No. 434.
Mr. Andrews to Mr. Fish.
Legation of the
United States,
Stockholm, April 15, 1873.
(Received May 9.)
No. 187.]
Sir: On the evening of the 11th instant I had the
honor to receive your No. 128 of the 22d ultimo and inclosures relative to
securing the co-operation of Sweden and Norway in procuring a modification
of Cuban tariff laws; and on the day following I sent to the foreign office
a note, of which the inclosed is a copy, together with one printed copy of
your dispatch and accompanying memorandum of March 21, to the United States
minister at Madrid.
Another copy of the last-mentioned document having been received with the
next day’s mail, I to-day handed it in person to the minister of foreign
affairs, believing he would like to send it to Norway.
In course of our conversation he said there having been two (Easter)
holidays, my note, just laid on his table, had not received his attention. I
briefly stated what the practices were which we wished modified, and the
remedy that was proposed. He replied that Swedish vessels had suffered many
hardships from the ignorance of Spanish revenue officers, especially in
their enforcing strict quarantine against such vessels, whenever there was
cholera in St. Petersburg. In conclusion he said, “We will gladly do all we
can to assist you in this matter.”
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Andrews to General Bjornstjerna.
Legation of
the United States,
Stockholm, April 12,
1873.
Sir: In compliance with instructions from my
Government, I have the honor herewith to hand you a printed copy of
a* dispatch of March 21,
1873, and accompanying memorandum, from the Secretary of State of the
United States to their representative at Madrid, wherein he is
instructed to use his best endeavors to secure a change of the
[Page 1066]
tariff laws of Cuba, so that
tines for errors in manifests may be imposed on goods instead of on vessels, and
earnestly to request that your government will instruct its minister at
Madrid to make a simultaneous if not identical application to the
Spanish government in support of the desired change.
The unjust and burdensome nature of the system of tariff tines which
obtains in Cuban ports is abundantly shown in the memorandum. Your
excellency will notice that my Government long ago, but in vain, sought
relief from the system. The fact that it is still continued seems to
render it for the interest of all maritime powers, whose vessels are in
the habit of trading to Cuban ports, to make a simultaneous and earnest
effort to secure its prompt and just modification.
In the hope that you will lend your valuable influence for the
accomplishment of this object, I beg to renew to you, sir, the
assurances of my most distinguished consideration.
His Excellency General O. M.
Björnstjerna,
Minister
of State and Foreign Affairs.
