Bingham to To Sanjô Saneyoshi , Prime, January 30, 1877

No. 189. Mr. Bingham to Mr. Fish.

Sir: Herewith I have the honor to inclose for your information duplicate copies of the financial statement and estimated of the Government of Japan, from the 1st of July, 1876, to the 1st of July, 1877, as published in the Tokiô Times of the 27th instant, by order of his excellency Sanjô Saneyoshi, His Imperial Japanese Majesty’s prime minister.

It will be observed by reference to the third table of estimated revenues for the current fiscal year that the estimated revenue from import and export duties is only $1,762,554, and that the revenue from internal taxation is estimated for the same year at $61,000,000 in round numbers, of which $46,556,743, is levied and collected by a land-tax upon the people. It is proper that I should say that foreigners engaged in the various pursuits of trade in Japan pay no taxes upon their enormous gains or incomes, by virtue as they claim of the convention of 1866. You will observe that the estimated expenditure of the current fiscal year is $62,993,847, or within $2,000 of the estimated receipts.

When J consider that during all our history the ordinary expenditures of our own National Government have been collected from customs duties, to the great relief and advantage of our people, and that now, with all the extraordinary expenditures upon us resultant from the late rebellion, full one-half of our enormous revenue is derived from imposts, I am confirmed in the opinion heretofore communicated to the Department, that this government and its people should be released from the oppressive conditions of the convention of 1866, which deprives them of the privilege claimed by ourselves and by every other western power of collecting reasonable revenues from foreign imports.

I have, &c.,