Wan-siang, to Anson Burlingame, December 15, 1863

Reply from the Foreign Office.

Sir: We have just received your note, and, in compliance with your request, now enclose a despatch to the governor general at Canton, which we shall be pleased to have you send under cover to the United States consul at Canton for transmission to him.

We may observe, in relation to this case, that the said merchant, Walsh, in entering Cum-Sing-Moon for the purpose of transshipping guns into his vessel, was really violating the stipulations of the treaty respecting dealing in contraband goods, and exposed her to be seized and confiscated for the illegality But as your excellency has ascertained that Mr. Walsh was really putting the guns into her to carry them to Japan, we have accepted your representation of the case, and, in regard to the increasingly friendly relations now existing between our countries, are willing that the ship should be released. Yet we ought to add, that another case of similar violation of treaty rules cannot again be excused under the plea of a transshipment for other countries; nor will it be permissible to quote this case as a precedent in hopes of being treated as leniently. We therefore trust that you will inform American merchants of this, and enjoin upon them the strictest observance of all the requirements of the treaty With this reply, we send our salutations and compliments.

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