Sir H.S. Parkes to Earl Granville.—(Received February 1, 1884)

(No. 45)
My Lord,
Tien-tsin, December 7, 1883

I HAVE the honour to inclose a translation of a note which I received from the President of the Corean Foreign Office on the subject of the letter addressed last year by the King of Corea to the Queen.
The Corean Government are particularly anxious that this letter should be acknowledged by Her Majesty, and in my despatch No. 42 of yesterday’s date, reporting the particulars of my recent negotiations, I showed that his subject had to be considered as soon as those negotiations commenced.
If it should please Her Majesty to ratify the Treaty which I have concluded with Corea as her Plenipotentiary, I am certainly of opinion that the Representative who shall be commissioned to exchange the ratifications should be the bearer of a reply from the Queen to the letter of the King.
I add a copy of my answer to the President of the Foreign Office, in which I stated that I should report to my Government the receipt of his Excellency’s communications.
The German Minister received a similar note, and returned a similar reply.

I have, &c.
(Signed)　　HARRY S. PARKES

Inclosure 1

Min Yöng-mok to Sir H.S. Parkes.

(Translation)
Kuei Wei, 10th moon, 25th day (November 24, 1883)

MIN, President of the Corean Foreign Office, makes a communication to the British Plenipotentiary.
After the signature of the Treaty last year, the Sovereign of the President's country made an official communication to Her Majesty the Queen, which was handed in person by a high officer of the Corean Government to the high officer of the British Government for transmission to its destination.
As yet there has been no reply to this official communication, and on the occasion of the negotiations for a fresh Treaty during the present year, the President, on inquiring into the cause, was informed by his Excellency the British Plenipotentiary, in reply, that it was not customary for the Sovereigns of two countries to enter into personal correspondence previous to the exchange of ratified Treaties.
The President, on the faith of this assurance, reported the circumstances to his Sovereign, who was graciously pleased to acquiesce, and has accordingly commanded the President, upon the conclusion of the Treaty negotiations, to write officially to his Excellency the British Plenipotentiary upon the subject of the communication of last year, and to request him to submit it to the notice of Her Majesty his Sovereign, in order that, when the ratifications of the present Treaty shall be exchanged, the British Plenipotentiary may bring with him a reply from Her Britannic Majesty the Queen to the official communication of His Majesty the King of Corea.
It is important that this should be done as a manifestation of good faith.

Inclosure 2

Sir H.S. Parkes to Min Yöng-mok.
Söul, November 27, 1883
Sir,

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency’s note of the 24th instant, on the subject of the letter addressed by His Majesty the King of Corea to Her Majesty the Queen when the Treaty of last year was signed.
In reply, I beg to inform your Excellency that I shall not fail to report to my Government the receipt of this communication in order that its contents may be duly submitted to the notice of my august Sovereign.

I have, &c.
(Signed)　　HARRY S. PARKES