C.
Mr. Williams to United States consuls in China,
Sir: His Excellency Hon. Anson Burlingame, United States minister, having been in consultation with his imperial highness Prince Kung, respecting the penalty to be levied on the masters of merchant vessels under the treaty of Tientsin for overpassing the allotted time of 48 hours after entering port without reporting their arrival, it has been agreed between them that pending a reference to Washington, the XlXth article of said treaty shall be understood to include hulks and storeships of every kind, under the designation of merchant vessels, and shall be defined for this offence by the first sentence of article XXXVII of the British treaty, and the legal penalty to be inflicted on the master for neglecting to report his arrival within 48 hours shall be a fine of 50 taels for every day’s delay, but not to exceed in all the sum of 200 taels.
I am directed to make known this modification of article XIX of the American treaty for your guidance and the information of American citizens under your jurisdiction.
By order:
To——— ———, United States Consul.