Whereas on the 8th day of November, 1858, a convention was entered into between the United States and China for the settlement of claims against the latter by citizens of the United States, and in pursuance thereof an amount of five hundred thousand taels, making seven hundred thousand dollars in gold, or thereabouts, was paid by China, out of which sum, after the satisfaction of all claims exhibited by citizens of the United States, there remains in the hands of the United States an unappropriated surplus, amounting, with interest and exchange, to four hundred thousand dollars in currency, or thereabouts, which sum is now in custody of the Department of State: Now, therefore, _Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled_, That the unappropriated surplus now in the hands of the United States, under the convention with China, of November 8, 1858, be refunded to the Government of China; and it shall be the duty of the President of the United States to see that this is carried into effect. APPENDIX. (A). Page 121. LETTER OF MR. SEWARD TO MR. SUMNER. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, June 21, 1862. SIR,--I duly received your letter of the 3d instant, accompanied by a copy of the resolution of the Senate of the 2d instant, referring to the consideration of the Committee on Foreign Relations of that part of the President’s Annual Message to Congress, of December last, which adverts to the difference between the amount stipulated to be paid by China in satisfaction of claims of United States citizens and the gross amount of the awards of the Commissioners appointed pursuant to the Act of Congress of the 3d of March, 1859. In compliance with your request for information and suggestion upon the subject, I have the honor to communicate a copy of the Convention, a copy of the Act to carry it into effect, a copy of all the correspondence on record or on file in the Department touching the matter, and all the original papers relating to the proceedings of the Commissioners. It is desirable that great care should be taken of these last, and that they should be returned to the Department as soon as the subject shall have been disposed of.