liberality of the Chinese authorities in appropriations for the erection of lighthouses. This gratifying communication will be submitted to the honorable the Secretary of the Treasury, whose views on the subject will be sought and communicated to you. I am, sir, your obedient servant, ANSON BURLINGAME, Esq., &c., &c., &c. W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary. No. 210.] Mr. Hunter to Mr. Burlingame. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, July 24, 1867. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 23d of April last, No. 137, concerning the shipwreck of the American bark Rover. Substantially the same account had been received through the Navy Department a short time previously to the reception of your despatch. The instructions already sent to you on this subject will, it is believed, prove a sufficient guide for your treatment of this matter. SIR: You are already acquainted with the tragic affair of the loss of the United States merchant vessel Rover, off the island of Formosa, and the destruction of her crew by the savages residing there. From a report made upon that subject to the Secretary of the Navy, by RearAdmiral Bell, I extract as follows: I am satisfied that the barbarities of those savages cannot be permanently stopped until the government at Peking be induced, by the action of the American and other foreign ministers at that court, to occupy all the villages and bays on the east coast and on the south, and thus drive the aboriginals back to the interior of the island. They are a cruel pest to all mariners who may be so unfortunate as to be thrown on their coast; and there is no known way of dealing with them as a community. The President desires that you will confer with the representatives of the western powers at Peking, and in co-operation with them, if it shall be practicable, earnestly urge upon the Emperor's government the policy suggested by Rear-Admiral Bell. I shall look with much interest for your proceedings under this instruction. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of 13th of March last, No. 131, in relation to the disposition of the surplus of the Chinese indem nity fund, and enclosing a letter of the 12th of the same month from S. Wells While it is admitted that the facts set forth by Mr. Williams prove quite clearly that, unless some such accommodations as those described by him are provided by the government or private individuals, the minister will be compelled to seek the hospitality of his colleagues of the diplomatic corps, or to change his residence to Shanghai, I cannot find any warrant in law for the appropriation of any portion of the interest or principal of the fund referred to for such a purpose or any other, and I therefore feel constrained to instruct you to cause the money so used to be replaced. In adopting this course I am happy to be able to say that the excellence of motives which have actuated Mr. Williams in this proceeding is not called in question; and in leaving it optional with the department to decline or adopt the arrangement, he has relieved it of embarrassment. When Congress shall be in session, and shall be ready to engage in general business, the correspondence will be submitted to that body with a view to such provision being made as in their judgment may be necessary and expedient. I am, sir, your obedient servant, ANSON BURLINGAME, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Seward to Mr. Burlingame. No. 215.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 20, 1867. SIR: Your despatch of the 19th of June last, No. 142, enclosing a copy of your note of the 18th of the same month to J. McLeary Brown, her Majesty's chargé d'affaires at Peking, acknowledging the services of Charles Carroll, esq., Commander Broad, and the officers and crew of her Britannic Majesty's steamer Cormorant, in their courageous and prompt attempt to rescue the captain and crew of the American bark Rover, was duly received, and is cordially approved. Mr. Adams, our minister at London, was some time since instructed to make suitable acknowledgments to all of the British officers and subjects who took part in the friendly proceedings referred to. I am, sir, your obedient servant, ANSON BURLINGAME, Esq., &c., &c., &c. No. 216.] WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Seward to Mr. Burlingame. DEPARTMENT. OF STATE, Washington, September 20, 1867. SIR: I transmit for your information a copy of a despatch,* and of its accompaniments, of the 26th of July last, No. 109, from General Dix, our minister at Paris, in relation to the municipal regulations proposed to be adopted by the French consul general at Shanghai. A copy of my reply is also enclosed.* I am, sir, your obedient servant, ANSON BURLINGAME, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. * For enclosures see correspondence with United States minister at Paris. No. 217.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Burlingame. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 20, 1867. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 22d of May last, No. 141, recounting your laudable efforts to induce the Chinese to recognize and avail themselves of the benefits of the telegraphic and railroad improvements of the western civilization. It is presumed that time will overcome their superstition and prejudices, but efforts will be made to hasten their enlightenment by furnishing you with statements of considerations in their favor, based upon the very ingenious one contained in your note of the 14th of January, 1865, to Prince Kung, a copy of which will be placed in competent hands with that view. Perhaps a spirit of emulation might be kindled which would facilitate the movement, by your making known the fact that the neighboring empire of Japan is about to adopt these improvements as a means of increased prosperity and defence. SIR Referring to instruction of the 20th ultimo, No. 216, I now transmit for your information a copy of a communication* of the 21st of May last, from the late Sir Frederick Bruce, concerning the French municipal regulations at Shanghai. I am, sir, your obedient servant, ANSON BURLINGAME, Esq., &c., &c. &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 221.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Burlingame. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 5, 1867. SIR: With reference to your despatch of the 29th of March last, No. 133, transmitting a memorandum from Robert Hart, esq., inspector general of customs, of China, concerning the progress making by that empire in its lighthouse system, I now transmit, in reply to that communication, a copy of a letter of the 24th ultimo from the Secretary of the Treasury, enclosing one from Admiral Shubrick, which is accompanied by a report of a special committee of the Lighthouse Board through its chairman, Major General Delafield. I also enclose a copy of another letter of the same date from the Secretary of the Treasury, applying for the specific information as to the latitude and longitude of the lights, beacons, &c., enumerated by Mr. Hart, and such other facts as are called for in the resolutions of the committee at the close of their report. The commercial interests of the world and considerations of humanity commend the generous enterprise of the Chinese government, as set forth in the memorandum of Mr. Hart, to universal approval. I am, sir, your obedient servant, ANSON BURLINGAME, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. * For enclosure see correspondence with the British legation. Mr. McCulloch to Mr. Seward. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, September 24, 1867. SIR: Your letter of the 25th July last, submitting, for examination of this department, a communication, of the 29th March previous, from Mr. Burlingame, relating to the liberal provisions which had been made by the Chinese authorities for the establishment of lighthouses on their coasts, and requesting any suggestions on the subject which this department might find reason to make, having, with the despatch of Mr. Burlingame, been referred to the Light-house Board, I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of their report, which embodies the views of this department on the subject. The despatch of Mr. Burlingame, as requested in your communication, is herewith returned. I am, very respectfully, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, H. MCCULLOCH, Secretary of the Treasury. Secretary of State. Commodore Shubrick to Mr. McCulloch. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE LIGHT-HOUSE BOARD, Washington, September 23, 1867. SIR: I have had the honor to receive the letter from the honorable Secretary of State of the 25th July last, with accompanying despatch and enclosures from the United States minister at China, the same having been referred to this board. I transmit herewith a copy of the report of a special committee to which the subject was referred, as embodying the views of this board. The letter of the honorable Secretary of State and its enclosures are herewith returned. Hon. H. MCCULLOCH, W. B. SHUBRICK, Chairman. Secretary of the Treasury. The special committee, to which was referred the communication of Mr. Burlingame, of the 29th March, 1867, to the Secretary of State, relating to the provisions made by the Chinese government for lighting and otherwise facilitating the navigation of the coasts of that country, has examined it with attention, and now reports, for the information of the board, that it is accompanied with a report from Robert Hart, esq., inspector general of customs, of China, descriptive of the existing lights, beacons, buoys, and light-vessels; the resources annually appropriated to these purposes, and the proposed system for their preservation and future extension. The contents of Mr. Hart's report are useful, as furnishing a reliable statement of all existing lights, beacons, and other facilities for designating the harbors and shoals on the coast of China, and serviceable to our naval and commercial marine navigating the Chinese seas. It is interesting to be thus enabled to place on our files the fact of the Chinese government having already made much progress in lighting its coasts and harbors upon the same general system as that adopted by the United States, and common to the European powers; for which we are indebted to Fresnel, of the French engineers. From this report it appears that the insurrection in China has, until lately, prevented the resources of the country being applied to lighting the coast. The suppression in a great measure of that rebellion has enabled the government of China to appropriate annually the tonnage dues" to lighting the coast, and otherwise facilitating the coast and river navigation. 66 A careful survey of the coast and its harbors is represented as having been made, neutralizing thereby and freeing it comparatively of dangers that have been still further lessened by the construction of light-houses. Eleven of the principal ports are now lighted and buoyed by stationary and floating lights, and the bars and shoals in the rivers are more particularly defined by buoys corresponding, in details of construction and general principles, with the system adopted by the United States Light-house Board. The only auxiliaries and facilities used by the United States, and not apparently known to the Chinese anthorities, are the fog-signals and bell-buoys, and our system of screw-pile light-houses. In Mr. Hart's frequent conversations with the provincial officials, and other government 1 1 functionaries, he states that he has ever found them ready and very willing to carry out such suggestions as were made; and he is quite certain that they will furnish the means for carrying out unobjectionable plans, as well as to improve the harbor generally, with the aid of the engineering talent and skill at command of the Europeans, serving as examples for like structures elsewhere for the Chinese government. The amounts hitherto expended by the Chinese government from "tonnage dues" annually have been small, for the reasons previously stated. During the last five years the annual expenditure for light-ships, beacons, buoys, repairs, &c., about $83,000, while the revenue has been at the rate of about $333,000. The Chinese government will hereafter provide funds and secure the services of first-class men; and the only assistance to be asked for is one which the treaty powers (of which the United States is one) are, by exterritorial privileges, bound to afford, to wit, the prevention of acts and doings on the part of all foreigners settled at the ports pronounced to be of a hurtful tendency by the Chinese agents, and to recognize and support these agents in the performance of their duties. The preceding is from Mr. Hart's report as inspector general of customs, of the 21st January, 1867. He appended a note of the 16th March, 1867, stating that he has, since the date of his report, received "official instructions" from the board of foreign affairs, authorizing him to carry out all that bis memoir sets forth, serving to improve the navigation of the coasts and rivers. Mr. Hart further states that the suppression of the rebellion, of the final payment of indemnities to foreign powers, and authority under imperial decrees, allowing Chinese to build and own vessels for foreign commerce, and of similar model to European ships, both steamers and sailing ships, renders the lighting of the coast a subject of increased private interest and national importance. The customs at the ports open to foreign commerce have in a great measure been under his supervision, and are now in such good working order that he proposes to apply the "tonnage dues" to three objects: 1st. To an engineer department for the improvement of coast and river navigation. 2d. To a harbor-master's department, with its functionaries at the treaty ports to superintend the anchoring of ships, the pilots and police of the rivers and harbors: and 3d. To a coast light-house office, to take charge of the lighting department generally, and most especially of about 15 light-houses now to be built on the most necessary points on the coast. The flourishing condition of the treasury of the colony of Hong Kong will enable it to put up and place all needful lights, beacons, buoys, &c. The annual collections from tonnage dues do not exceed $500,000 or fall below $350,000. In the selection of men for the light-house service he proposes to employ them without respect to nationality, provided individual fitness can be secured, and not attempt to provide a representative of every treaty power for every port, but continue to make the service cosmopolitan in its general construction. A fair attempt will be made to represent with approximate correctness the chief treaty powers. His chief object will be to keep in existence on a cosmopolitan basis a thoroughly efficient service, and to carry out faithfully and well for the Chinese government the works it pays for and approves of Such is the information derived from authentic sources through our minister in China, on the system now being extended in that country for lighting the coasts and establishing other facilities for the commerce of all countries trading with it. As one of the treaty powers referred to in the report of the inspector general of customs, the United States has certain rights and duties to perform in relation to lights, &c. The import trade and commerce of our country with China amounts at this time to $10,800,000, and our exports to $10,100,000. This property is freighted in 185 vessels, that may be valued at $15,000,000, making a total of $35,900,000 as the value of the property in which our citizens are interested, and for the safety of which the light-houses are necessary. This value will unquestionably be greatly increased by the introduction of steamers from our western coast, and further facilities by railroad across the continent and by the Isthmus of Panama. The committee is of the opinion that the industrial interests and welfare of the United States will be benefited by the objects in view presented in Mr. Hart's report, and that the Light-house Board should do all in its power to promote the same, and to that end recommend the adoption of the following resolutions: 1st. That publicity be given in the usual way of the existence of the light-houses, beacons, and buoys specified in the report of the inspector general of customs. 2d. That the chairman of the Light-house Board take such measures as may be in his power to ascertain the latitude and longitude of each of the existing lights on the coast of China, and publish the same; and that he endeavor to obtain the number of Americans resident in China appointed to carry out the cosmopolitan system of the inspector general. 3d. That two sets of the publications and plans of the Light-house Board be prepared and appropriately bound, and forwarded through our minister in China, Anson Burlingame, esq., for the inspector general of customs and for the imperial library of the Emperor. 4th. That the attention of the inspector general be respectfully invited to the organization of the Light-house Board, the regulations for its government under the general direction of |