No. 133.
Mr. Fish
to Mr. Williams.
Washington, December 10, 1874.
Sir: Your dispatches Nos. 62 and 65 have been received, the inclosures of which contain copies of your correspondence with Prince Kung in reference to a request for the delivery of a Chinese criminal named Wan g-Yen-Ping, who had been charged with revolt and opposition to the authorities in China, and was reported to have fled to this country, and to have asserted that he was an envoy of the imperial government.
According to settled usage and practice in the United States, no extradition can be granted in the absence of treaty-provisions for that purpose, and then only for such crimes as may be specifically named therein.
Political offenses are universally excluded from the list of these offenses.
Should it in your judgment be worth while, you may assure Prince Kung that the pretensions of this refugee to be an envoy from China have not come to the notice of this Government, and that it is not likely that the acts complained of can produce any evil to the imperial government of China.
I am, &c.,