Telegram-herald., 1890-07-10
DEPARr4EgT OF STATE,
" AsaINGFON. june 4. 1850.

st~sss
DEPARr4zsT OF STATE,
WAsHNoFOS. june 4. 1850
To the President.
beg leave % sabmit herewith the re-
port upon customs union" adopted by
The International American conference.
The at q congress. approved May "a,
1855, authorizing ths president u invite
delegates % this conference. named as
Ons 0f tbs topics % be considered,
Measures toward the formatioa Of an
American customs union, uRdor which
the trade Of the American nations shall
A. far a. possible and profitable be pro-
NOTED"
The committee OF the conference 20
which this topic was referred inter
preted the term customs Union" to
mean an association or agreement
among the several American nations for
q free Interchange Of domestic products,
a common and uniform system OF tariff
laws and an equitable division Of the
customs dues collected under them.
Such = proposition was at once pro
nounced impracticable. It's adoption
would require q complete revision Of the
tariff laws Of all the eighteen nations,
and most. II not all. our sister republics
arc largely, if not entirely. dependent
upon the collection Of customs dues for
the revenue 20 sustain their governments.
But the conference declared that partial
reciprocity between the American re-
publics was not only practicable, but
must necessarily increase the trade and
the development of the material re-
sources Of the countries adopting that
system, and it would in all probability
bring about IS favorable results as those
Obtained by free trade among the differ
ent states OF this Union.
The conference recommended, there
fore, that the several governments rep
resented negotiate reciprocity treaties
"upon such a basis a. would be accept
able In each case. taking into considera-
ton the special situations. conditions
and interests of each country, and with
view to promote their common well
fare"
The delegates from Chill and the Ar
gentine Republic did not concur in these
recommendations. for the reason that
the attitude of our congress at that time
e,
expect favorable responses from the
United States IL return for concessions
which their governments might offer.
They had come here with an expectation
that our government and people desired
TO make whatever concessions were nee
essary and possible TO increase the trade
between the United States and the two
countries named. The president of the
Argentine Republic, in communicating
TO his congress the appointment of dele
gates TO the international conference,
said:
''The Argentine Republic feels the
hvehest interest IN the subject, and
hopes that its commercial relations with
the United States may find some practi-
cal solution Of the question OF the inter
change OF products between the two
countries. considering that this Is the
mcst efficacious way of strengthening
the ties which bind this country, with
that grand rcpUbic whose institutions
serve Us as q model.
10 was therefore unfortunate that the
Argentine delegates. shortly after their
arrival IN Washington, in search of re-
cipr0cal trade. should have read in the
daily press that propositions were pend
ing ia our congress to impose q heavy
duty upon Argentine hides. which for
many years had been upon the free list.
and 20 increase the duty on Argentine
wool Since the aiopti0n Of the recon-
mendahons Ct the conference, which
herewith iucl0ss. hides have been re-
stored 70 the f-ee list. but The daty upon
carpet wool remains, and, as the Argen-
tine deleCa5es declared. represents the
only concession we have to offer them in
exchange for the removal of duties upon
our peculiar products.
Only those VINO have given the subject
careful study reahze the magnitude OF
the commerce Of these sister nations r
1883 the combined imports Of Cuih and
tho Argentine Republic reached the en-
ormous sum Of S333. ~. .s9S. The stats
tics Of Gillian commerce for 1850 have
not yet been received. but the imports
Of the Argentine Republic for that yeai
were st8.0OO.000. These imports con
sisted IN the greater part Of articles that
could have been furnished by the manu-
facturers Of the United States: vet in
1888. of the total of S2S3. coz. 900 imports
We contributed bat $4,000. 600. while
England contributed 500. .O00. 900. Ger.
many st3, goo 600. aud France 81, COO,
COO
With our eztracrylinarv increase II
populati0n and tho even more eStraor
dinarv increase IN material wealth. on
progress IN trade with South Americs
has been strangely hindered and lin
ites.
In 1853 our total exports 20 al th.
world were 1915, 15- .000. = which SO.
1g7, ,000 went ID spanish Amerioa-i-
Per cent
Tu fSSS our exports 70 al the worll
were So. .s5s. .000 tan increase of 100 pc
cent. while but 5e.-73. .o0o went Q,
Srauish America. htae more then
Der cent, and tAs greatest gsia lniR'
miIHons has been noticed during tn
last tive years
Tt va the unanimous judgment ct "a
DELEGATES that ouT exporss 20 thcse coun
tres and T. the other republics could b
increased q great degree ~ The nego
tia6Cn Il Such treaties as are RECON-
r-.en.fa.i ~ The ronferance Ihe p-acn