No. 254.
General Schenck to Mr. Fish.
London, October 9, 1874. (Received October 24.)
Sir: Lord Derby having been out of town continuously since the prorogation of Parliament, and during much of that time with the Queen in Scotland, as minister in attendance, it was only yesterday that I could arrange for and have an interview with him as instructed by your No. [Page 581] 603,* in relation to the question of exterritoriality in Japan. After referring his lordship to your instructions to me on the 21st of Jane, 1873, and my report to you of my interview and conversation with Lord Granville on the 19th of July following, (published in Part I of the Diplomatic Correspondence for 1873, pages 382–400,) and expressing to him the impressions of the President, still entertained, as to the importance of continued concert between the treaty powers, and of their keeping each other informed of their mutual determination to adhere to the policy of co-operation, I read to him those parts of your instructions, Nos. 35 and 65, to Mr. Bingham, which you authorized me in this manner to communicate.
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Lord Derby took some notes of the substance of these extracts of instructions to Mr. Bingham, and said he regarded your views as “exceedingly satisfactory.” He expressed entire and cordial concurrence on the part of Her Majesty’s government in the policy you indicate as proper to be pursued. He seemed to distinguish clearly between that common general policy and course to be observed by the treaty powers, and any question or doubt that might arise as to its applicability to a specific case, like that of the servant of the translating secretary of the British legation. Of course I did not enter into any discussion of the point involved in the claim of immunity for that person under the circumstances.
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His lordship was evidently gratified by the communication of instructions which I thus made to him; and, as we parted, he remarked to me that it “came very opportunely,” for he had just appointed an interview with the Japanese minister at this court, who had requested a conference as soon as might be convenient after his return to town.
I am, &c.,
- Similar to the instruction to the legation in Germany, No. 703. Foreign Relations, 1874, page 460.↩