, 1885-07-01

various countries which in a geographical
sense belong to North and Central Ameri-
ca by the aid of strong commercial bonds,
and at the same time to promote American
industry and shipping interests. In the
message by which the President of the
United States laid before the Senate, the
Treaty with Spain, the general conditions
for that and similar treaties are stated TO
be free importation, or importation with
reduced duty, of such articles Of consump.
ton as are not produced in the United
States, or not produced in sufficient guam
tity. and in return free importation, or i'm.
portatiOn under reduced rates, of Ameri.
can produce in those States producing the
first named articles, always under this
proviSo that such interchange of goods
should be exclusively carried on by ships
bearing the flags of the contracting parties,
which vessels should, then, be exempt
from tonnage dues and national duties,
but should not be allowed to interfere with
the national coast trade. Those Treaties
have, however, met with opposition in
Congress and Senate, but it appears that
also the United States present Government
is in favour of them, and that the said Co
yernment has not abandoned the hope Of
eventually getting them ratified, appears
from the fact that negotiations for the con-
cluSion of a similar Treaty with England
have been continued after the change in
the Government, and that the negotiations
with Spain have been resumed in regard
to certain alterations III the contents of the
Treaty already concluded. Among the
articles of colonial produce to be imported
duty free in the United States is Sugar,
and Tobacco at a reduced rate as long az
as it not manufactured. In the original
Treaty with Spain, it was stipulated that
C,,rOr , Y1 ~ 1A1+n1 GEnN1on1 M IR oNo
duty free one alteration agreed Oh in
the subsequent negotiations is said TO be,
that instead OF No. il being the upper
limit, No. Is shall be the upper limit for
duty free importation into the United
States of Sugar from Cuba and Porto Rico.
There is one proof more that the Uniled
States Government expects to have the
Spanish Treaty ratified, viz. the fact that
the period for obtaining the ratification has
been extended one year more to 18th May
1886 - and as the feeling in Congress- and
Senate might speedily change, it is not
out of place to examine what effect the
Treaties, if ratified and put in force, could
have. We may estimate the consumption
Of the population of the United States at
1850, 900 Tons Sugar yearly; and if these
Treaties come in force, we know that only
2OO, 900 tons are returned as produced i'll
the United States of the balance $4,000
Tons are imported from the Sandwich Is.
lands under the reciprocity treaty existing;
it is to be expected that Mexico will in
course of time supply a considerable guam
tity; Cuba and Porto Rico could furnish
over 100000 tons yearly, and the English
Westindia Islands could supply 25O,OOO
tons yearly; provided always that the
effect of the treaties would be to cause the
great bulk of the produce of those places
to go to the United States. Then again st.
Domingo would supply q considerable
quantity of Sugar. 1t is also to be foreseen
that other colonies or nations will endea-
your to obtain similar treaties it is known
that the Commercial Chambers in Holland
have already taken steps in that direction
and in Germany too ; here the wishes have
met with opposition from the Imperial
Government. Although those treaties are
not in force, yet as the notifications OF the
treaties have met with opposition in Con-
gresS and Senate, and the negotiations
with England even have been closed with
out any result being obtained, stlll. 1T
may be ~foreseen that if the matter sue
ceeds, the treaties will not be. obtained
by ono nation alone, but most likely by
all; the result will then be that the de-
mand for Sugar in the United States will be
fully met, and the effect of the strong COM
petition which would consequently arise,
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