Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 1, 1879

No. 292.
Mr. Bingham to Mr. Evarts.

United States Legation,
Tokei, Japan, June 16, 1879. (Received July 26.)

No. 903.]

Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith an official notification by his excellency Mr. Sanjo, the prime minister of this government, to the effect that the following articles, from and after July 1 next, may be exported duty free, to wit, silk and cotton manufactures, silk and cotton mixtures, made dresses, porcelain ware, precious stones, lacquer ware, bronzes, manufactured bamboo, manufactured copper, paper, fans, and umbrellas.

You will observe that the notification concludes with the words “whenever export duties shall again be imposed notice will be given two months beforehand,” which seems to imply that this government has at last concluded, so far as the revenues from export duties are concerned, to determine for itself whether the non-imposition of duties upon the domestic exports of this empire in the future will not be productive of good to the producers of Japan.

I inclose the translation of the notification as published in the Japan Daily Herald of the 14th instant, together with the remarks of the editor thereon.

The editor declares this to be “a rather important notification”; that it seems to import that “the export duties on articles of Japanese manufacture or produce would appear to be doomed to extinction; that is to say, if the foreign ministers can be brought to sanction such an addition to the import tariff” as will compensate for the loss of the export duties.

* * * * * * *

I have, &c.,

JNG. A. BINGHAM.

[Inclosure in No. 903.—Extract from the Japan Daily Herald, June 14, 1879.]

A translation of a rather important notification, signed by the prime minister, Sanjo Daijin, appears below. If “coming events cast their shadows before,” the export duties on articles of Japanese manufacture or produce would appear to be doomed to extinction; that is to say, if the foreign ministers can be brought to sanction such an addition to the import tariff as will not merely considerably add to the total sum now collected at the custom-house, but be enough also to compensate for the loss of the whole of the export duties.

“Notification No. 21.

“It is hereby notified that the following articles are, from the 1st July next, to be exported duty free. Cotton manufactures, silk manufactures, silk and cotton mixtures, made dresses, porcelain ware, precious stones, lacquer ware, bronzes, manufactured bamboo, manufactured copper, paper, fans, and umbrellas. Whenever export duties should again be imposed notice will be given two months beforehand.

“SANJO SANETOMI,
“Daijo Daijin.

“The 13th June, 1879.”