Prutn to William H. Seward, April 24, 1865

Mr. Pruyn to Mr. Seward

Sir: I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter received from the minister for foreign affairs, in which it is announced that his Majesty the Tycoon does not think it expedient to avail himself of the privilege conferred by the convention of tendering Simonoseki, or some eligible port in the inland sea, in lieu of the indemnity which he therein agreed to pay to the four powers. (Enclosure No. 1.)

A similar communication was at the same time addressed to my colleagues; but as the representatives of England and Holland had announced to the Japanese government that their governments preferred that another port should be opened, and the minister of France had been instructed that the government of his Imperial Majesty thought it better that the pecuniary indemnity should be paid, it was not thought we could frame a reply in which all could unite, I therefore transmitted a letter to the Gorogio, of which I send copy, (enclosure No. 2.)

As by the terms of the convention it was entirely optional with the Tycoon to open a port, and as the effect of the decision was to make the obligation to pay the indemnity absolute, it appeared to me that it was advisable to offer to receive the first instalment at the time named, as it was understood that the money was already in the treasury and appropriated for that purpose. I therefore suggested to her Britannic Majesty’s chargé d’affaires that it would not be inconsistent with his duty, under the letters he had received declaring the preference of her Britannic Majesty’s government, to unite in receiving the money provided the Japanese government paid it, with the understanding that such receipt should not be understood as committing our governments to the extension of the times of payment of the remaining instalments. We therefore had a conference and agreed to make that proposition; whereupon I addressed a letter to the Gorogio, of which I enclose copy, enclosure No. 3, which corresponds substantially with the reply sent in by each of my colleagues.

You will see the government wish an extension of the time of payment of the second instalment, leaving it only to be inferred, not expressed, that the remaining instalments will be hereafter paid agreeably to the terms of the convention. But they make no promise to do so, and it is more than probable that if this extension be granted similar efforts will be made to extend the time of payment of the other instalments, which will prove an embarrassment to trade for several years. I concur with my colleagues in the opinion that no such extension should be granted.

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