reply. Accept, etc., YANG YU. Mr. Rockhill to Mr. Yang Yü. No. 36.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 12, 1896. SIR: As a further acknowledgment of your note of the 6th instant, relative to the visit to this country of Earl Li Hung Chang, who brings a letter to the President of the United States from His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China, I have now the honor to inform you that the President will be in the city of New York on the 31st of the present month, and on that day, at a place and hour to be hereafter designated, will give audience to Earl Li Hung Chang for the purpose of receiving the letter of the Emperor of China. It will give the President great pleasure to regard Earl Li and party as guests of the United States during their stay in New York City, and to put at his disposal a special train for the conveyance of himself and party to Washington and thence to Canada, en route to Vancouver. An army officer of rank will be detailed to meet Earl Li upon arrival at New York and to be in attendance upon him during his sojourn in this country. He will be directed to concert with you such arrangements as may be deemed suitable and desirable for the comfort and entertainment of the earl and his party during their visit. Sharing the regret expressed by Earl Li at his inability to make a longer visit to this country, I avail myself of this occasion, etc., W. W. ROCKHILL, Acting Secretary No. 39.] Mr. Rockhill to Mr. Yang Yü. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 25, 1896. SIR: Adverting to my note to you, No. 36, of the 12th instant, stating that the President would receive His Excellency Li Hung Chang in New York City on the 31st instant, I have now the honor to inform you that the President finds that he will be in that city on the 29th, and that it will be more convenient for him to receive his excellency on this latter day than on the day originally named. The President will therefore be pleased to receive His Excellency Li Hung Chang, yourself, and suite in that city on Saturday next, the 29th instant, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon, at No. 2 West Fifty-seventh street. W. W. ROCKHILL, Accept, etc., Acting Secretary. Li Hung Chang to Mr. Yang Yü. [Telegram.-Left at the Department of State by the Chinese minister.] VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, September 13, 1896. Please call at the State Department without delay and say to the Secretary of State that on the eve of embarking at this place for my native country I desire to assure the President of my very warm appreciation of the politeness and hospitality accorded to me by the American nation, whose guest I have been. Nothing could exceed the warmth of the welcome shown me on every hand, both by the officials of the Government and by the people. Please add the expression of my high estimation of the excellent arrangements made for the comfort of myself and suite, both while sojourning in New York and Washington and when traveling. It gives me great pleasure to add that Major-General Ruger and the officers of his staff, Major Davis, Captain Mills, Lieutenant Cumins, and Lieutenant Townsley, were from first to last most thoughtful and efficient in the infinitude of details provided for my comfort and pleasure during my entire visit. I desire also to express my thanks for the escort of cavalry commanded by Colonel Sumner, which attended me at New York and at Washington. I bid His Excellency the President and the Secretary of State, in my own name and on behalf of my suite, a grateful farewell. Mr. Yang Yü to Mr. Olney. LI HUNG CHANG. CHINESE LEGATION, Washington, D. C., November 2, 1896. SIR: I have the honor to inform you of the receipt of a cablegram of yesterday from the Tsung-li Yamen at Peking, expressing the sincere and profound gratitude of my Imperial Government for the most cordial reception and generous hospitality extended by His Excellency the President of the United States to His Excellency Earl Li Hung Chang, ambassador extraordinary of his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China, during the Earl's visit in the United States, and also its deep appreciation of the military, naval, and other honors accorded him by the United CHINA. 97 States Government and the extreme courtesy shown him by the Honorable Secretary of State. All this, supplemented as it was by the sincere and hearty welcome tendered to the Earl by the people of the United States, is profound evidence of the very friendly and cordial relations existing between the United States and the Chinese Empire. In pursuance of instructions from my Government, I have the honor to convey to you the above sincere expressions of gratitude and thanks, with the request that you will be so kind as to transmit the same for the information of His Excellency the President. I have, etc., YANG YU. TAXATION OF GOODS MANUFACTURED BY FOREIGNERS IN No. 2616.] CHINA. Mr. Denby to Mr. Olney. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: In several dispatches I have mentioned and discussed to some extent the effect that the fourth clause of Article VI of the Shimonoseki treaty might have on the question of taxation of goods manufac tured in China by foreigners. The latter part of that clause reads as follows: All articles manufactured by Japanese subjects in China shall, in respect of inland transit and internal taxes, duties, charges, and exactions of all kinds, and also in respect of warehousing and storage facilities in the interior of China, stand upon the same footing and enjoy the same privileges and exemptions as merchandise imported by Japanese subjects into China. I have learned since preparing my dispatch No. 2614 of October 18 that the Japanese Government did, on the 16th instant, officially and formally renounce that part of said clause above quoted. In the consideration of questions affecting taxation, and the increase of the tariff rates concerning which I wrote in my dispatches No. 2587 of August 29 and No. 2593 of September 3, this clause must be eliminated, a result which greatly affects the position of foreigners who desire to engage in manufacturing in China. I have, etc., No. 2649.] Mr. Denby to Mr. Olney. CHARLES DENBY. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Peking, November 26, 1896. (Received Jan. 4, 1897.) SIR: In my dispatch No. 2616 of October 20 last I informed you that Japan had renounced its claim, based on the sixth article of the Shimonoseki treaty, that China could not tax articles manufactured by Japanese in China. I have now the honor to inclose a translation of a protocol agreed upon between Japan and China, on the 19th day of October last, which, among other things, provides "that the Chinese Government may impose such tax as it may see fit on the articles manufactured by Japanese subjects in China, provided that such tax shall neither be other than that payable by the Chinese subjects nor higher." In consideration for this concession Japan is granted the right to have settlements for the use of Japanese exclusively at each open port of China, and other privileges. I have, etc., FR 96 -7 CHARLES DENBY. [Inclosure in No. 2649.- Clipping from North China Daily News of November 17, 1896.] CHINA AND JAPAN. The following Japanese telegram, dated Tokio, the 10th instant, is translated by the Kobe Chronicle: "The following protocol, agreed upon between Japan and China in regard to Japanese settlements at the open ports of China and other matters, is published in the Official Gazette to-day: "Baron Hayashi Tadasu, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, and the minister of foreign affairs of His Majesty the Emperor of China have agreed upon the following stipulations supplementary to the treaty of commerce and navigation: “ARTICLE I. It is agreed by the contracting parties that settlements exclusively for the use of the Japanese shall be provided at each open port of China, the Japanese consul having full control over the roads and police affairs in such settlements. """ARTICLE II. It is agreed that all matters relating to steamers and other boats of foreign merchants, and the persons engaged in the said boats, referred to in the regulations for trade of foreign merchants in the three provinces of Hu, Kiang, and Su, issued by the Shanghai customs on the 3rd day of the 8th month of the 22nd year of Kuang Hsu, shall be determined upon consultation with the Japanese authorities, and that the Yangtse trade regulations shall be applied as far as practicable until such provisions shall have been adopted. "ARTICLE III. The Japanese Government agrees that the Chinese Government may impose such tax as it may see fit on the articles manufactured by Japanese subjects in China, provided such tax shall neither be other than that payable by the Chinese subjects nor higher. The Chinese Government agrees to allow settlements to be established without delay for the exclusive use of Japanese at Shanghai, Tientsin, Amoy, and Hankow upon the demand of the Japanese Government. "ARTICLE IV. The Chinese Government agrees to instruct the governor-general of Shantung that the Chinese army shall neither approach nor occupy any place within an area of five Japanese ri, or about 40 Chinese li, measured from the boundary of the district occupied by the Japanese army, in accordance with the treaties between the two countries. "Done in duplicate, in the Japanese and Chinese languages, and carefully compared, signed, and sealed, a copy being kept by each of the signatories. "HAYASHI TADASU. "19th day, 10th month, 29th year of Meiji. 666 "CHANG YIN-Huan. No. 2585.] OPENING OF PORTS. Mr. Denby to Mr. Olney. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Peking, August 27, 1896. (Received Oct. 6.) SIR: I have the honor to inclose a translation of a communication from the Tsung-li Yamên, wherein it informs me that under the sixth article of the Shimonoseki treaty, Shashih, Chungking, Soochow, and Hangchow are to be opened as treaty ports, and that regulations will be drawn up later. The ports of Soochow and Hangchow will be opened the 26th proximo. I have sent a copy of this communication to the consul-general, and have instructed him to notify American merchants of the contents thereof. I have, etc., CHARLES DENBY. [Inclosure in No. 2585.] The Tsung-li Yamên to Mr. Denby. No. 31.] PEKING, August 23, 1896. YOUR EXCELLENCY: By the sixth article of the Shimonoseki treaty between China and Japan, Shashih, Chungking, Soochow, and Hangchow are to be opened as treaty ports, so that trade may be carried on. As to Chungking and Shashih regulations will be drawn up later. The inspector-general of customs has been instructed to order the commissioner at Shanghai, Soochow, and Hangchow to draw up regu lations at once for the governing of trade at those ports. After the regulations have been considered by the Yamên, a further communication will be sent to your excellency. The Yamên has decided, however, that the ports of Soochow and Hangchow shall be opened on the 26th September next. The Yamên request that your excellency will instruct American merchants that they must not carry on trade at those ports until the customs have been duly established. |