The quantity of land, the value thereof, and the terms of service, were determined by commissioners in the several provinces. The proceedings are voluminous, and the results variant. This illustrious decree was passed by the Emperor the 17th February, 1861, (O. S.) It has been bravely carried out. At first there was great opposition on the part of the nobles. The limited service was not understood by the peasants, and many mutinies broke out, which were often encouraged by the proprietors, but they were promptly put down by the army. The serfs were not slow to find out that the Emperor was their true friend; the army sympathized with the government, and the nobles were left without the power of resistance. The great fires in St. Petersburg (1862) were thought to be by ther instigation, to create a pauper and revolutionary element. The Emperor came in from Tzarshot Leto, and without a guard, as is his custom. He rode alone with the Héritier and two aides de camp, and superintended the suppression of the fires, and by his courage extinguished all hopes of a successful revolt. Since then the system has, after a little "vis-inertiæ" at first, worked well, and proprietors look for an early recovery of their ancient revenues.

2. Municipal franchises.-These extend to the economical expenditures of the local administrations, and to the election of justices of the peace, and so on.

3. New code of laws.-The new code of laws is the result of the work of a commission (who have studied all the codes of the more civilized nations) revised by the imperial council. It was promulgated by an ukase dated 20th November, 1864, (O. 8.)

There are five tribunals: 1. Justices of the peace, elected for three years by the whole land-holders. 2. Sessions of justices—that is, a number of justices, forming a court of appeals from the decision of a single justice. 3. Circuit courts. 4. Judicial chambers. 5. The senate; the highest court of appeal. All but justices of the peace are appointed by the Crown. The courts now will sit with open doors, verbal testimony will be allowed, attorneys appointed, and, in criminal cases, trial by jurors elected by the people. These great reforms are the beginning of a new era. Railroads and telegraphs and manufactures are encouraged. A great future lies before the nation.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

C. M. CLAY.

No. 70.]

Mr. Clay to Mr. Seward.

LEGATION OF the United States,

St. Petersburg, Russia, January 12-24, 1865. SIR: Your despatch No. 116 and circular No. 205 are received. The execution of your despatch No. 112 being left to my discretion, I refrained from making a formal invitation to the Grand Duke Constantine through the usual channel, the foreign department, thinking it best to communicate directly with himself. So last night, at a ball at the Winter Palace, I told him that our government had desired me to say that it would be agreeable to them to have him visit the United States for a few months-see our country and our people. That we understood the course he had taken in the liberal reforms of Russia; and whilst we were ready to honor all of the imperial family, yet there seemed to be especial propriety in selecting him as the nation's guest. That he could dictate the terms of the invitation, could make it more formal, or come apparently of his own motion; but that in either case we would give him such an ovation as had not often been seen since the fall of the Roman empire.

His Imperial Highness seemed much gratified at our good will. He said, "Nothing would give him more pleasure than to visit America; that he had always desired to see it; that it had been the intention of his father, the Emperor Nicholas, to send him there, but that he had unfortunately married at about the age of nineteen years; that a man should never marry till he was twenty-five or thirty; that even now he should be glad to carry out lis original design, but he had lately been appointed the president of the council of the empire, the duties of which were important just now; and he could not possibly be absent. He thanked me and the government for our kindness, and expressed again his regret at not being able to accept our hospitality." I urged him not to decide at once, but to take time for consideration. He replied, "he could not now alter his resolve; but that he would not abandon forever the hope of yet seeing our country, and examining our navy for himself."

During the same evening his Imperial Majesty said to me that his brother had advised him of our conversation, and that he desired to return me his thanks for my amiable intentions towards his family. I replied that he government had left it to my discretion how to deliver their invitation and that I had thought it best to communicate directly with his imperial brother. He said I was quite right; but as the grand duke had been made president of the council, it was impossible now to spare his services.

So at present we must rest content with the result. I am convinced, however, that the compliment is duly appreciated, and will forward that good understanding between us, which seems to be more and more confirmed each year of my sojourn at this court.

Mr. J. Curtin was presented to his Imperial Majesty on the first of January, 1865, O. S., and addressed him in the Russian language. To this fact, so rare here, the Emperor alluded last night, and said Mr. Curtin pronounced Russian like a native. Such compliments to Russian nationality, which is very intense, are not unappreciated here by the Emperor or the people.

I am, sir, with great respect, your most obedient servant,

SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of your communication of the 2d ultimo to the Russian minister for foreign affairs, upon the subject of the Chinese telegraph in completion of Mr. Collins's design of the intercontinental line. You will, by a perusal of my instruction of the 13th ultimo, (No. 108,) have confirmed your observation to Prince Gortchacow, that in your proceedings you but anticipated the wishes of this government.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

SIR: Your despatch of the 8th ultimo, No. 68, treating of the emancipation of the serfs, and the promulgation by the Emperor of a new code of laws, has

been received. These reforms are very creditable to the government of Russia, and they cannot but be gratifying to friends of liberty and humanity throughout the world.

SIR: I have received your despatch of the 16th of January, No. 69. I shall take great pleasure in communicating to the navy the note of Vice-Admiral Kralbe, the Russian minister of marine, on the subject of the monitors.

Captain Glisson, of the Saintiago de Cuba, has just left me. He was active in the two terrific and effective bombardments of Fort Fisher. He speaks in terms of unbounded admiration of the monitors which were engaged on those occasions, and declares that while some of them have defects, not by any means irremediable, yet that as a class those vessels are invaluable for purposes of national defence.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

CASSIUS M. CLAY, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

No. 130.]

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Mr. Seward to Mr. Clay.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, February 27, 1865.

SIR: I have received your despatch of the 12th (24th) ultimo, No. 70, in which you inform me that you had delivered to his Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Constantine the invitation which you were requested to convey to him in instruction No. 112. It gives me pleasure to express my approval and commendation of the manner in which you proceeded to comply with that request. It is very much regretted that the grand duke is unable to accept the invitation; but it is hoped that at some future and not distant time he may find it possible so to honor the government and people of the United States.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

CASSIUS M. CLAY, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Mr. Clay to Mr. Seward.

No. 72.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

St. Petersburg, Russia, March 24, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to enclose you all the correspondence between this legation and the Russian government concerning the intercontinental telegraph, marked C C C.

I am glad to inform you, also, that the charter to P. McD. Collins & Co. has (after long and elaborate specifications made) been substantially agreed to, by the representatives of the company and the Russian government, as originally approved by the Emperor Alexander, in 1863, and is now the law of the land. 24 D C *

I congratulate you upon this auspicious result, which marks a new era in the intercommunications of the nations, and which must greatly promote the civilization of our race, and tend to bind all to keep the peace of the world.

As soon as the grant is formally reported, I will enclose you a copy in full. I have the honor to be your most obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

C. M. CLAY.

P. S.-Mr. Hiram Sibley left for Berlin a few days ago, and Mr. Perry McDonald Collins will set out for the same place to-morrow, by whom I send you this despatch.

CLAY.

No. 57.]

ССС.

Mr. Clay to Prince Gortchacow.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, St. Petersburg, Russia, November 20, (Dec. 2,) 1864. The undersigned has the honor to enclose to his excellency Prince Gortchacow, vicechancellor and minister of foreign affairs, a paper marked A A, by Perry McD. Collins, esq., upon the subject of a Chinese telegraph. Mr. Collins, in completion of his design of the intercontinental telegraph now being built between Russia and the United States, desired to extend the Russian portion of the line into China; and at some future time, perhaps, into Japan, and other countries lying in that direction.

The reasons for such extension are therein fully stated, and leave the undersigned nothing to add. He is assured that the Western Union Telegraph Company, of the State of New York, who are the corporators laying the intercontinental line, have the pecuniary means to make the Chinese line ready, and think they will be able to complete the said line in one year after commencing the work.

The American minister feels that he will but anticipate the wishes of his government in asking the co-operation of the imperial foreign department in procuring from the authorities at Pekin the necessary grants to authorize the above-named company to undertake the work.

The undersigned has reason to believe that England has already sought to connect India with China by telegraphic lines; and should she succeed, the commercial intelligence of those vast, populous, and wealthy regions might be permanently diverted from the Russian line, which is the natural route to western Europe.

The American minister need not suggest to his excellency that the interests of Russia and America in this project are identical, nor urge upon him the necessity of joining our minister at Pekin in soliciting the necessary grants of power.

The American minister begs leave to renew to Prince Gortchacow the assurance of his most distinguished consideration.

A A.

Mr. Collins to Mr. Clay.

C. M. CLAY.

ST. PETERSBURG, November 16-28, 1864. EXCELLENCY: The progress of telegraphs within the last fifteen years has been so eminently, practically successful, that we may assume that their usefulness has not as yet satisfied the wants of the whole world. When some eight or ten years since I proposed the construction of a telegraph to unite Europe with America across Asiatic Russia, but few persons could be found to listen attentively to a plan that appeared so difficult of solution. Since that time, however, the telegraph in natural development has outstripped even the hopes of many of its best friends, while its enemies have been left in utter dismay. I need not recount to your excellency either the history or the progress of the idea of telegraphic union between Russia and the United States, because you have been a co-worker and advo cate in this great undertaking.

Russia, England, and the United States have united in according o me certain privileges, under which it is hoped, with the aid of ready capital, to achieve telegraphic union between Europe and the United States. In the general plan as originally indicated, a line of telegraph was proposed, branching from the Siberian telegraph, at Kijachta, and passing thence through Pekin to Tien Tsin, Nankin, Shanghai, Amoy and Canton, to Hong Kong.

Passing over the history of what has been achieved within the last three years, both in America and in Russia, we find at this moment that the telegraph touches Kijachta, continuously, from Cape Clear, in Ireland-thus spanning the whole breadth of Europe, and more than half of Asia; while on the American side of the world, Cape Race has been united to the Pacific at Olympia, on Puget's sound, more than eight hundred miles north of San Francisco. Thus we have seen these two converging systems from opposite sides of the world tending towards a common centre-India and China. Russia stretches her wires towards the Pacific from the west; the United States reaches the Pacific from the east. When and where the union of these two forces shall take place must, in the nature of things, find a solution. Both systems need much encouragement, and all the aids of commerce, to make them remunerative in a commercial point of view. Telegraphic contact with China has always been one of the leading inducements in the construction of an overland telegraph from America to Europe. The commerce between China and America on one hand, and China and Europe on the other, is of gigantic proportions now. What will that commerce be when steam and telegraph have developed a tithe of its interior capabilities? England in striving to unite India by telegraph has already expended more than two million pounds, and yet the work is not fully accomplished. After India has been reached, will there not be every inducement to penetrate into China?

Under the grants and privileges of the three powers over whose territory the telegraph has to pass in order to unite Europe with the United States, a company has been formed to construct a line so as to unite the United States with the Russian Siberian telegraph, and thus Europe with America.

The actual construction of this line on the American side is now being prosecuted, and it becomes necessary to provide if possible for the construction of a line which shall unite China with the Siberian telegraph, and thus bring the commerce of China up to the Siberian line, and thus on to Europe and America as commerce may require. The construction of a telegraph from Kijachta to Pekin, and thence on through the great commercial centres of China, need not be discussed at any great length in order to prove its great importance, commercially and politically. Russia has constructed a great extent of telegraph on from the borders of Europe into the centre of northern Asia, through a country where the local business of a telegraph cannot be very lucrative. Therefore, if by any means great centres of population and commerce are brought in contact with a local non-productive line, great advantages must necessarily accrue. Thus, by the construction of a line from Kijachta on to Pekin and the commercial cities of China, a great number of despatches would come over the whole extent of the Russian lines in order to reach China, and, vice versa, Europe; and when the continuation of the Siberian telegraph shall have come in contact with the prolongation of the American system, the span will have become complete, and the whole telegraphic system of Russia will teem with the commerce of the whole world, and Russia will stand as the intermediary between Europe and America, uniting them with China and Japan through northern Asia. Your excellency is well informed of the wishes of our own government upon the proposition of intercontinental telegraphic communication through Russia; consequently, little need be said on that branch of the question. It is also well known to you what steps have been taken and what progress has been made in regard to the achievement of the intercontinental Russian American telegraph.

Under the privileges accorded me, a company has been formed to construct a line of telegraph from the United States on to meet the Russian Siberian telegraph. This company has provided sufficient capital with a view to construct a line through China to connect with the Siberian line at Kijachta. Negotiations have been commenced to procure the action of the Chinese government, but we do not desire to proceed in this matter without first notifying his Imperial Majesty's government of our intentions, because we desire above all to be in perfect accord with Russia in this undertaking, which is to prove mutually advantageous and beneficial. Steps have been taken, and undoubtedly our minister, the Hon. Anson Burlingame, will be instructed in due time, by our government, to forward the views of our company so as to secure concessions and aid from the Chinese government with the view of uniting Canton, via Pekin, with Kijachta. It would be a very great step in the right direction if the imperial government of Russia would find it advisable to notify the imperial minister at Pekin of the facts in this case, and, if agreeable and advisable, that a joint effort be made by the Russian minister and the minister of the United States before the Pekin government in view of securing such rights and privileges as would ultimately lead to the construction of this proposed telegraph. We think further delay is now dangerous, because the progress of telegraphs has satisfied most inquiring minds that it is difficult to assign to the telegraph very narrow limits. If this telegraph is not quickly pushed up from southern China, so as to unite upon the Russian line, a new direction will be given to European contact with China, and a line will be pushed across southern China to India, and thus the despatches from China will reach Europe by a route avoiding the Russian lines altogether.