No. 692.-Official intercourse between consuls and provincial authorities: text of a minute on the subject from the Chinese foreign office; the views of the Yamên on the representations of the diplomatic body not entirely satisfactory; the matter to be further considered. No. 698.-Mixed court at Shanghai; letter of thanks from the doyen of the diplomatic corps for Mr. Seward's conference with the Tsung-li Yamen. No. 704.-War power of China; consular reports thereon transmitted. No. 705.-Education of Chinese in foreign branches; reports of consular officers of the United States in China upon the subject. No. 718.-Chung How's case; Prince Kung communicates an important edict in relation thereto; the Kuldja question under deliberation in a council of state: peace counsels in the ascendency; suspension of the punishment of Chung How.

No. 719.-Correspondence with Chinese authorities; the advisability of our officers transmitting communications to the Chinese in English; Mr. Consul Lord's views on the subject. No. 726-Chung How's case; copy of Mr. Seward's note to Prince Kung expressing gratification at the result of this case.

272

273

273

281

286

288

289

292

No. 26-Mixed courts of China; objectional methods of extracting evidence from criminals or witnesses employed by the mixed courts of China; statement of Mr. Parry, an Englishman; comment of the English press; distinction to be observed between punishment for crime and practical torture for the purpose of extracting evidence; failure of the code, framed with the co-operation of the foreign representatives, to rectify these abuses; instructed to use his efforts to secure, if possible, a more humanitarian method of compelling testimony. No. 8.-The employment of the English language as a medium of communication with Chinese | officials; correspondence with Consul Lord thereon: the change desirable, but must be effected gradually.

No. 9.-Cargo-boat regulations; recent attempts to enforce same at Foochow; correspondence with consul thereon.

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295

Aug. 20

182 ......do

183

Aug. 28 Mr. Hunter to Mr. Angell... Oct. 11

No. 14.-Copyright in China; no law for the protection of authors in their works.

300

Wo Chung, case of the: the Secretary of the Treasury announces that it will be necessary to exact tonnage-tax at alien rates. Wo Chung, case of the: careful consideration thereof by Department; customs duties on cargo, like alien tonnage dues, must, in the absence of specific and reciprocal treaty exemption, be decided by domestic legislation; existing commercial treaties between the United States and China do not cover the present case: interrogatories submitted; reply thereto awaited, when decision of this government will be announced. Wo Chung: tonnage and import dues; case of the Chinese steamer Wo Chung recently arrived at San Francisco; reasons alleged why discriminating dues should not have been levied: the hope expressed that she will be relieved therefrom by the President's proclamation. Wo Chung, case of the official intelligence of action by customs authorities at San Francisco awaited; will confer with Secretary of the Treas ury thereon.

Same subject: assurances contained in legation's note of September 4, 1880, that no discriminating dues are levied upon American vessels in Chinese waters are satisfactory; text of the President's proclamation of Nos. 23, 1880, transmitted.

COLOMBIA.

Sept. 4

Sept. 20

Oct. 2

No. 119.-The South American war: Dr Arosemena's peace mission: note from Señor Louis Car los Rico, secretary of the interior and foreign relations for the United States of Colombia on the subject transmitted. No. 128. Colombian boundary questions: efforts to come to an understanding with Venezuela; questions between Colombia and Costa Rica. No. 130.-Purposes of the Venezuelan President Guzman Blanco's visit to Europe; reported purchase of iron-clads and arms in England for use against Colombia: anxiety caused in Colombia by this report: rumored secret treaty between Venezuela and Ecuador; the boundary dispute with Colombia.

No. 133.-Deposit of ships' papers in Colombian ports: the protocol on that subject superseded by the Colombian law of 1879; its application general and not disadvantageous to United States mail steamers; the matter investigated by Mr. Dichman at Aspinwall; annoyance to shipping at Barranquilla; international character of ships' papers examined; necessity of a change in Colombian legislation; Mr. Dichman's exertions to protect mail steamers from inconvenience in its application; the protocol and law analyzed; questions between the Panama Railroad Company and the Colombian authorities at Aspinwall and Panama; duties of the port inspectors under existing treaties; necessity of defining the "neutralty" of the Isthmus as guaranteed by the treaty; reasons for regarding the new law as satisfactory to all interests concerned. No. 138.-Deposit of ships' papers; translation of a part of the report of the Colombian foreign office, showing how the diplomatic agreement of 1876 came to be set aside. No. 146. The riot at Bucaramanga; transmits a letter giving a detailed account of the occur rence; the lessons to be deduced therefrom; possible complications between Germany and Colombia.

Article I-All unadjusted disputes between the countries to be arbitrated; Article II-Manner of submission to the President of the United States: Article III-Chili and Colombia to endeavor to conclude like conventions with the other American countries.

No. 208.-Postal facilities: importance of Colom. bia's adhesion to the convention of Paris; law authorizing the incorporation of Colombia into the Universal Postal Union; that government finds it necessary, however, to qualify the ap plication for admission into the Union by re questing exemption from the expense of trans. portation of foreign mails carried across Colombian territory via the Isthmus of Panamareason, the contract of the Colombian Government with the Panama Railroad Company; Article XVI of that contract quoted; position of Colombian Government resolves itself into wil. lingness to enter the Postal Union for all its territory except the state of Panama; is such qualified adhesion to convention of Paris admissable? probable result, such a modification of the above-quoted article of the contract with the Panama Railroad Company as will enable Colombia to apply for admission to the Postal Union unqualifiedly; last report of Colombian postmaster general transmitted.

No. 143-Visit of the Adams and Kearsarge: unfriendly action of the Panama authorities toward; Señor Rico's explanations satisfactory; no further action in the premises believed to be necessary.

Visit of the United States men-of-war Adams and Kearsarge to Chiriqui Bay and Golfo Dulce: the title in the lands selected by these vessels for the establishment of coaling stations discussed; objections to the latter.

Visit of the United States men-of-war Adams and Kearsage to the waters of the Isthmus of Panama: the object thereof the establishment of coaling stations in the interest of the mercantile and naval marine of this government; the ports selected by the two vessels for that purpose. Visit of the Adams and Kearsage to Colombian waters: satisfaction expressed at the explanations in Mr. Evarts' note of the 17th instant. Visit of the Adams and Kearsarge to the Colombian Isthmus: the establishment of coaling stations thereon; expresses the hope that the vessels sent by this government to Chiriqui Bay and Golfo Dulce will be withdrawn from those waters.

Visit of the Adams and Kearsage to Colombian waters: the establishment of coaling stations on the isthmus; regret that the purport of the visit of the Adams and Kearsarge should have been misunderstood; the summary and illjudged action of the authorities of Panama deplored; the hope expressed that the frank and full explanation of this government as to the friendly character of the visit of the vessels above named will be amply sufficient to allay all feelings of suspicion, and will tend to cement more closely than ever the bonds of good-will and friendship between the two countries. Visit of the Adams and Kearsarge to the isthmus: recapitulation of Mr. Evarts' note of the 5th June: expresses the hope that the affair has been happily terminated by the withdrawal of the vessels.