The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-12-19
THE SPANISH TREATY.

The SPANISH TREATY.
Secretary Frelinehuysen's Analysis ana
Pro,idept Arthur's Message.
WASHINGTON. d. c., December 12.-Sec-
Rotary Frelinghuysen yesterday submitted
to the President compendious statement
of the purpose and effect Of the various arti
cles on the Spanish treaty and an analysis
of the schedule attached to it. showing dis
tinctly the changes proposed to be made i'm
the existing Spanish tariff. The Secretary's
paper is, in part, as follows:
The object had in view in the negotiation
of the treaty was three-fold; first, to estab-
lish such reciprocity exchange in the pro-
ducts of the Uuited States and neighboring
Spanish provinces and the islands of Cuba
and Porto Rico. and such mutual shipping
privileges as will tend to greater develop
ment of commerce. Second. to remove the
restrictions to which American trade and
shipping has for many years been exposed
those islands, and third, to supplement the
treaty Of 1875 with Spain by more modern
provisions as to commercial freedom and the
protection of the rights of persons and
which do not exist in that treaty. Articles
one and two relate to reciprocal exchange OF
products; the details Of which are
A. Ii and c. The new feature OF
the treaty in this respect is stipula
ton that the benefits of the carrying trade
vessels. This is regarded as the important
provision for development of our shipping.
Article corrects lpractice which has opc
rated to the disadvantage of American YES
sells in the West Indian trade. Under the ex-
iSting laws and customs the regulations of
foreign products reshipped i'm ports of the
United States when transported by Spanish
vessels are admitted to Cuba and Porto Rico
at twenty-five per cent less duties than when
carried by american vessels. the rule being
applied to all Canadian and other foreign
products in transit through the United
States. The present article gives to Ameri.
can vessels hencefortb the same privileges
as Spanish vessels in respect to such tran
shipped cargo as they may carry. Articles
4. II and 81, designed to secure. remove re-
strctions and technical penalties to
which the American exporters and
shippers have been subjected for many
years past in the Spanish Antillean custom
houses and which had been u source of con
slant irritation and hardship, at times re-
straining the friendly relations of the two
Governments. Article prohibits levying
new export duties on the products of Cuba
and Porto Rico, admitted into the United
States under schedule A The export duties
ON sugar have, in view of the pending treaty,
been reduced to the lowest rate consistent
with the obligations to Cuban bond holders
to whom revenues have been pledged to
about one sixth of a cent per pound. Article
9, providing no greater internal taxes shall
be levied on American products in Spanish
islands than on native products is reg arded
as important because of the imposition by
Spanish-American countries of municipal
taxes on articles of consumption. Reciprocal
abolition of tonnage dues, secures still
further relief to our shipping. Under the
existing laws, vessels of all nationalities
are charged in American ports tonnage dues
to the amount of thirty cents per ton once
only in each year, but in Cuba and Porto Rico
much higher tonnage dues. amounting to
sixty-ive cents or 81. 30 per ton, according to
the flag. are collected on every entrance
into port. ard this has been u heavy and
very unequal tax on American vessels. The
abolition of Consua fees, provided for in ar
ticle Is, is in accord with the act passed in
the last session of Congress. Its reciprocal
acceptance by Spain is significant from the
fact that the Spanish Consular tariff is so
much higher than that of the United States
and it also removes the Spanish Consular
fees imposed on all American goods shipped
tt Cut His and PGrso Rico against
for several years past as tantamount
to leyyng by foreign Government in our
ports of export duty which the United States
can not constitutionally impose, and there
fore can not sanction on the part of another
Government Articles 20 Il and - are ip-
tended to remedy some of the defects and
omissions in the treaty of amity and com
mcrce of li.5 and to secure to the American
citizens capital and property in the Spanish
Islands the smallest protection. During the
late instruction in Cuba the absence of
such n treaty stipulation was the source of
serious injury to American interests. Ar
ticles - and "A secure the recognition of the
Interpretation of the "moSt favored nation"
Clause sontended tho for by this
condition of treaties of commercial reciproo-
ity. 1t is maintained by the United State
that n most favored nations" clause in trea-
ties could not he applied in its unrestricted
sense to reciprocity conventions, hut that
when two nations stipulate for reciprocal
favers or reciprocal reduction of duties up
un specified conditions, third powers can not
clsim or enjoy like fayoIs except upon the
same or equivalent conditions. BY protocol
attached to the treaty it is provided that the
agreement of February IL, 1854, is to tcrmi-
nate when the present treaty goes into effect.
me result of this stipulation will be again TO
subject to the fourth column, or highest
rate, the duties on the tariffs of Cuba and
Porto Rico products, which have been adj
rnitted to the benefits of that agreement. In
II negotiation with the commercial conven-
honswith countries on the American CONT
nont and the adjacent island in
view OF this disparity in population II is
not expected nor is it possible that we can
secure an exact equivalent of exchange pro-
ducts. In the case of the Spanish Antilles
:.2ti.tc6 of Inhabitants can not offer q market
equal to 550JJ.690 or 60GS,UO of people
Other considerations besides those affecting
revenue merely have to be remembered.
New ularkets for agricultural products and
manufactures oil the country are highly de
sirable. In this period our production and
tue announcement of our shipping is u mat.
ter of the highest moment. If these objects
can be secured in the exchange for tropical
products and n general consumption by our
people. il is not essential that ihe loss of
reenue of the two contracting parties
should be equal or even approximately so.
Indeed, if the concessions on either SIDE are
proportienate TO the population of the respec-
uge contracting parties, the principle of true
reciprocity may be deemed to have been OBJ,
served. The only products of Cuba and Porto
Rico embraced in schedule A for admission
to the United States which require special
notice, are sugar and tobacco. coffee and
most items scheduled at duty free being Al
ready on the free list OF our tariff. The duty
or sugar and tobacco is the chief basis upon
which We can negotiate any treaties of COM
ruercial reciprocity with tropical countries.
1t Was considered to be less Injurious to our
native tobacco interests to grant to Cuban
tobacco, both leaf and manufactured, q re-
du ctiOn of 80 per cent than to concede free
ad mission to either leaf or manufactured
separately. In view of the fact that even
after that reduction Cuban tobacco and CT
CARS will be subject to heavy import duty
and TO internal revenue taxes in addition, it
see ms that our home producers and manu-
faCturers still enjoy fair and remuneratiyc
protection, especially when under the treaty
Of Cuba and Porto Rico, they will for
the first time be opened TO American
tobacco at rate of duty much lower than
the rate of reciprocal duty levied in the
United States. In arranging schedules Ii
and o for the admission of American
products into Cuba and Porto Rico. the Span
ish Government felt under the necessity of
respecting the obligations which il had con-
tracted with regard to the Cuba debt, to Sc
cure the interest and principal OF which