The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-27

in sight Of shores conhscate Without Just cause IN
property of an American citizen or incarcerae his per
SON but If applied 10 for redress told that he
not without consulting hls royal mistress az Madrid
There we are informed that il is necessary 10 await The re
turn of report of which is 10 be obtained from
Cuba ana many years eapse before Is ripe for decision
These delays instances amount TO an absolute de
NAL of Justice And even when the obligation OF indem
ny is admitted the state Of the treasury or change Of
ministry is pleaded for Withholding payment
This would long since have justified in resortiug "a
OF reprisal that would have necessarily led 70
war and ultimately resulted in the conquest OF the
island Indeed such the acute sense OF those wrongs
prevailing among people that nothing but our rigid
neutrality laws which, so long as they remain unrepeaei
or unmodied chief magistrate, acting under the sane
ton of his official that the laws be faithfully
executed bound enforce has prevented the success
of organized individual enterprises that would long ere
this have revolutonized the Island is in part proba
bly, for this that the President has recommended
the policy which this bill embodies and the world cannot
fail to recognise its adoption by Congress determine
MAINTAIN him in his efforts to preserve untarnished
our a'onal character for justice and fair dealing
ornAN COMMERCE AND AMERICAN INDUSTRY.
The effects Of the acquisition of will be no leas bene
foa in its commercial than its political and moral
poets. The leugth OF the island is about seven nundred
seventy miles with average breadth OF about forty
miles comprising of 81 46s square miles The
soil fertile the climate genial and its ports the finest in
the world Havana is more Familiarity known to US, for
apart from our extensive trade which employs several
American vessels thousands Of our citizens have
touched at port steamers, on their way to Cali
forna or New Orleans. They have all carried away with
them vivid recoections of its magnificent harbor, aud
breahed ardent prayers that their next visit should
be haed and stripes floating from the Moro
And yet Cuba boast several other harbors equally
safe and more extensive than that OF Havana
In 1855 the mportations, by official Custom House
turns sl 6 0Oo the exports S34 s03 GOO AS duties
levied on exports as well as imports there can be no
exaggeraton in these returns and the real amount Is
undoubtedly considerably larger
When consider that more than twothirds OF the
whole Of the island is susceptible OF culture, and that
not a tenth part of il is cultivated We may form
some idea OF the immense deveopement which would be
given its INDUSTRY by change from system OF mo-
nopoy and despotism free trade and free institutions
Whatever NAV be the enhanced of production caused
by the increased value of labor, it viii be nearly, If not
quite compensated by the removal of export duties and
of levied articles produced in the United States
which now by unjust discrimination virtually ex
cuded from consumption II is not possible within the
limits which your committee have prescribed to them
selves for this report to cite than few of the most
important OF flour, on an average of three years,
from 1s4S 10 1850, there were imported from the
United states 5,642 barrels, paying duty of $40 81
per barrel. From other countries, and it is be
ieved exclusively from SPAIN ,0o2 barrels paying
duty of 50 So per barrel discrimination against our
-four Of nearly two hundred per cent its present
average value in our markets On lard of which the
importation from the United States 10 900 pounds
duty is levied of 81 per quinal, while Of olive oil
s4s 900 pounds imported, which is chiefly used as
its substitute, paying duty of 81 cents per qunta OF
beef dry and jerked but $50 6l pounds imported
from the United States duty OF 81 SO per quina
from Buenos Ayres was 80 544 coo pounds paving duty
of ST IT, the difference being protection the
Spanish Tag which thus enjoys monopoly of this branch
Of trade To-day, with its increased population aud
wealth. it is fair to presume that Cuba annexed to
the United States, with the stimulus afforded by low
prices, her annual consumption of -four would be
500 barrels of our lard 25 900 pounds our beef
90 600 600 and Of pok-the most solid and nutritious food
for the aborer-lOO pounds The same ratio of in
crease would exhibited whole list of exports MANY
articles that appear not at all, in very limited
quantities. would force their way into general consump
ton. The Spanish flag deprived OF the advantage dis
eliminating duties Of tonnage and impost would
abandon competition which it could not sustain on
equal terms and the whole carrying trade, foreign and
domestic, would fall into the hands of enterprsrng
merchants and ship owners, but chiefly those of the
Northern and Middle States while the farmer Of the West
would have and constantly increasing market open
TO him for the products OF the soil With all the disad-
vantages under which now labor, the American
sells entering the of Havana alone last number
ed nine hundred and fifty eight with tonnage of four
hundred and three thousand tour hundred and seventy
nine, (4O3 ,479) To what figure will this be extended
when ours shall be the national flag of Cubas
The cultivation of sugar is the chief basis Of the wealth
and prosperity of Cuba The average annual production
exclusive Of What is consumed the island is about
100000 TONS that Of Louisiana about $4,000 tons.
The whole amount Of cane sugar from which Eu.
rope and the United States supplied is estimated
at ,273 900 tons of this, Cuba and louisiana
furnish somewhat more than As per cent. Is it ex-
tavagant predict that with Cuba annexed, should
in few years complete control Of this great
staple-whch has long since ceased 10 be luxury, and
become almost necessity OF lfe-as We now have OF
THE PRICE WE CAN PAY FOR cusA.
There one other consideration, OF minor Importance
when compared with the vast political interests involved
in the question Of acquisition s that of cost Ten years
past, appears from the published correspondence
Minister at Madrid authorized 10 offer hundred
millions of dollars the extreme price for the purchase
Of Cuba. If that was lis value then, something may
be added to it now. Assuming ii TO be twenty. five
millions MORE the annual interest," without reference
the probable premium which would be realized from
loan bearing five per cent interest would be (ss
OoO) six million, hundred and fifty thousand dollars
or the mposts Of 1881 PIG o00) thirty millions two
hundred and sixteen thousand dollars in 1885, your
mittee before them the OF ascertanng
proportion coming from the United States. From the
summary of Bahamas Generates, from ls4S to 1884 the
repor OF Commercial Relations, vol l. page 1877 it may
however be fairly assumed 10 be somewhat than
one fourth, about eight millions Of dollars This pro-
portion would, doubtless, be largely increased Admit
ting TO be (sl6,26ooo sixteen millions two hundred
and sixteen thousand dollars would leave balance of
s5 coo 000) fifteen millions of dollars which duties
could be levied. Under present tariff, the average
duties about lS per but, the articles
free list Of very limited consumption in Cuba
the average there would be at least 20 per cent This
would yield from customs (S 900 000) three
mill dollars But under the stimulus OF and
free institutions with the removal OF many burdens from
the consumer would necessarily be greatly speedily
augmented IL would not be n mo crate calculation to
sow that in IL would reach four millions of dol
lars (s 0O0) On the other hand 1t may be said that
expenditure would be largely increased Such Is
the opuion Of your committee. On the contrary it is be-
heved that from the greater security OF foreign rela
tons resulting from the settlement Of this long agtated
and disturbing question, naval expenditure might be
safely reduced, while addition to military establish
would be required It has already been shown that
an annual saving Of eight hundred thousand dollars
(ss0o 0Oo) may he effected by Withdrawing the African
squadron, when its services Will no longer be necessary
Thus expenditure for the Interest the debt in
Cured by the acquisition would be credited by
four million eight hundred thousand dollars (S4s00 o00)
leaving annual balance of but million four
hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars (s AIS ooo)
10 the debit of the purchase Is this he weighed
in the balance with the advantages political com
mercia which would result from iI Your committee
think that IL should not.
few words on the wealth and resources OF Cuba and
your committee will close this report, which has swollen
to dimensions not incommeDsurate with the importance
of the subject, but which 1t may be feared WILL under
the pressure Of other business during this short session
be considered unduly trespassng the attention of
the Senate The amount Of taxes that be levied upon
any people without para zng their industry
ing their material progress is the eziueun cruc Of
the fertility OF the land they inhab Tried by this test
Cuba viii iavoraby compare with any country on either
side of the Atlantic.
RESOURCES or THE ISLAND.
Your committee have bcf)re them the last Cuban
budget which presents the actual receipts and ex
pendures for year with the estimates for the same
for the next six months. The income derived
from direct taxes, customs, monopoles, lotteries &c.
sixteen millions three hundred and three thousand nine
hundred and fifty dollars 6,3o3 ,95s) The expenses are
sixteen millions two hundred and ninetynine thousand
six hundred and sixty three dollars ISIS 800 66) This
equilibrium of the budget accounted for by the fact that
the surplus revenue is RENTED to SPAIN II figures under
the head of Atecones de la Peninsuo and amounts to
Isl 404 C59 million four hundred and four thousand
io Tho