No. 262.
Mr. Chang Yen
Hoon to Mr. Bayard.
Washington, May 12, 1888.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 8th instant, in which you inform me that the United States Senate has approved the treaty which we signed on the 12th (13th) of March last, with two amendments, which you inclose.
I have carefully examined these amendments, and as they do not alter the terms of the original treaty, it will give me pleasure to accept them in due form.
By international practice a treaty requires the ratification of the sovereign for whom the treaty is concluded, and I, on the 15th of March last, sent the signed treaty to the foreign office for its examination, and I have just telegraphed to the same office the amendments in question. As soon as I shall be notified by my Government of the ratification, by [Page 401] my august sovereign, of the treaty, I shall, in exchanging ratifications, have the amendments written in a protocol to be appended to the treaty.
I improve the occasion to assure you, Mr. Secretary, of my most distinguished consideration.