The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-24 00:00:00

and Porto Rico, which will still remain subject to the
provisions of the Act of June 30, 1834, concerning ton-
nage duty on such vessels.

fay the Act of the 14th of July, 1832, coffee was
exempted from duty altogether. this exemption was
universal, without reference to the country where it was
produced, or the national character of the vessel in
which it was imported. By the tariff of the 30th o;
August, 1842, this exemption from duty was restricted
to coffee imported in American vessels from the place of
its production ; whilst coffee imported under all other
circumstances was subjected to a duty of 20 per cent.
ad valorem. Under this Act, and our existing treaty
with the King of the Netherlands, Java coffee hie
ported from the European ports of that kingdom
into the United States, whether in Dutch or
American vessels, now pays this rate of duty.
The Government of the Netherlands complains that
such a discriminating duty should have been imposed
on coffee the production of one of its colonies, and which
is chiefly brought from Java to the ports of that kingdom,
and exported from thence to foreign countries. Our
trade with the Netherlands is highly beneficial to both
countries, and our relations with them have ever been of
the most friendly character. Under all the circum-
stances of the case, I recommend that this discrimination
should be abolished, end that the coffee of Java imported
Tom the Netherlands be placed upon the same footing
w:th that imported directly from Brazil and other coun-
tries where it is produced.
Under the eighth section of the Tariff Act of the 30th
of August, 1842, a duty of 15 cents per gallon was im-
posed on port wine in casks, while on the red wines ,d
several other countries, when huported in casks, a duty
of only six cents per gallon was imposed. This discri-
mination, so far as regarded the port wine of Portugal,
was deemed a violation of our treaty with that power,
which provides, that "no higher or other duties shall
be imposed on the importation into the United States of
America of any article the growth, produce, or Manufac-
ture of the kingdom and possessions of Portugal, than
such as are or shall be payable on the like article
being the growth, produce, or manufacture of any
other foreign country." Accordingly, to give effect
to the treaty, as well as to the intention of
Congress, expressed in a proviso to the Tariff Act itsalc
that nothing therein contained should be so construed as
to interfere with subsisting treaties with foreign nations,
a Treasury circular was issued on the 16th of July, 1844,
which, among other things, declared the duty on the
port wine of Portugal, in casks, under the existing laws
and treaty, to be six cents per gallon, and directed that
the excess of duty which had been collected on such
wine should be refunded. By virtue of another clause
in the same section of the Act, it is provided that all
imitations of port, or any other wines, " shall be subject
to the duty provided for the genuine article." Imitations
of port wine, the production of France, are imported to
some extent into the United States ; and the Govern-
ment of that country now claims that, under a correct
construction of the Act, these imitations ought not to
pay a higher duty than that imposed upon the original
port wine of Portugal. It appears to me to be unequal
and unjust, that French imitations of port wine should
be subjected to a duty of fifteen cents, while the more
valuable article from Portugal should pay a duty of six
cents only leer gallon. I therefore recommend to Con-
gress such legislation as may be necessary to correct the
inequality.