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measurement this sail vessel would be charged as of 1,283 tons at $1.50 per ton, which would equal a payment of $1,924.50.

A registered American sail vessel arriving at a port in Mexico coal or coke laden is exempted from the payment of the aforesaid tax of $1.50 per ton; if said vessel takes in cargo outward bound, she has to pay the tonnage tax.

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All steamers, no matter with what laden, are admitted without paying a tonnage tax.

The tariff of the Republic of Mexico promulgated January 25, 1885, and now in force, article 18, imposes a duty, or tax, of $1.50 per ton on all foreign sail vessels laden otherwise than with coal or coke.

Article 20, page 4, exempts Mexican vessels from tonnage dues. Article 21 makes pilotage compulsory on foreign vessels. In addition to pilotage, a compulsory fee of $12 is exacted at this port, said to be for the use of the pilot boat. With Mexican vessels the employment of a pilot and the use of the pilot boat is optional. This is a decided discrimination, from the fact that the so-called pilot boat is merely an open yawl boat, unfit to go outside except in a smooth sea. Frequent instances occur that masters of vessels become impatient at the delay, and sail or steam inside the jetties without the aid of a pilot or the use of a boat, yet payment has to be made for boat and pilotage. No doubt but that the Federal authorities would remedy the evil by supplying a proper pilot boat if their attention were directed to the subject. I am, etc., JNO. MAGUIRE, U. S. Consul.

[Inclosure 9 in No. 275.]

Mr. Maguire to Mr. Gray.

CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES,

Tampico, Mexico, April 13, 1894.

DEAR SIR: I inclose you the official response to my inquiry as to discriminations against American vessels.

I find that I was misinformed as to one particular; that is, the charge of tonnage dues in sail vessels arriving with coal. This response asserts that sail vessels arriving with coal or arriving in ballast are not charged tonnage dues upon going out when laden with national goods. The item of discrimination is against American sail vessels arriving at a Mexican port laden with lumber or general cargo. They are charged $1.50 Mexican currency per ton, not of the register, but upon a new measurement, which makes them pay 28.3 per cent in addition to their United States register; for instance, a 1,000-ton vessel pays dues on 1,283 tons.

Pilotage for American steam or sail vessels is compulsory also. At this port a fee of $6 in and $6 out is collected for the use of a pilot boat. The pilotage of Mexican national vessels is optional. The charges per foot are based on the Mexican standard of 11 English inches to the foot.

No legal discrimination is made as to American steam vessels. No tonnage tax is collected under any circumstances.

Hoping that I have made myself clear on this subject, I am, etc., JOHN MAGUIRE.

[Subinclosure A in No. 275.-Translation.]

Mr. Castello to Mr. Maguire.

MARITIME CUSTOM-HOUSE, TAMPICO. Agreeably to your verbal request bearing on the memorandum you handed me touching information you sought regarding the light-house and tonnage dues imposed on Mexican and foreign vessels in their movements at this port, I beg to hand you a statement explanatory of the different methods pursued, as set forth in your memorandum. Your obedient servant,

Tampico, April 9, 1894.

[Subinclosure B in No. 275.-Translation.]

José F. CASTELLO.

Data given by the Maritime Custom-House to the consul of the United States of America, Mr. John Maguire, as to the manner in which light-house and tonnage dues are paid by foreign steam and sailing vessels, and cases wherein Mexican vessels are subject to charges.

Foreign steam vessels are exempted in all cases from tonnage dues, paying only light-house charges, $100 at entry and $100 on departure, in the following manner: When they arrive in ballast and depart in the same manner they do not pay dues, but if they come in ballast and depart loaded with national products, they pay, on departure, $100.

Should they enter loaded and depart in ballast or loaded with national products, they shall pay in either case $100 on entrance and $100 on departure.

Foreign sailing vessels are subject to tonnage and light-house dues amounting to $25 entrance and $25 on departure, as follows:

When these vessels enter loaded with general merchandise they shall pay tonnage in proportion to their register and light-house dues of $25 on entrance and $25 on departure, even if in ballast.

If they arrive in ballast and depart loaded they shall not pay any tonnage dues, and pay only light-house dues of $25 on departure.

If they arrive loaded with coal and general merchandise they shall pay tonnage charges only on the said general merchandise and not on the coal, which is exempted therefrom; but they must pay light-house charges, to wit, $50 on entry and departure. When they arrive loaded with coal alone, whether they depart in ballast or loaded, they shall not pay tonnage dues, but light-house dues on entry and departure.

If they come in ballast and depart likewise they are not subject to these charges. In general: Foreign sailing ships shall not pay tonnage dues, provided they enter loaded with coal or in ballast, and shall only pay light-house dues in the rare event of entries in ballast and departing in the same manner.

Mexican steam and sailing vessels are only subject to light-house dues when they are loaded with foreign merchandise bound for any of the ports of the Republic. They are exempted from tonnage dues in all cases.

No. 284.]

Mr. Gray to Mr. Gresham.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Mexico, May 1, 1894. (Received May 10.) SIR: In sequence to my No. 275, of the 16th ultimo, I beg to inclose copies of additional correspondence in regard to the discriminating duties levied by the Mexican Government on American vessels.

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DEAR SIR: Yours of the 28th ultimo at hand, and beg to state that the information sought has been answered the 30th ultimo.

No discrimination has been going on at Mazatlan, in any manner, against American vessels, as they are the only vessels that carry on any traffic between Mexico and the United States, as explained in my previous letter.

I am, etc.

ARTHUR DE CIMA,

Acting U. S. Consul.

[Inclosure 2 in No. 284.]

Mr. de Cima to Mr. Gray.

CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES,

Mazatlan, Mexico, April 21, 1894.

SIR: Your favor of April 9 is at hand, and beg to state that after close investigation I have ascertained that all vessels, American and foreign, pay the same port charges, which are as follows:

Light-house dues.

$50.00

Tonnage dues, $1.50 per ton; pilot, $1.75 per foot; pilot's boat, from $3 to $8..
Stamps on permit to discharge.

3.00

8.00

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The only difference between foreign and our vessels is that their register is accepted as it is, whereas our vessels are remeasured and compelled to pay about 50 per cent more than the register calls for. I am, etc.,

[Inclosure 3 in No. 284.]

ARTHUR DE CIMA,
U. S. Consul.

Mr. Gilkey to Mr. Gray.

CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES,
Merida, April 25, 1894.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your two communications dated the 3d and 11th instant, respectively. Herewith inclosed you will find letters from Consular Agent John Waddle, of Progreso, and the house of E. Escalante & Son, which will show you the result of my inquiries in regard to the information you ask for, and which I transmit as a reply to your favor of the 3d instant.

I am, etc.,

JOHN M. GILKEY, Vice and Deputy U. S. Consul.

[Subinclosure A in No. 284.]

Mr. Waddle to Mr. Gilkey.

U. S. CONSULAR AGENCY,
Progreso, April 23, 1894.

SIR: Re the subject of your communication, bearing date 20th instant, I refer you to articles No. 17 to 21 of Mexican Custom-House Regulations. There I find steamers pay $200 and sailing vessels $50 light-house dues; the former, no tonnage dues; latter,

$1.50 on the net register. If a steamer comes in ballast and loads outward, pays half light-house dues. If a steamer coming from another Mexican port where she has paid light-house dues it serves for any other port touched in the voyage. Although the date of these regulations is 1891, I find the schooners Palos and Edwards, which discharged at this port fourteen days since, were charged light-house and tonnage; both these vessels brought lumber from the United States of America and are American vessels.

To steamers carrying mails by permission of Mexican Government these charges do not apply. JOHN WADDLE,

I am, etc.,

U. S. Consular Agent.

[Subinclosure B in No. 284.]

Escalante é Hijo to Mr. Gilkey.

MERIDA, YUCATAN, April 25, 1894.

DEAR SIR: Replying to your esteemed lines of the 23d instant, we beg to answer the various questions in the following order:

1. American vessels are not charged with tonnage dues at Progreso.

2. The light-house duties are charged as follows: $200 to steam vessels bringing cargo; $100 to the same when they arrive in ballast and load here. When they arrive and leave in ballast, no duty is charged.

3. There are no other charges besides the above mentioned.

4. There are no charges levied on the cargo carried by American steam vessels save the fine of from $1 to $50 for each package discharged without being manifested, or for package manifested and not discharged. The import duties on goods are charged according to tariff.

5. The tonnage dues collected by the Mexican Government for sailing vessels is $1.50 per ton. When the cargo is coal no tonnage is charged. If the cargo is both coal and general merchandise, the tonnage is not charged on the coal, but only on the merchandise at the same rate.

6. The light-house dues charged on American sailing vessels is $50 if they bring cargo, and half that amount if they arrive in ballast and load here. If they arrive and sail in ballast no dues are charged.

7. There are no other charges.

8. No charges are levied on cargoes carried by American sailing vessels save fines and duties, as explained in answer No. 4 above.

The steam vessels of a regular line are generally exempted from light-house dues according to their special mail contract with our Federal Government. Hoping the above information will be useful to you, we remain, etc.,

E. ESCALANTE É HIJO.

Mr. Uhl to Mr. Romero.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, May 12, 1894.

SIR: Referring to your note of the 7th ultimo, in regard to the suspension by this Government of discriminating duties on tonnage and cargo imposed in our ports in the case of Mexican vessels, and to my note of the 10th of the same month, wherein a reply was promised as soon as information could be obtained, I have now the honor to inform you that it appears from reports received from our consuls in the various ports of Mexico that a discriminating duty in the nature of a tonnage duty of $1.50 a ton is still being levied on all sailing vessels not owned by Mexican citizens and having on board lumber or general cargoes (coal and coke excluded). This duty is levied under article 18 of the Mexican tariff of 1885. This duty is, it may be incidentally remarked, levied not on the United States register, which is not recognized by Mexico, but on a new admeasurement, which is 28.3 per cent larger. It is in view of this discriminating tonnage due that this Govern

ment is unable to comply with the request of the Mexican Government to suspend the Treasury circular of May 27, 1889, issued in pursuance of section 2502 of the Revised Statutes, imposing a discriminating duty of 10 per cent ad valorem upon Mexican goods imported in Mexican vessels. EDWIN F. UHL,

Accept, etc.,

Acting Secretary.

Mr. Romero to Mr. Gresham.

[Translation.]

LEGATION OF MEXICO,

Washington, May 14, 1894. (Received May 15.) MR. SECRETARY: I received to-day the note from your Department, dated the 12th instant, which informs me that the consuls of the United States in Mexico have reported that a discriminating duty in the nature of a tonnage duty at the rate of $1.50 per ton is still levied on sailing vessels whose owners are not Mexican citizens, with the exception only of those that carry coal and coke, for which reason the Government of the United States can not accede to the recommendation of that of Mexico to suspend the circular of the Treasury Department of the 27th of May, 1889, issued in pursuance of article 2502 of the Revised Statutes, which imposed a discriminating duty of 10 per cent ad valorem upon Mexican goods imported in Mexican vessels.

I have communicated the note of your Department to the Govern ment of Mexico for its information and decision, but I believe it proper to state to you now that article 18 of the tariff of June 12, 1891, now in force, and not that of 1885, quoted by the consuls of this country, does not establish discriminating tonnage duties against sailing vessels of the United States with respect to like vessels of other foreign countries, but which fixes the tonnage duty paid by all foreign sailing vessels that arrive at Mexican ports, provided they do not carry coal or coke, which exemption is established in order to lessen the price of pit coal in Mexico.

As I understand that article, it seems that national sailing vessels are exempt from all tonnage duty, and foreign sailing vessels pay a duty of $1.50 per ton, with the exception already referred to, which does not create a discriminating duty against the United States, especially, since that duty is not imposed on all sailing vessels of which the owners are not Mexican citizens, as stated in your note, but on all vessels flying a foreign flag, exempting only those which carry pit coal. In this case there would be a trifling advantage accorded to national vessels with regard to foreign vessels; but all these are treated alike. As regards the method of tonnage admeasurement, if the system adopted by the Government of Mexico gives an excess of 28.3 per cent over the tonnage of the vessel the result is that the duty is equivalent to something more than $1.50 per ton, but as the same system is applicable to all sailing vessels subject to the duty, there is no discrimination prejudicial to the vessels of the United States.

Accept, etc.,

M. ROMERO.

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