Mr. Fish to Mr. Low
Sir: This Government received, with great satisfaction, in the year 1868, evidences that the government of China, appreciating its importance to her own shipping and that of foreign nations, was desirous of establishing a proper and sufficient system of light-houses upon the coasts of the empire; and at the request of the inspector general of customs, Mr. Robert Hart, a complete collection of the drawings, maps, plans, and documents, illustrating the principles of construction, and the location and maintenance of light-houses of the coasts of the United States was carefully arranged, bound, and forwarded to the minister of the United States in China, by whom it was presented to the proper authorities of the Chinese government. A dispatch of the 13th of January last from George F. Seward, esq., the consul general of the United States, at Shanghai, which was accompanied by charts and a list of the lights in course of construction, erection, or alteration, on the coast of China, presents clearly the progress made and the actual condition of the light-house system, from a consideration of which this Government is led to apprehend that the measures which have been adopted by that of China are inadequate to the necessities of a commerce which brings wealth to her shores and stimulates to profitable activity the industry of millions of her people, and are not commensurate to the amount of tonnage duties paid by the commercial vessels of foreign nations to the government of China, with a view to its expenditure in perfecting and maintaining this important service.
It is believed that this state of things is due mainly to the facts that the foreign trade of China is of recent origin, and its benefits to the revenues, resources, and welfare of China are yet hardly appreciated by the government and people thereof at their true value; and that they have not given due consideration to the obligations of hospitality and humanity resting upon all nations having extensive sea-coasts to provide all possible safe-guards to the shipping of other countries engaged in friendly commerce in their waters.
Independently of this latter consideration, a regard for their own interests should induce the Chinese authorities to make provision for the ample development and maintenance of a thorough and extensive system of coast lighting. To illustrate the magnitude of those interests, it is only necessary to bring properly before them facts derived from their official returns of trade at the treaty ports, according to which foreign nations engaged in commerce in the year 1869 with China contributed to the revenues of the empire in exports, imports, and other duties 9,643,201 taels.
This large sum is actually paid by commercial nations into the treasury of China; but it is by no means the greatest material benefit conferred upon the empire by the foreign trade. The constant and increasing demand for the teas and other natural productions, as well as for the various useful articles which give employment to the industry of [Page 96] the people of China, and the importation into China of many productions and manufactures entering into daily use and consumption by the people, which can only be derived by them from beyond the seas, constitute an economic exchange, the benefits of which such eminent statesmen as his Highness Prince Kung and others connected with the imperial government must be too wise to underrate. The same official returns before referred to show the nature of this trade. According to those returns the value of the articles exported from China to foreign countries in 1869 were one hundred and seventeen million nine hundred and fifty-one thousand nine hundred taels; and the value of articles imported into China from foreign countries is sixty-nine million eight hundred and seven thousand nine hundred taels.
Mr. Seward, in his dispatch before referred to, informs the Department that there has been a very considerable reduction in the corps of officers originally organized under Mr. Hartis’s plan; that the marine commissioner, Captain C. S. Forbes, who has been at the head of the corps, has become annoyed at the contraction of the staff of his department, and is about to return to England; and that he informed Mr. Seward that it would require two or two and a half years to place the material now on hand or ordered; and that one or two engineers are urgently required for the work. He also informed Mr. Seward that he considered it essential to the proper progress of the work that a successor to himself should be secured. Mr. Seward proposed to take an early occasion to invite your attention and that of Admiral Rodgers to the propriety of urging upon the government at Peking the need of their appointing a chief for the department, and the engineers declared by Captain Forbes to be requisite. Captain Forbes informed Mr. Seward that to complete the works already undertaken from thirty to forty thousand pounds sterling would be required.
Mr. Seward expressed the opinion that this money will not be provided by the Chinese government with reasonable rapidity, unless the ministers make urgent and continual representations in the matter. He states that the government might provide the amount and enough more to carry the original plan to completion within five years without expending the whole of their current receipts from tonnage dues, which branch of their revenue is nominally levied to support, and is properly applicable to, such works.
I will thank you to take this subject into consideration, and to give the Department the benefit of your opinion upon it. If you agree with Mr. Seward as to the expediency and propriety of the course suggested by him, you are authorized to urge the Chinese government to make the appointments and to devote the tonnage duties referred to to the work, so far as it may be necessary to its energetic prosecution.
The general interest of the other maritime powers in this important subject will render it proper for you to make known to their diplomatic representatives the course which you may adopt, and to secure their co-operation if possible.
I am, &c.,