No. 504.
Mr. Fish
to Mr. Westenberg.
Department
of State,
Washington, December 31,
1873.
Sir: Referring to your notes of the 19th of
February and the 10th of November last, both of which were submitted by this
Department to the Treasury Department, I have now the honor to inclose a
copy of a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, of the 22d instant, in
which he states that before considering the question raised by you it will
be necessary to be informed whether, by the language “les droits
differentiel sont abolis en principe à partis du 1er Janvier, 1874,” it is to be understood that all such duties are
to be actually and in fact abolished. It also appears by that letter that
the Treasury Department desires to be informed whether the government of the
Netherlands claims the exemption of tea and coffee from the discriminating
duty levied by the Government
[Page 787]
of
the United States in pursuance of article 5 of the convention of August 26,
1852, or whether it proposes for the consideration of this Government the
abolition of all discriminations as against East India goods on the part of
such country toward the other, as a question of international policy and
comity outside of any treaty obligations?
I take the liberty of asking your excellency to enable me to respond to these
inquiries of the Treasury Department, and avail, &c.
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Richardson to
Mr. Fish.
Treasury Department,
Washington,
D. C., December 22,
1873.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 11th instant, inclosing a copy in
translation of a note of the 10th ultimo from the minister of the
Netherlands, presenting for the consideration of the United States
Government the question of abolishing discriminating duties on goods the
product of countries east of the Cape of Good Hope, imported from places
west thereof, so far as such discrimination may operate directly against
the commerce of the Netherlands.
Before considering the question raised in this correspondence, this
Department desires to be informed whether, by the language employed in
said note of his excellency, the minister, that “discriminating duties
are to be abolished in principle [by the Dutch
government] from January 1, 1874,” it is to be understood that all such
duties are to be actually and in fact abolished.
This Department also desires to be informed whether the government of the
Netherlands claims the exemption of tea and coffee from the
discriminating duty levied by the Government of the United States, in
pursuance of article 5 of the additional convention of August 26, 1852,
between the two countries, or whether it proposes for the consideration
of this Government the abolition of all discriminations as against East
India goods on the part of each country toward the other, as a question
of international policy and comity outside of any treaty
obligations.
Requesting that you will procure the information desired, if
practicable,
I am, &c.,
