Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-08-19

Washington. Aug. 16.-The secretary
Of the treasury has sent the following
kilograms To all collectors Of customs:
Vessels may clear to ports in Cuba and
Porto Rico subject TO the laws and rrgu-
lauons in force relating to clearInCrs.
except that vessels of the United States
only will be cleared for the transporta-
ton of merchandise ia the trade between
The United States and Porto Rico"
Although this order had the effect Of
making our Coastwise trade laws ap-
plicahle 10 Porto Rico, as American mer-
chant vessels only are permitted To clear
Tor the island the fact is that Porto Rico
Is not yet regarded as a part Of the
United States, and the order is a military
measure which may be modified or re-
voked by the president at will. The
constitution provides that "all duties.
imports and excuses. shall be uniform
throughout the United States" and
therefore when Porto Rico becomes a
recognized part Of the United States our
customs laws must apply to that coun-
try: hence the distinction.
A question which may become trouble
some hereafter has arisen as to coffee.
Porto Rico has a large export trade in
that article, which under Spanish rule
was protected 10y high tariff. Under
our present laws coffee is admitted to
the United States. free of duty and if
that particular feature should be made
applicable to Porto Rico. 1t is asserted
that the practical destruction of the
coffee plantations on the island would
he the inevitable result. What may be
done hereafter for the relief of this
situation cannot now be foretold.
London, Aug. l6-The Daily Nails
Biarritz correspondent says: The
troops sent in pursuit Of the Bakio Carl
lists who apeared recently in Valencia
failed to capture the members of the
band owing to the completely Of the in
habitants who are all Carlists, and feed
and conceal the fugitives and give their
pursuers false information. Many
prominent Carlists have settled at
BayOnne, BiarritZ and Saint Juan de
Luz, close to the Spanish frontier, as
they did previous to the last rising. their
object being to establish easy contact
with the local leaders in the Basque
provinces and in Navarro. Spanish de-
government to watch them.
"Carlist recruiting agents in several
parts of Spain are offering men two
pesetas a day. A Carlist colonel has
been arrested at Barcelona. Accounts
sent to Spain by visitors to the pretender
in Lucerne have Occasioned the greatest
alarm and, despite public declarations,
it is clear that everything is ready for
a Carlist rising Immediately upon the
conclusion of the peace negotiations.
1t is believed that the claimant will wait
until the army returns from Cuba be-
fore ordering an insurreCtiOn. as he
hopes the Cuban army will return dis
cOntented and ripe for revolution. Carl
lists agents have been working in Cuba
for months past"
Santiago, Aug. ia secret meeting
was held last night at the palace be-
tween the commanding officers of the
American army and the Cuban leaders.
The strictest secrecy was maintained.
out it can be said with good authority
that General Garcia was present, The
meeting lasted an hour and half.
The information obtained is to the
entCt that the CUBAN situation was
thoroughly reviewed and that it was re-
solved to disband the Cuban army and
that the United States should pay the
men off This involves the expenditure
Of $15000,0 900. but it is most important to
the prosperity Of the island. whose
wealth is entirely agricultural, nobody,
planter or farmer, daring to cultivate
his lands while insurgent bands are in
the field raiding and burning.
Santiago. Aug. 16.-In an address to
his staff, General Lawton said Be
ing ordered to other duty, the under
signed hereby relinquishes the command
of the second division of the Fifth army
corps, and in 50 doing wishes to express
to the officers and enlisted men of his
command his thanks for and apprecia-
tion Of the gallant and sodierly manner
in which the duties and labors required
of them have been performed, the char
aster of which is almost unparalleled
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