No. 1., March 28, 1871.

No. 1.

Sir: We were honored on the 7th of this month by receiving your dispatch, in which you informed us that, as you had been appointed special envoy to go to Corea, there to negotiate upon matters of public interest, you had decided to send a letter to the authorities of that land, and therefore requested us to forward it on your behalf.

In relation to this request we may observe, that although Corea is regarded as a country subordinate to China, yet she is wholly independent in everything that relates to her government, her religion, her prohibitions, and her laws; in none of these things has China hitherto interfered. It was necessary, therefore, in order to forward your dispatch, for the Foreign Office to present a memorial, requesting that it might be transferred to the board of rites to be sent on; but we previously stated to you, that it is impossible to determine now whether the Corean authorities will return an answer.

On the 12th instant we memorialized the throne, requesting that the board of rites might be allowed to write a dispatch to accompany this letter to be forwarded to Corea, and notified that board at the same time. We have now received an answer from the board, stating that on the 22d of this month His Majesty had been informed that this dispatch, carefully sealed, had that day been transmitted to the board of war to be sent on by its couriers. This answer further stated that in all the relations of China with its dependent states the long-established rules of the board of rites had never contained any provision about forwarding letters to them; the permission now granted for it to do such a thing was therefore only for this occasion; it was an extraordinary favor, quite in excess of usage, and one which could not, on any account, be again granted.

We therefore make known this reply to your excellency; and while doing so avail ourselves of the opportunity to wish that you may enjoy daily happiness.