Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-12-11

ueu POlicy,tnal no future European col
ony dominion shall with our consent, Be
planted or established on any part Of
the Norh American continent.
A question has recently arisen under the
tenth article Of the subsisting treaty between
he United States and Prussia. BY this art-
Gle. the consuls of the two countries have the
right to sit as judges and arbitrator sin sucl.
| differences as may arise between the captains
| and crews OF the vessels belonging to the ma.
ton whose interests are committed to the:
! charge, without the interference of the local
authorities, unless the conduct of the crews
or OF the captain should disturb the order Or
tranquility of the country; or the said consus
should require their assistance to cause their
decisions to be carried into effect or supper
ted'
! The Prussian consul at New Bedford, in
June, 1874. applied 10 MIR. Justice Story to
| carry into effect decision made by him be-
tween the captain and crew of the Prussian
| ship Dorussa; but the request was refused on
] the ground that, without previous legislation
! by Congress, the Judiciary did not posses the
power to give effect to this article Of treaty
The Prussian government, TIN oagh their min
lister here, have complained Of this violation
of the treaty, and have asked the government
Of the United States to adopt the necessary
measures to prevent similar violations hereaf-
ter. Good faith to Prussia, as well as TO 9TH
err nations with whom we have similar treaty
! stipuiations, requires, thai these should be
faithfully observed. | have deemed il prop
er, therefore, to lay the subject before Con-
gress, and to recommend such legislation as
may be necessary to give effect to these
treaty obligations.
By virtue Of an arrangement made between
! the Spanish government md that of the Uni
! ted States, in December, 1881, American veg.
sells, since the twenty-ninth of April, 1882,
have been admitted 10 entry in the ports of
Spain, including those of the Belearic and
Canar. islands, Oh payment OF the same ton
mage 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
other country " hen Congress, by the act
of the thirteenth Of July, 1882, gave effect to
this arrangement between the two govern
ments, they confined the reduction Of tonnage
duty merely to Spanish vessels ''coming from
a port in Spain," leaving the former discrm-
mating duty to remain against such vessels
coming from port in any ether country. 1t
/ is manifestly unjust that,whilst American YES
sells, arriving in the ports of Spain from other
countries, pay no more duty than Spanish
vessels, Spanish vessels arriving 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 arrange
ment concluded in December, 1881, between
the two countries. The Spanish government
have made repeated and earnest remonstran-
ces against this inequality, and the favorable
| attention of Congress has been several times
invoked to the subject by my predecessors
l recommend, an act OF justice to Spain,
! that this inequality be removed by Congress,
and that the discriminating duties 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 Uni
ted States from Cuba and Porto Rico, which
the act of June thrtieth, 1884, concerning
tonnage duty OH such vessels.
/ BY the act of the fourteenth of july, 1882,
coffee was exempted from duty altogether
This exemption was universal, without refer
ence 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 thirteenth of August 1876, this exemption
from duty was restricted to coffee imported
in American vessels from the place of its pro-
eluction; whilst coffee imported under all
other circumstances was subjected to duty
of twenty per cent. ad raloyem. Under this
act, and our existing treaty with the King of
the Netherlands, Java coffee imported 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 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 kinSdom,and expor-
ted from thence to foreign countries. Our
trade with the Netherlands is highly bench
cial to both countries, and our relations WIN
them have ever been Of the most friendly
character. Under all the circumstances OF
[ the case, recommend that this discrimna-
ton should be abolished, and that the coffee
| of Java imported Fl ON the Netherlands be
place.. upon the same footing with that i'm
ported directly from Brazil and other coun-
tries where it is produced.
Under the eighth section of the tariff ac'
of the thirteth Of August, 1912, duty o.
fifteen cents per gallon was imposed on Por
4 wine in casks; while, on the red wines O
several other countries, when imported
in casks, duty Of only SIX cents pc
gallon was imposed. This dlscrlml
nation,so far as regarded the Port wine
of Portugal, was deemed a vlolatlon Q
our treaty with that Power, which pro
vides, that "No higher or other duties
shall be imposed on the importation
, into the United States Of America o
) any article the growth, produce, Q
manufacture of the kingdom and pos
; session of Portugal, than such as arr
or shall be payable on the like article
being the growth, produce, or manu-
J facture of any other foreign country.
Accordingly, TO give effect TO the trea
ty, as well as to the intention OF Con
J gress, expressed in proyiso TO tn
) tariff act itself, that nothing therein
contained should be SO construed as 7
interfere with subsisting treaties wit