Article 1, strike out the words “the claims of the American citizens Dr. Charles Easton, Edmund Sartori, and the owners of the whale ship William Lee against the Government of Peru, and the Peruvian citizen Stephen Montano against the Government of the United States,” and insert:  all claims of citizens of the United States against the Government of Peru and of citizens of Peru against the Government of the United States which have not been embraced in conventional or diplomatic agreement between the two Governments or their plenipotentiaries, and statements of which soliciting the interposition of either Government may previously to the exchange of the ratifications of this convention have been filed in the Department of State at Washington or the department for foreign affairs at Lima, etc.

This amendment is considered desirable, as there are believed to be other claims proper for the consideration of the commission which are not among those specified in the original article, and because it is at least questionable whether either Government would be justified in incurring the expense of a commission for the sole purpose of disposing of the claims mentioned in that article.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

WASHINGTON, February 5, 1863.

To the Senate of the United States: 

I submit to the Senate, for consideration with a view to ratification, a “convention between the United States of America and the Republic of Peru, providing for the reference to the King of Belgium of the claims arising out of the capture and confiscation of the ships Lizzie Thompson and Georgiana,” signed at Lima on the 20th December, 1862.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

WASHINGTON, February 6, 1863.

To the Senate of the United States: 

In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the United States of yesterday, requesting information in regard to the death of General Ward, a citizen of the United States in the military service of the Chinese Government, I transmit a copy of a dispatch of the 27th of October last, its accompaniment, from the minister of the United States in China.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

WASHINGTON, February 6, 1863.

To the Senate of the United States: 

I transmit herewith a report[7] from the Secretary of State, with accompanying documents, in answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 30th ultimo.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

[Footnote 7:  Relating to the building of ships of war for the Japanese Government.]

WASHINGTON, February 10, 1863.

To the Senate of the United States: 

In answer to the resolution of the Senate of yesterday, requesting information touching the visit of Mr. Mercier to Richmond in April last, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, to whom the resolution was referred.