Wells Williams to To —— ——, United States, October 22, 1863

Notice to the consuls in China.

Sir: The United States minister having been in consultation with his Imperial Majesty’s ministers respecting the penalty to be levied under the treaty of Tientsin for presenting false manifests of cargo, it has been agreed between them that, pending a reference to Washington, the fourteenth article of the said treaty shall be defined in this respect and for this offence by the last sentence of article thirty-seven of the British treaty, and the legal penalty on conviction shall be a fine of 500 taels.

I am directed to make known this modification of article fourteen of the American treaty for your guidance and the information of American citizens.

By order:

[seal.]