The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-01-05
THE LEvYING Of DUTIES IN MEXICO


The Speaker then laid before the House
the following message from the President
of the United States:
WAsHINGToN, JAN ., lS49
la answer to the resolution Of the 18th
Of December, 1s4s, requesting information
"under what law or provision Of the Con
s,itution, or by what other authority" the
Secretary Of the Treasury, with the "sanc,
ton and approval'' Of the President, estab-
lished ga tariff of duties in the ports Of the
Mexican Republic" "during the war with
Mexico" and "by what legal, constitutions
al, or other authority" the "revenue thus
derived'' was appropriated to "the support
Of the army in MsAico," refer the House
10 my annual message Of the 9TH Of Decem-
Der, lS47; TO my message to the Senate
Of the 10th Of February, ls4s, responding
to a call Of that body, copy Of which is
herewith communicated and to my mes
sage 10 the House of Representatives Of
the oath Of July, 1913, responding to a
cali of that House.
The resolution assumes that the Secreta-
~ Of the Treasury established tariff Of
duties in the ports of the Mexican repub-
he" The contributions collected in this
mode were not established by the Secretary
Of the Treasury, but by military order is
sued by the President, through the War
and Naval Department. For his informa-
tion the President directed the Secretary
Of the Treasury to prepare and report to
him scale Of duties. The report was made,
and the Presidents military order of the
3lst March, ls47, was based upon it. The
documents communicated to Congress with
my annual message of. December, ls47,
show the true character Of that order.
The authority under which military con
tributions were exacted and collected from
the enemy, and applied to the support Of
GU ararmy during the war with Mexico, was
stated in the several messages referred to.
In the first Of these messages, inform
ed Congress chat con the 3lst Of March
last caused an order to be issued to our
military and naval commanders to levy and
collect a military contribution upon all yes
sells and merchandise which might enter any
of the ports OF Mexico in our military occu-
patton, and to'apply such contributions to-
wards defraying the expenses of the war.
eBy virtue Of the right Of conquest and
the laws OF war, the conqueror, consulting
his own safety or convenience, may either
exclude foreign commerce altogether from
all such ports, or permit ii upon such terms
and conditions as he may prescribe. Before
the principal ports of Mexico were blocka-
ded by our navy, the revenue derived from
import duties under the laws Of Mexico
was paid into the Mexican treasury. After
these ports bad fallen into our military pos
session the blockade was raised, and COM
merce with them permitted upon prescribed
terms and conditions. They were opened
to the trade Of all nations upon the payment
Of duties more moderate in their amount
than those which mad been previously levied
by Mexico, and the revenue which was for
merly paid into the Mexican treasury was
directed to be collected by our military and
naval officers, and applied to the use Of our
army and navy. Care was taken that the
officers, soldiers, and sailors Of our army and
navy should be exempted from the opera
ton Of the order; and as the merchandise
imported, upon which the order operated,
must be consumed by Mexican citizens,
the contributions exacted were in effect the
seizure Of thespublic revenues Of Mexico,
and the application Of them to our own use.
In directing this measure the object was to
compel the enemy to contribute as far as
practicable, towards the expenses Of the
war"
Il was also stated in that message that
measures have recently been adopted by
which the internal as well as the external
revenues Of Mexico, in all places in our
military occupation, will be seized and ap-
propriated TO the use Of our army and
navy.
The policy Of levyiug upon the enemy
contributions in every form consistent with
the law Of nations, which it may be prac
tcable for -Four military commanders L
sdoDt. should, in nv Judgment, be riqidl,