New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-18

r1Es THE PRESIDENT, THE SECRETARY OF
STATE. TIE SECRETARY OF THE TREAS
URY AND TREATY OBLIGATIONS.
Washington Aug II (SpccaD.-In a recent letter
IN The Tribune Mr. william W. Bates Commissioner
of Navigation. attempts TO defend the action OF MS
bureau I'm reference Q the Illegal cxacton oil tonnage
dues levied In cOntravention to treaty Obligations ana
in defiance Of the expressed will and intention OF Con-
ress and the proclamation Of the President upon vcs-
sells coming from sweden and Norway and Germany lie
concludes his communication Of nearly column IN
lenth with the statement that 'ths Is the matter In
nut SHELF Considering that the dispatch lie UNDERTAKES
TO answer occupied less than half column IN Inc
Tribune It might naturally enough be assumed that
the matter In nutshell was mostly, as IL were
meat An examination. however. will quickly
enough demonstrate 10 any at all acquainted with
the facts in the case that ii is little more than
feathers The nut SHE'LL lndced, contains nothing
more than the garbled decision OF United states
District Judge, sitting AZ Trenton. y. j. who among
other astonishing propositions lays down one maintain
inc that acts Of Congress supelsede and nulfy inter
national agreements Of more than half century's
standing. and who also Offsets the carefully oonsd
cred and statesInanliko position Of Henry Clay as
Secretary of State, upon the strength Of which the
great Kcntuckian enabled 10 win one OF the most
substantial diplomatic victories In the annals OF the
Government with expression of opinion hastily
formed and In confidence communicated W III thi-
Move of his department by an Attorney General who
AZ the time he was betrayed into writing such COM
municaton had been IN Office only three short weeks
But the earblng OF extracts, the interpolation Of
words and sentences In official documents without
warrant Of law. and the palmlng of as opinions Oh
the Attorney General Of Tas~agcs In confidential ana
-emioricill communications from that officer m
the Government his suboi'natcs-these sem 10 be
the tricks and subter:ugos to which the Chief oil the
Durcau Of Navigation and those who abct his course
In Congress are In the habit Of resOTtns IN orer U
maintain their position, and 10 Crafty ther Nnh'V
and concclt That they make the United states !"
laughing -sOck IN the eyes OF other nations thlI Iey
bring their country into disrcpuc by the clumsy ana
dishonest character Of their conduct and that they
block the way to every attempt made to advance ule
real interests Of the shipping trade and the rehahla
ton of orr merchant marine, does not seem to nave
for one moment occurred to these gentlemen WHO Oh
the contrary prefer 10 adopt III dealing WIN foreign
nations not a policy Of justice ana dghlh'u SCH
respect hut one compared with which the Nasafe'
# a Chatham-st. clothes pedlcr or shysteF IN the
criminal and police courts around Jefferson Market
seem almost respectable
In order to understand fully the acton Of The Bureau
~ NAVIGATION IN the matter heretofore alluded :" III
these dispatches ia necessary 10 quote with bi1'i
comments, the ofhcia documents ID the Gaze seo'ion
a Of the shipping Act. approved june 20 loo'' i'o
vided. in part. follows:
That lieu Of TIC tax GA tonnage q 'a't 3y eV o iso
cents per no, . exceed In t1e ca en,Ty On
T io e ~ any h qS a 6S entered any Ior Of To
taea sat-. S,d r%g any 'Is s VIZ 'ii ad Island,
lana slands nc BEN udi u a,A Of .c . 1cr lon not
dirty cont per .o vi aIH .a be- en,ec ia tne
Tinted STAT. from any other foreign poFt".
No sooner did the Department Of the Treasury Try
70 carry into effect the provisions OF 'hi, a't tnn
there arose numerous complaints, Iods"' bl io''e'
fla tlsir fr.sAf
the United states contained tho most favored nation
causc The strongest Of these claims was presenter
Lv sweden and Norway. with the Government OF "h''h
conptry the United state, had entered Ia I7-' mo
n treaty which contained a provision that was even
stronger and more clearly wordcd 10 express tho o''
| q complete reciprocity than the most iaV"rru u"
| ,o,. clause could have made H. The United states
rc,used and stin refuses 10 acknowledge the claim "l
| sweden and Norway; not became the secretary "i
,,.e docs not acknowledge lts Justice and equity not
tcc,use the President does not approve Oh ls se'Ic
ncnt I'm favor Of that country but because the com
missioner Of Navigation thinks that sweden ohd H"F
way should not be given satisfaction In this matter
and because that same great ohi'M hoo' I'' h'' u0
| clsions are nnal under the law.
| In view Of complications, similar to the one lus'
| rc,noncd which arose under the Act OF 1854, Con
rrcss. I'm 1885, amended section IA 80 as to "nth'r
izc he President suspend the collection OF 30 muoH
q the duty assessed vessels entered rom any lo'
cgn port as might be iu excess Of tonnage OF Vh'i
| corivalent fax or taxes imposed In the foreign port
an the American vessels. But even then TIE ACT "l'
not perfect vet and 20 avoid further misunderstood
,,, ~ was amended - the second time In lr-1. ~
, az this wa, done the secretary 81 state sent In
,,cttous on July o. 1857. 10 the diplomatic officers
| If the Government IN the course Of which he said
Tho d Intent q he pTs5Snt t ias "a al
IA Communicating the invitation h..rIn to .nCS 49,,
Rrrs of re- cre fiicndncr- and the desire Of III
nt,d treat the nae anG seni,sf,c 81 ~" bo.
matters to which he invitation relates
ON April 30. 1887. the President issued procHuha
,ou 10 tho effect that Netherlands, having sub
i,,cd satisfactory proof that no lighthouse and Ugh
| ducs TONNAGE or other taxes Of any Kind or natur
| were required to be paid by vessels belonging |" th
| United states In the ports OF the kingdom OF VI
Netherlands. that Therefore the COLLECTION OIL Jhe VO'os
tax WI, suspended upon vessels entered III 'c port
| OF the United states from any OI the Po''' Va "i
| Ncthcrland, in Europe
| This nropo-l tlon was transmitted 10 Collectors o
| Customs by the Commissioner Of Navigation on Apr
| Do 1897 together with instructions couched In III
| customary Official language
That this transaction was considered one Of com
pe,e reciprocity Is best illustrated by an extract from
the letter OF the secretary OF State to the Minister
the Netherlands dated April 26, 1857 Up. l840
Foreign Relations OF the United States, 1883, part
In It he says:
ain happy 10 inform you aN. the President aeeeptln
% 81 c6 SG4a On {9G Of S s ne a s pol
4 tne SeheraTd, has IN M 'NeSiSs OF ths aute'ri
,tatue OF January io50 issued his PROCLAMATION copic
a which herewith incloscd Tor your inform1 Ion
| pending the collection OF TIE whole OF the duty Of Al
'cs Der inpscd by said section vessels entc,ln
INC pos United States from port Of the Meth
crands Europe from any nee port OF the Dutc
| colonies named IA the list appended L. your note.
| IL Ia. afforded great pleasure T. observe that Ia
proposal n the Government O the Netherlands adhere
10 The principle Of reciprocity which prade' the tttate
two counttie and which IL has been tn
squat Of the respective Governments 70 follow.
The case OF the Netherlands having been salts
factOrly disposed Of the President issued on Januar
49, 1888, another proc ainatOn. in which he declared
in view Of the fact that satisfactory proof had bee
| given by the Government OF Germany that no t0nnag
. | hons m an eouiValcut ~,