St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-07
Secretary Window Enlight-
ems the Senate on This
Subject.
Canadian Railroads Treated
With Common Courtesy,
and That Is All.
So Far as Is Known No United
States Laws Are Being
Violated.
Trunk Line Magnates Tackle
the Problem of Uniform
Classification.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6. - Secretary
Window to-day transmitted to the SEN
ate communication in response to a
senate resolution for information as to
whether merchandise in bond, appraised
or unappraised, and goods OF domestic
origin,a permitted to be forwarded be-
tween Atlantic and Pacific ports of the
United States over the Canadian Pacflc
railway, and whether said merchandise
on arrival at Vancouver, b. C., is there
thanShipped to vessels or cars, and
whether or not such transportation and
reShipment on foreign territory is con-
Blstent with the safety of the revenue
md the laws governing the coasting
trade of the United States. In reply
the secretary says that merchandise in
bond, appraised and unappraised, and
goods of domestic origin are for
warded between the Atlantic and Paci-
tic ports to the United States over the
Canadian Pacific railway under bonds
of American common carriers, which
provide for the transportation of
merchandise to destination by commune
eating lines of railway and vessels. On
arrival of such merchandise at Van
eOuver, Is. c., transportation is made
under the supervision of an officer OF
the United States stationed at that point,
who eertities the facts upon the mani
tests and seals the ears, OF the compart-
ment of vessels into which the goods
are placed, The authority under which
transportation of this character is per-
united Is found in section SO06 revised
statutes, The secretary says that UNI
der the regulation of tho department
only American vessels are allowed TO
be employed in transportation OF the
character referred to, and he is OF the
opinion that the laws governing the
e0aSting trade of the United States are
ger to the Interests OF the revenue is
the opportunity offered for the sU1sti-
tuition of packages on foreign soil at
some point on the long route traverSed,
The secretary says he has been in
formed, since the completion of tho
Canadian Pacific railway, that goods ar
irving at Vancouver, Is. c., from Ash
attic ports destined to the United States
have been placed in three cars of that
company which were sealed by the
United States consul at that port and
forwarded to their destination in the
United States. The secretary finds that
this practice has been acQuiesced In by
the department in so far that customs
officials at the frontier ports have re-
spected the consular seals and allowed
the cars to so forward, on entries and
examination OF their contents if the
seals were found correct. He says he
Is of the opinion that it was the
intent of the law to vest the privilege
of the consular seal to cars containing
merchandise to the contiguous country,
and that such privilege does not extend
to cars containing imported merchan-
disc landed in the contiguous country
for transit through the United States.
in this view of the law it is contem-
plated to restrict the privilege to cars
containing merchandise to the contigu-
Gus country. The secretary has no Of
fetal knowledge that the Grand Trunk
Railway company has willfully or other
wise violated the revenue or the coast
ing laws of the United States in trans
porting merchandise between places in
the United States, nor OF complaint
made by any American producer, ship
per or consumer against the tranSpor-
tatiOn in bond of such merchandise. He
says he has recently received COM
munication from gentlemen employed
as counsel concerning the practice,
which appears to have obtained in
the customs collection district of Port
Huron, Mich, in the matter of allow
ing cars to be unloaded, sealed
and manifested at Port Sarnia,
Ont. and that he IS advised that suita-
BILE facilities were not available at Port
Huron, Mich, for transacting the bust
ness of the Grand Trunk Railway COM
pany, which has terminus at Port
Sarnia, but authority was given some
years ago for sealing and manifesting
the cars at Port Sarnia, customs officers
of the United States being assigned to
supervise the work Authority for this
practice, he says, appears to be given
by the regulations of March 80, 1875,
governing the transfer of merchandise
to, from and through the British pos
sessions and North America, under the
treaty as existing at that time. Whether
the abrogation of certain articles of the
treaty requires change in the regula-
lion is subject which is under consid
Grafton at the department.. The secre-
tary. in conclusion. says he is not pre-
pared to state that the practice referred
to operates to prevent the proper en-
forcement of the interstate commerce
law, and that the safety of the revenue
Is jeopardized.