Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 6, 1880

No. 347.
Mr. Hay to Sir Edward Thornton.

Department of State,
Washington, June 19, 1880.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 17th instant, inviting the attention of this government to the discriminating light dues now levied at Port-au-Prince by the Government of Hayti, on foreign merchant vessels.

In reply, I beg to inform you that the light dues to which your note relates formed the subject of a recent dispatch from the minister resident of the United States at Port-au-Prince, and that his representations in regard to the matter correspond substantially with those which you state Her Majesty’s Government has received. This government regards the light dues now levied by the Haytian Government at Port-au-Prince as unjust and injurious to the commercial interests of the foreign powers concerned, and the President is, therefore, quite willing to co-operate with Her Majesty’s Government in making all proper efforts, which may be found practicable, to induce the Haytian Government to place vessels of all flags upon an equal footing in respect to the light dues in question. An instruction in this sense will accordingly be given to the minister resident of the United States at Port-au-Prince, with as little delay as possible.

I have, &c.,

JOHN HAY,
Acting Secretary.