proportion of the Chinese
immigrants who come to our shores do not come voluntarily, to make their
homes with us and their labor productive of general prosperity, but come
under contracts with headmen, who own them almost absolutely. In a worse
form does this apply to Chinese women. Hardly a perceptible percentage
of them perform any honorable labor, but they are brought for shameful
purposes, to the disgrace of the communities where settled and to the
great demoralization of the youth of those localities. If this evil
practice can be legislated against, it will be my pleasure as well
as duty to enforce any regulation to secure so desirable an end.

It is hoped that negotiations between the Government of Japan and the
treaty powers, looking to the further opening of the Empire and to the
removal of various restrictions upon trade and travel, may soon produce
the results desired, which can not fail to inure to the benefit of all
the parties. Having on previous occasions submitted to the consideration
of Congress the propriety of the release of the Japanese Government from
the further payment of the indemnity under the convention of October 22,
1864, and as no action had been taken thereon, it became my duty to
regard the obligations of the convention as in force; and as the other
powers interested had received their portion of the indemnity in full,
the minister of the United States in Japan has, in behalf of this
Government, received the remainder of the amount due to the United
States under the convention of Simonosaki. I submit the propriety of
applying the income of a part, if not of the whole, of this fund to the
education in the Japanese language of a number of young men to be under
obligations to serve the Government for a specified time as interpreters
at the legation and the consulates in Japan. A limited number of
Japanese youths might at the same time be educated in our own
vernacular, and mutual benefits would result to both Governments.
The importance of having our own citizens, competent and familiar with
the language of Japan, to act as interpreters and in other capacities
connected with the legation and the consulates in that country can not
readily be overestimated.

The amount awarded to the Government of Great Britain by the mixed
commission organized under the provisions of the treaty of Washington in
settlement of the claims of British subjects arising from acts committed
between April 13, 1861, and