A Bingham to Hamilton Fish, October 6, 1874

Mr. Bingham to Mr. Fish.

Sir: * * * * *

Touching the absence of my name from the joint note in relation to the arrest of a Japanese servant of the translating secretary of the. British legation, and the inquiry, of the British chargé d’affaires whether I had communicated the occurrence to the Department, I have the honor to say that, so far as I know or can learn from my secretary, the information of the existence of such a joint note first reached this legation through your instruction No. 65, and that I was not consulted in relation thereto, either by the British minister or by any of my colleagues. Had this joint note been submitted to me, as is usually done when a collective note is proposed, I should have responded, either by signing it, or by respectfully declining to sign it, for precisely the reasons stated in your instruction.

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You call my attention especially to the statement of Sir Harry S. Parkes, in relation to the assault upon the servant of the translating secretary, that the decision of the foreign representatives was reached at a meeting at which all of them were present, “with the exception of the United States minister.” It would have been satisfactory to me, as I have no doubt it would have been to you, to have been informed by Sir Harry whether the meeting referred to was a regular or a special meeting, and, if the latter, whether I was notified of it or its object, and, if so, when, how, and by whom. Permit me to add that I was not always able to be present at the regular meetings, generally held at Sir Harry’s house at Yokohama; and, to repeat what I have heretofore said, that I was never notified of his desire to make the arrest of his translating secretary’s servant the subject either of consideration at a meeting of the foreign representatives or of a joint note.

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I am, sir, your obedient servant,