Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-12
Capital Notes, from our own Core.
spOndent.


spOndent.
THE CHoTTEAU COMMERCIAL TREATY PROJECT.
WASHINGTON, January 11th.-Among the
letters on file in the State Department which
will be included in the forthcoming annual
volume of Diplomatic Correspondence, is
one from Minister Kasson, in which, under
date of Vienna, May 8, 1879, he writes to
Secretary Evarts an account OF q long con-
yersation between himself and the French
ambassador to Austria, Monsieur de Bort,
concerning the questions involved in the
Chotteau Commercial Treaty project.
The conversation was unofficial but, kas-
sons high standing and long experience as
member of the Ways and Means Commit
tee of the House of Representatives gives
uncommon value to his expressed opinions on
this subject and as the Chotteau scheme dis
tinctively threatens the California wine-pro-
ducing business, an abstract of the converse
ton will be found very interesting for the
Pacific coast Minister Kasson reports that
Monsieur De Bort opened the conversation by
inquiries respecting the success of the volun-
tary French effort. still continuing. to secure
commercial treaty between the United
States and France, by which mu-
tual special tariff concessions should
be secured. Kasson then continues
''Supposing at the time that it was a chance
topic Of conversation, spoke fully of what 1
believed to be the sentiments of my country
men and of my personal opinions on the sub
| ject but in no way attempted to express the
opinion of my Government; nor did L at
first imagine that he must be expressing the
views or displaying the arguments of his
own; but the information which l
have since received renders it prob
able that he was sounding my opin-
| ions with a view to ascertain toffcially)
| the chances, so far as my declaration
| would indicate them, of including the United
States within the sphere of the system of
tariffs by bargain. II seems proper, there
| fore, that l should communicate to you
summary of the conversation, as it was con-
Quoted in the French language. 1 will only
| give the general purport Referring, as l be-
lieved, to the Chotteau proposition, he in
quired touching the probable issue of that
scheme to establish special tariff
exclusively applicable to the commerce
between the two countries. | an
swered bluntly that it would not sue
ceed In the course of the interview
he elected from me the following reasons for
that opinion First, that it had been
traditional policy of my country to treat all
nations with equal fairness, giving preference
to none, applying the most favored nation.
rule, and levying duties upon merchandise
itself, not upon the place of its production !;
second, that it had long been the dominant
policy in the United States to keep the
| legislative discretion unbound, and free
| to change commercial duties according
| to the interior circumstances of the country
third, that the United States, at TIE begin
ming, were largely dependent for manufac-
lures upon foreign countries, and desired to
be delivered from this dependence by produc-
ing at home all of the articles of competition
| to which our soil, climate and conditions We're
adaptable and to this end had protected in
| cipient industries by tariffs, in the hope that
with q limited protection they would later
grow strong enough for independence re-
suit which had already in various manufac-
lures been attained-and for this object, also,
they kept themselves free from conflicting
engagements to other nations; fourth.
that a most important and permanent
/ object of the tariff policy of the United
States was the revenue to be derived as
| largely as possible from luxuries; and in this
respect, also, they preferred to be free from
embarrassing engagement Naturally he OBJ
| jected to protective system, that it tended
to increase the cost to the consumer, to which
[ also naturally replied that while that
seemed to be its first effect, we observed its
ultimate to be that successful home manufac-
ture produced domestic rivalry and competi-
ton, which fully replaced for the consumer
the lost benefit of foreign competition, of
which Bessemer steel had furnished remark
able example. He also objected to our high
| duties on wines and silks. / answered that
these were regarded as luxuries, which should
contribute largely to the revenue. l added
that the consumption of French wines was
not so much affected by the duty as
he might believe, inasmuch as they
were chiefly drank by the weather.
people, who would have them equally with or
without the duty. Toward the close of our
conversation he spoke of the possibility of
| France The may have included other coun.
tries) imposing high duties on our breadstuffs,
| provision, etc., in compensation Tor retalia-
tion) for the high American duties on French
importations. To this 1 announced that if
France imposed duties, not for the in
terest of her own people, but against
| the interest of another people, that
would be initiative of war of tariff.
which might be carried to any extent. That
was always possible, and its result was not
before seen. Its first manifest effect, how
| ever, would be to enhance the cost of the
necessaries of life to Frenchmep themselves.
| the general tenor of the views expressed to
| him, founded upon our tariff history, was
that it would too much hamper our freedom
of action in respect to both revenue
and protection, and too much involve
us in difficulties with our friendly
nations should we establish with one
of them an exceptional treaty, granting ex-
ceptional tariff favors." In concluding his
dispatch Minister Kasson expresses the belief
that efforts are likely to be made in some
| parts of Europe to apply retaiatory tariff,
| with view to drive us into the system of
special commercial treaties, but he
adds: at is our good fortune to
| produce and export leading staples
which Europe must have to sustain her own
! industries, and she cannot carry very far a
| system of taxing the raw fibers of her own
prosperity or the bread and meat on which
her workmen live"
KLAMATH INDIAN RESERVATION.
Representative Berry will tomorrow in
troduce bill to abolish the klamath Indian
reservation in California. The bill directs
the Secretary of the Interior to cause the
whole of the reservation to be surveyed and
opened up Immediately for disposal under the
homestead, presumption and mining laws.
Actual settlers are to be allowed
| to date back their application for homestead
| and pre-emption to their respective periods
of occupancy but their claims must be made
| to conform to the Government rectangular
surveys, and be limited by all other require
ments of the existing law.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. WILLIAMS,
Who has been seriously ill for about fort
night with complication of pneumonia and
malarial symptoms, is now improving, and
his physicians say his recovery is only ques-
ton of judicious treatment and continued
good nursing. Mental strain, caused by
overwork in connection with some important
cases before the Supreme Court, great aggra-
waited his illness.
full Text OF Fernando Woods Funding
Bill.
Following is the full text of the funding
bill which Representative Fernando Wood