The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1893-02-11
A MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.

President Harrison Explains the Sub
.ject of Consular Sealing.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3.-President Har-
rison has sent to congress his reply to
the resolution of Representative Hit
relative to the transportation of i'm
ported merchandise from one port
to another of the United States on
Canadian territory. The resolution
asks whether or not the interests of the
United States do not require that cars
carrying such merchandise while in
in Canadian territory should not be in
the custody and under the surveillance
of an inspector of the United States
customs department, the expense
thereof to be paid by the carrier trans
porting the merchandise. The presi-
dents reply, after reviewing the ques-
ton at length, gives his conclusions as
follows:
First-That article - of the treaty OF WASH
ington has been abrOgated.
Second-That even if this article were In
force there is no law in force to execute 1t.
Third--That when in force the treaty i'm
posed no obligation upon the United States to
use the concessions as to transit made by Can
United States in dealing with merchandise inn
ported for the use of our citizens through
Canadian ports, or passing from one place In
| the United States to another through Canada,
upon the arrival of such merchandise at our
1 border.
Fourth-That, therefore, treaty or no treaty,
1 the question of sealing cars containing such
| merchandise, and the treatment Of such sealed
| cars when they cross our border, is and always
has been one to be settled by our laws accord
| ing to our convenience and our interests as we
| may see them.
Fifth-That the law authorizing the sealing
of cars in Canada containing foreign merchan'
disc imported from contiguous country does
not apply to merchandise imported by our OWL
| people from countries not contiguous and car
ried into Canada for delivery to such owners
Sixth-That the law did not contemplate
the passage of sealed cars to any place not q
| port nor the delivery of such cars to the Ownel
or consignee to be opened by him without thu
supervision of a revenue officer.
| Seventh--That such a practice Is inconsist
ent with the safety Of the revenue.
The statutes relating to the transportation
of merchandise between the United States ant
the British possessions should be the subjec
of revision. The treasury regulations hav'
given to these laws construction and scop'
that do not think was contemplated by con
gress. policy adapted to the new conditions
growing in part out OF the construction OF tn
Canadian Pacific railroad should be declares
and the business placed upon basis more jus
to our people and to our transportation compa
MES. II we continue the policy of supervisin
7 rates and requiring that they shall be reason
able upon the railroads of the United State
we cannot in fairness at the same time Civ
these unusual facilities for competition I
Canadian roads that are free to pursue tn
practices as to cut rates and favored rates, ,tha
We condemn and punish II practfced by on
own railroads.
transmit herewith the correspondence be
tween the secretary of the treasury and the II
torney general upon some phases OF thi
-uestion,