The Express.
London, England, 1862-05-03 00:00:00

THE JAPANESE MISSION.

Yesterday the Japanese ambassadors ha,' au
interview with Earl Russell, by appointment, at the
Foreign-office. On coming to this country they had at
' once notified their snivel to the Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs, and asked him to appoint a time to receive
them. Lord Russell as promptly returned an answer, tisitig
yesterday at 3 o'clock, and accordingly the three envoys, with
the Vice-Governor, two of the chief of oers of their suite,
and an interpreter, by whom they are accompanied to Lag.
land,. with Mr. Mainald, an attache of the English 64,
ties in Japan, who is specially deputed to take charge of the
'Minion, paid the Secretary of State en official visit. An
autograph letter from the Tycoon to the Queen had been
previously forwarded to her Majesty, Si had also to
Berl Russell a communication addremed to his lordship by
the two Ministers for Foreign Affairs in their own cum.
try. The ambassadors went from Claridge 's Hotel, in
Brook-street, where the/ are staying, to the Foreign-office,
in private carriages. The visit was purely complimentary,
and there were present at it, besides Earl Russell, Mr. Lay.
aid and Mr. Hammond. In the course of the conversation
the Secretary of State told them he had presented the
letter of the Tycoon to her Majesty, and they expressed their
grateful sense of the considerate kindoess of his lordship for
having made arrangements enabling them to witness the
ceremony of opening the International Exhibition on Thurs.
dayorith which they were greatly delighted. On leaving the
Foreign-office they were driven round Hyde-park and then
returned to their quarters in Brook-street, over which a very
handsome flag now floats, and which has been displayed at
their special request. The material is of white silk, with a
large red disc in the centre, intended to represent the rising
run, their national emblem. The mission consists of 3ti
persons in all—namely, the three ambassadors, a vice-
governor, a confidential adviser, 18 affirms, and 14 servants,
besides Mr. Macdonald (not major, by the way). The
principal minister is a man of fifty-too and the two others
are some twenty years younger. The first two, besides
being envoys, are governors of provinces in their
*alive country, and the third holds rank there
equivalent to as under-secretary of state with ns.
Their primary sad ostensible object its visiting Europe is to
urge upon the governments with whom they have treaty
powers the gradual and careful opening of the porta of
Japan which their government have stipulated to open
for commercial in preference to an attempt to
develop. with anythis g like inconsiderste haste relations
of that kind with the Japanese, which might possibly
lead to disturbance, and so defeat or unnecessarily
retard the ends which enlightened men on all
sides have in view. For this purpose they have been
empowered to treat with the governments of France, Eng-
land, Holland, Frown, Ramie, and Portugal ; but they
are, over and above, strongly animated with the desire
to see as much as possible of the arsenals, camps, dock-
yard', and the various manufacturing processes in those
countries, which they will visit in turn. France now ex-
cepted, returning there, however, to embark on their
voyage homeward. They will stay with us for about a
mouth, cud will visit, among other places, the arsenal at
Woolwich, the camp at Aldershott, and several of the
manufacturing district.. They have brought with them •
number of mad tefar her Majesty, which will be
shown in the Exhibition, so will also many of their natural
products, amenelly mineralsand specious. of their native
industry. It may be mentioned that the ambemadon have
accepted an invitation to attend the Civil Service Volunteer
ball at Willis'iproorm on Monday night.