The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-12-18
THE SPANISH TREATY.
Secretary Frelinshuysen's Analysis and
PreSident Arthur's Message.

! WASHINGTON, d. c., December 12.-Sec.
! retary 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 in
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 threefold; first, to estab-
| lish such a reciprocity exchange in the pro-
| ducts of the United 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 or commerce. Second. to remove the
| restrictions to which American trade and
shipping has fer many years been exposed
! under the tari6 and customs regulations of
| those islands, and third, to supplement the
! treaty of lIS with Spain by more modern
/ provisions as 10 commercial freedom and the
protection OF the rights of persons and
| property and the most favored Nation clause,
| which do not exist in that treaty. Articles
/ one and two relate to reciprocal exchange OF
products, the details of which are
a, q and c. The new feature of
| the treaty in this respect is q stipula.
J ton that the benefits Of the carrying trade
/ shall be limited to American and SuaniSh
| vessels. This is regarded as the important
| provision for development of our shipping
| Article 3 corrects q practice which has ope-
/ rated 70 the disadvantage of American YES
| selS in the West Indian trade. Under the ex-
/ isting laws and customs the regulations OF
! foreign products reShipped in ports of the
United States when transported by Spanish
| vessels are admitted to Cuba and Porto Rice
Ct twenty-five per cent. less duties than when
carried by American vessels, the rule being
/ applied 70 all Canadian and other foreign
! products in transit through the United
States. The present article gives to Am.ri-
can vessels hencefOrth the same privileges
as Spanish vessels in respect to such tran
shipped cargo as they may carry. Articles
4, IL and 81, designed to secure, remove re
strictions and technical penalties tG
which the American exporters and
shippers have been subjected for msny
years past in the Spanish Antillean custom
houses and which had been q source of con
slant irritation and hardship, st times re-
strainlng the friendly relations OF the two
Governments. Article 5 prohibits levyins
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-Sl1th OF a cent per pound. Article
6, providing no greater internal taxes shall
be levied on American products in Spanish
islands than on native products, is regarded
as important because of the imposition by
Spanish-ARerican 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-fve cents or 81 30 per ton, according to
the flag. are collected on every entrance
into port, and this has been a heavy and
very unequal tax on American vessels. The
abolition of Consular fees, provided for in ar
ticle l6. 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 il also removes the Spanish Consular
fees imposed on all American goods shipped
which this Government has proteSted
for several years past as tantamount
to leyying by foreign Government in our
ports of export duty which the United States
can not consttutOnally impose. and there
fore can not sanction on the part of another
Government Articles 20, p and - are in
tended to remedy some OF the defects and
omissions in the treaty of amity and COM
merce of l1S5 and to secure to the American
citizens capital and property in the Spanish
Islands the smallest protection. During the
late inSurrection in Cuba the absence of
such 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 cOptended for by this
Government as the first essential
ity. 1t is maintained by the United State.
that a 'mOst favored nations" clause in tres-
ties could not be applied in its unrestricted
sense to reciprocity conventions, but that
when two nations stipulate for reciprocal
fayorS or reciprocal reduction of duties up
on specified conditions. third powers can not
claim or enjoy like favors except upon the
came or equivalent conditions. by Il prOtOcal
attached to the treaty il is provided that the
agreement of February IL. 1854. is to termi-
nate when the present treaty goes into eject
subject TO the fourth column, or highest
rate, the duties on the tariffs of Cuba and
PGrtO Rico precincts, which have been ad-
mtted to the benefits of that agreement In
Il negotiation with the commercial conven-
tiOnSwith countries on the American CONT
nent and the adjacent island in
view of this disparity in population it 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
-,2:J0.CoG of inhabitants can not Onera market
equal to j5.DcJ.6J or 6U,6Jo,0D of people
Other considerations besides those affecting
revenue merely have TO be remembered
New markets for agricultural products and
manufactures of the country are highly de-
Sirable. In this period our production and
the encouragement Of our shipping is mat
ter of the highest moment. II these objects
can be secured in the exchange for tropical
products aHd Il general consumption by our
people. it is not essential that the loss of
rCrenu OF the two contracting parties
should be equal or even approximately SO.
Indeed. if the concessions on either side are
proportj0nate to the population OF the reSpec-
tive contracting parties, the principle of true
reciprocity may be deemed 10 have Eceu OBJ
served. The 0nly products OF Cuba and Porto
Rico embraced in schedule A for admission
to the United States, which require special
nGtice, 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
mcrcial reciprocity with tropical countries. !
g. N n
native tobacco interests to grant to Cuban !
tobacco, both leaf and manufactured. a re- |
ducton of SO per cent than to coEcede free |
admission to either leaf or manufactured |
separately. In View OF the fact that even |
after that reduction Cuban tobacco and Ci- |
gars Will he subject to heavy import duty |
and TO internal revenue taxes in addition, it /
seems that our home producers and manu- |
faCturers still enjoy fair and remUnerative |
protection, especially when under the treaty |
of Cuba and Porto Rico, they will for |
the first time be opened to american |
tobacco at q rate of duty much lower than |
the rate of reciprocal duty levied in the |
United States. In arranging schedules Il |
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 it had con-
trscted with regard to the Cuba debt. to Sc
cure the interest and principal OF which /
cer;sin portion of the customs and revenues
lad been pledged. That the Government
claims IL has gone rs far toward completely
free admission as its public faith and obliga-
lions admit. An examination of the sched-
ules will show we have obtained large and
important concessions, for our agricultural
Industries ard National products. Free ad-
mission is granted all kinds of meats fish ard
fowls; lard. butter. cheese. fruits and vcgeta-
bles al! kinds of grain including rice. But with
the exception of wheat, the duty On which is
reduced from 1915 per enc hundred kelo-
grams to fifty cents; and -four. the duty on
which is reduced from $40 to $50 and S1.65
ter barrel: corn meal and other fours are
Tree. as also are cattle, hogs and other I'VE
animals. Cotton and cotton seed, fax, wool,
and other agricultural products Tie siEr--
ucsnce and value of these concessions are
SGown by the fact that uEder the present
tariff of the Spanish West Indies these pro-
ducts are burdeEed with such heavy duties
rat only Limited dnf,1lrld be cron1Pd.