FISHER, United States Consul to A. L. C. Portman, August 14, 1865

Mr. Fisher to Mr. Portman

Sir: Serious complaints are made to me by the American houses of Messrs. Allmand & Co., and Messrs. Walsh, Hall & Co., of direct and indirect interferences in their trade, and thereby of positive daily violations made by the Japanese of article three of the treaty made with the United States, July 29, 1858, in regard to their freely buying silk-worm eggs and cocoons from the Japanese merchants who have them to sell, by the Japanese custom-house officials of this port, in that they only suffer certain named Japanese merchants to sell these important staples by their payment of a certain bonus or leignorase to other specially-licensed merchants of this port.

It is said this way of doing business has been ordered by the Gorogio, or government at Yedo, and I will be greatly obliged to you for the earliest possible denial of such interference, and for such information as you may be able to procure as to what, if any, instructions have been given to the custom-house officials of this port in regard to Japanese merchants selling silk-worm eggs and cocoons freely, and whether the government deliberately and openly intends its subjects, officials, or otherwise, to violate and set at naught our treaty-rights, and thus embarrass and restrict the lawful rights of our merchants, trade, and commerce at this port.

Your early attention and answer will greatly oblige our mercantile interests here, and enable me to communicate with them more intelligibly what steps are best to be taken in view of the damages they are now daily suffering in consequence of this official interference so justly complained of.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,