No. 16a.

                     Mr. Seward to Mr. Cadwalader.

No. 798.]                UNITED STATES CONSULATE-GENERAL,
                   Shanghai, August 27, 1874. (Received October 12.)
  SIR: I have the honor to hand to you herewith a copy of a letter
which I have received from the manager of the Great Northern Tele-
graph Company, together with Mr. De Lano's letter therein referred to,
and an English copy of the agreement between the company and the
authorities of the Fohkien province for the establishment of a telegraph
between Foochow and Amoy. I hand you also copy of a letter addressed
by me to Mr. Sheppard, at Tien-tsin, and Mr. Lord, at Ningpo, in regard
to telegraphs. The present moment is opportune to urge these matters
upon the Chinese, and I am using my best efforts to do so here and to
encourage our several consuls to do the same thing.
   I cannot too highly commend the action of Mr. De Lano in the case of
the Foochow and Pagoda anchorage telegraph and the Foochow and
Amoy line.
   You will understand that we are all actuated in these matters by a sin-
cere desire to do what we can to promote the interests of civilization and
humanity in this vast empire.
   There is no American company in the field; and we are perhaps
stronger in speaking for the Danes than we could be in speaking for
ourselves.
       IJam, &c.,
                                             GEORGE F. SEWARD.


                             [Inclosure 1 in No. 798.1
 Ln. 1569.
                           Mr. Dreyer to Mr. Sewara.
                                 GREAT NORTHERN TELEGRAPH COMPANY,
                                         Chief Office, Shanghai, August 26,
1874.
   SiR: I beg to submit to you copy of a letter received yesterday from Mr.
M. M. Da
 Lano, United States consul at Foo-Chow, and also copy in English and Chinese
of the
 agreement referred to in the same letter.
   I do this in the intention of having your assistance in bringing the matter
before
 such of the Chinese officials, and in such manner as you deem most likely
to have in-
 fluence and wisdom enough to see the advantages to China in adopting the
agreement.
 I shall not enter upon any details, as the document actually speaks for
itself.
   If you think that the agreement is fair and likely to be approved of by
other Chinese
 authorities, say for lines from Shanghai to Nankin,from Shanghai to Tien-tsin
and Pe-
 king, or between Ningpo and Hankow, or from there to Shanghai, I beg you
to make
 use of it for furthering the establishing of these lines, this company beir
g willing to
 carry out these lines without delay, if the permission through such an agreement
can
 be procured from the local authorities concerned.
   With the trust that you wil use the most expedient means to advocate this
matter,
 which is of like interest to all foreigners in China,
      I have,' &c.,
                                                               DREYER.


                             [Inclosure 2 in No. 79S.]
                          Mr. De Laao to Mr. Dreyer.
                                                 FoocHow, A ugust 22, 1874.
   My DEAR SIn: I have in a former letter informed you that on the 1st day
of the
 present month I received the assent of the provincial authorities here to
the erection
 of a telegraph-line from this port to Auoy, overland, by the company which
you re--


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