Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1845-12-04

0D6efveo. E4N6 sSSulgu ~ plof0ts 49, 80
to lay the subject before Congress, and g re-
commend such legislation as may pc necessary
! to give effect 10 these treaty obligations.
By virtue Of an Arrangement made oe.Ween
the Spanish government andthai q we uni .s.S
States. in December. 1881, American vessels,
since the tweniy-ninth Of April, 1857, nave.
been adnittedE 70 entry in the ports q Si1ain,
Including those 81 the Balearic and canary
Islands, on payhient Of the same tonnage guy
Of five cents her ton, as though they bad
been Sprnish vessels; and this, whether our
vessels arrive IN Spain directly from the INIT
ed States, Or indirectly from any other coantry
= When Congress, by the act Of the thirteenth
i Of July, 1882, gave effect 70 this arrangement
ibetweenthe two governments, they confined the
reduction Of tonnage duty merely to Spanish
vessels "coming iron port IN Spain" leaving
4 the former discriminating duty to remain u
lgainSt such vessels coming from q port in any
Iother country. II Is pnanilestly unjust that
hshilst American vessels, arriving in the ports
lof Spain from other countries, pay no more du.
Ity than Spanish vessels, Spanish vessels atrivt
ing in the ports OF the United States tFomother
lcountfies should be subjected TO heavy dscIms-
mating tonnage duties, Tiiis i neither cqaali-
ty nor reciprocity. aud is in violation of the arr
u arrangement concluded in December, 1881, be-
5ltween the two cot,ntfles. The Spanish gov
ernment have made repeated and earnest re-
monstyances against this inequality, and The
Favorable atteniion OF ongress has been several
times invoked 10 the subject by my predecessors
III recommend, rs an act Of Justice to Spain, thai
this inequality be removed by Congress. and
that the discriminating duties which have
been levied under the act Of the thirteelth q
July, hS23, on Spanish vessels coming 70 the
: United StatesIirom any other foreign country
be refunded. This Recommendation does mol
embrace Spanish vessels arriving in the INF
ITlted States from Cnba and Porto Rico, which
will remain subjectto the provisions OF the act
iof June thirtieth, 1884, concerning tonnage
duty nisuch vessels.
Blythe act Sf the fourteenth of July, 1889,
coffee was exempted from duty altogether
This exemption vas universal, without refer
ence TO the country where it was produced, or
THE national character Of the vessel in which
lit was imported BY the tariifaet of2the Thrift
Jeth Of August, 1912, this exemption from duty
was restricted 10 coffee imported in American
i vessels from the placeof its production; whilst
coffee imported underall other circumstances
was subjected TO u duty oftwenty per cent al
raLorem. Under this act, and our existing
treaty with the King of tie Netherlands, Java
coffee imported from the Europeanports Of that
.kiagdom into the United States, whether in
Dutch or American vessels. now pays this rate
of duty. The government of the Netherlands
! complains that such discriminating duty
should have been imposed on coffee, the pro-
;, ducton Of one of its colonies, and which is
chiefly brought from Java TO the ports Of that
kingdom, and exported from thence to fpseign
countries. Our trade with the NetheraR ds is
N highly beneficial 10 both countries, and cur re-
:. lations with them have ever been OF tllf most
friendly character Under all the circ.lhstan-
ces ot the case, recommend that tlfs dis
: elimination should be abolished, and tint the
coffee of Java supported from tile Netherlands
be placed upon the same footing with tkht i'm.
ported directly from Brazil and other countries
where il is produced
81 Under the eighth section Of the tariff sact o.
the 3oth Aug. 1912, "a duty of fifteen coats pei
I gallon was imposed On Port wine in fasks
} while, on the red wines Of the several Other
: countries, when imported in casks, "a duty o.
r only six cents per gallon was imposed, d This
DISCRIMINATION, so taraslregarded the Port wine
of Portugal, was deemed violation OF Cur trea.
:; ty with that Power which provides, tlaIt g Nc
J. higher or other di4aies shall be imposedIon the
importation into the United States Of America
t of any article the growth, produce or rnanufac.
ture|of the kingdom and possessions OIL ortu.
gal, than such as are or shall he payablaon the
r like article being the growth, produce, n man
. lufacture of any other foreign country + Ac
: teordingly, to give effect TO the treaty, Is wei
!; las to the intention al Congress, expressad in
proviso to the tafiact itself, that nothing there
. Ia contained should be so construed as % inter-
j ;erewith subsisting treaties with foreign na-
+ tions, treasury circular was issued pn tie
: 9Th Of July, 1914, 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 Tie
Iexcesslof duties which had been collected Oh
/ such wine should be refunded. By virtue 8
} another clause in the same section OF Tile act
lit is provided that aliimitatons OF Port, Or any
: otheY1wihes, "shall be subject to the dttty pro
vided for the genuine article" Imitations o
t Port wine, the production of France, IRE, I'm
J ported to some extent into the United States
: and the government Of that country now claim,
! that, under a correct construction Of the act
J these limitations ought not to pay higher duty
J, than that imposed upon the original Port wine
; lof Portugal II appears to me to be 3unequa
{ andunjust that French limitations of Poft wine
: should BE- subjected to q duty OF fifteen cents
while the more valuable article from Portuga
7 should pay duty ofIsix cents only per gallon
5 therefore recommend 10 Congress such legis
r ation as may be necessary to correct the ine
: Iqualityl
e The late President. in his annual niessag,
e lof December last, recommended an aaRfoprla
: ton to satisfy the claims OF tile Texan govern
r ment against the United States, which.hhd bcel
previously adjusted, 80 Tar as the powers OF Iii
= Executive extend. These claims areseo out Q
7 the act Of dsarming i body Of Texan troops IN
r der the command OF Major Snively, By an off
lcer in the service of the United States. actin!
/ under the orders Of bur government; and tb
e forcible entry into the custom house atBryarly'
/ Handing, on Red river, by certain citizens of III,
United States, and taking away thercrom tn.
) goods seized by the collector Of the customs a.
i forfeited under the laws Of Texas. This was i
: liquidated debt. ascertained TO be due to Texas
r when an independent State. Her acceptance
! of the terms o annexation proposed hy Tie Uni.
. ted States does not discharge or invaiidatc the
claim. ! recommend that provision be made
for its payment.
u The commissioner appointed to China during
the special session the Senate in Marchasi
i-..o...y :e:erwardst out on his missicain the
United States ship Columbus. Jon arriving al
Rio de Janeiro Oh his passage, the state oil his
health had become 80 critical, that, blythe ad-
vice of his medical attendants, be returned 10
the United States carly in the month Of October
4. last. Commodore Biddle, commanding the
East India squadron, proceeded on his voyag
in the Columbus, and was charged by the COM