Department of State,
Washington
,
May 26,
1874.
[Inclosure.—Extract.]
Mr. Richardson to Mr. Fish.
Treasury Department,
Washington, D. C
,
May 20, 1874.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letters dated the 2d and 25th of March last,
respectively, relating to a note addressed to you by the Turkish
minister, in which he states that the solution of the tonnage
question will be greatly aided by the consent of a great
maritime power like the United States, to avail itself of the
scientific results which have been attained by the labors of the
international tonnage commission, recently concluded at
Constantinople, and expressing the hope that this Government
will make a favorable decision to be communicated to his
government.
In reply to your suggestion that the conclusions of the
commission may deserve consideration, and your request for an
expression of the views of this Department in regard to the
matter, I beg to state that the system of admeasurement
established by Congress in 1864, and now in use in this country,
has become familiar to the officers of the Government and to all
concerned; and that as the laws in regard to the amount of
tonnage dues to be collected are based upon that act, any change
therein would affect, to some extent, the revenues derived from
tonnage. It may also be observed that no change could be made,
without the sanction of Congress, the contemplated early
adjournment of which body would probably prevent a proper
consideration of the subject, even if its attention were drawn
thereto.
For the reason stated, and in view especially of the information
* * * that the tonnage question is far from settled, and that
there is no immediate prospect of its satisfactory solution, I
recommend that no action be taken, at least before the next
regular session of Congress, looking to the adoption of the
measures proposed by the commission. If at that time it should
be found that the whole matter, so far as it relates to the
tolls of the Suez Canal, has been satisfactorily adjusted, and
that there [Page 1164] is a
general disposition on the part of the principal maritime powers
to adopt the conclusions of the commission, I shall be happy to
give the subject a more extended consideration, and to recommend
legislation which will make our present system conform to the
recommendations of the commission in all respects as it is
understood already to do in regard to the most essential
particulars. In the meantime I should be pleased to be apprised
of any further information touching the subject which you may
receive.
I have, &c,
WM, A. RICHARDSON,
Secretary,
