The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-12-18

- P'S''SHS ~ MINIMUM Wy SOuS cos hHC Iuut
: ciaFy did not possess the Power to Civ,
effect to this article of the treaty. Tn,
Prussiaa Government, through their min
3 lister here, have complained of this viola
: ton OF The treaty and have asked the Gov
, eminent of the United States TO adopt TIT
, necessary measures to prevent similar vi.
Citations hereafter. Good faith 10 Prussia
: as we'll as other nations with whom we
have similar treaty stipulations, requires
that these should be faithfully observed.
have deemed it proper, therefore, to lay
the subject before Congress, and TO recon-
mend such Legislation as may be necessa.
ry TO give effect to these treaty obliga-
tons.
By virtue OF an arrangement made be-
tween the Spanish Government and that
of the United States in December, 1881,
American vessels since the twenty ninth
of April, 1882, have been admitted to en-
try in the ports OF Spain, including those
OF the Baearic and Canary Islands, on
payment of Inc same tonnage duty of five
cents per ton, as though they had been
Spanish vessels; and this, whether our
vessels arrive in Spain directly from the
United States, or indirectly from any 9TH
er country. When Congress, by The act
of the thirteenth of July, 1882, gave effect
to this arrangement between the two gov>
ernmenls, they confined the reduction of
tonnage duty merely to Spanish vessels
"comlng from port in Spain," leaving
the former discriminating duty to remain
against such vessels coming from port
in any other country. It's manifes'ly un-
just that, whilst American vessels, arriving
in the ports OF Spain from other countries,
pay no more duty than Spanish vessels ar.
irving in the ports of the United States
! from other countries should be subjected
to heavy discriminating tonnage duties.
This is neither equality nor reciprocity,
and is in violation of the arrangeme ut
concluded in December, 1881, between
the two countries. The Spanish Govern
ment have made repeated and earnest re-
monstrances against this inequalty,and the
favorable attention of Congress has been
several times invoked to the subject by my
predecessors. recommend, as an act of
justice 10 Spain. tina: the inequality by
Congress, and that the discriminating do
ties which have been levied under the act
of the thirteenth of July. 1882, On Spanish
| vessels coming to the United States from
any other foreign country, be refunded
This recommendation does not embrace
Spanish vessels arriving in the United
States from Cuba and Porto Rico, which
will still remain subject 10 the provisions
of the act Of June lhirtielh, 1884, concern
ing tonnage.duty on such vessels.
By the Act of the fourteenth, of July,
1882, coffee was exempted from duty al
together. 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 Act of the thirtieth of Au-
gust, lS42, this exemption from duty was
restricted to coffee imported in American
vessels from the place of its production !;
whilst coffee imported under all other cir>
cumsiances was subjected TO duty of
twenty per cent. ad patorem. Under this
Act, and our existing treaty with the
King Of the Netherlands, Java Coffee i'm
ported from the European parts of that
Kingdom into the United States, whether
in Dutch or American vessels, now pays
this raie Of duty.
The Government of the Netherlands
complains that such 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 f'om 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 char
acter. Under all the circumstances ofthe
case, recommend that this discrmina
tion should be abolished, and that the cof>
fee of Java imported from the Netherlands
be placed upon the same footing with that
imported directly from Brazil and other
countries where it is produced.
| Under the eighth section Of the Tariff
Act Of the lhirieth of August, 1912, a
duty Of fifteen GEMS per gallon was i'm
posed on Port wine in casks, while, on
the red wines of several other countries,
when imported in casks, duty of only six
cents per gallon was imposed. This dis
criminalion, so far as regarded the Port
wine OF Portugal, was deemed violation
of our treaty with that Power. which pro.
vides. that No higher or other duties
shall be imposed on the importation into
the United SAFES OF America of any arti-
Gle, the growth, produce, or manufacture
of the kingdom and possessions of Ponn-
gal, than such as are or shall be payable
on the like article being the growth, pro-
duce. or manufacture of any other foreign
country" Accordingly, to give effect to
the treaty. as well as to the intention of
Congress expressed in proviso 10 the Ia
riff Act itself, that nothing therein cons