[Inclosure in No.
495.—Translation.]
Mr. B. St. Hilaire
to Mr. Pomeroy.
Sir: I had hastened to call the attention of
the minister of agriculture and of commerce to the new dispatch which
General Noyes did me the honor to address me regarding the measures
adopted in France, in order to prohibit the importation of salt pork of
American origin.
Mr. Tirard has just intimated to me the observations which this
communication has suggested to him.
In the first place, the Government of the United States appears to
attribute the measures in question: 1st. Either to incorrect reports or
to exaggerated valuations, coming from interested persons. 2d. Or to
popular apprehensions. In this respect the minister of commerce recalls
to mind that, on the contrary, it is only in consequence of the most
serious investigations made by men, neither whose knowledge nor
honorable character could be questioned, that the Government of the
Republic believed it had to adopt; the decree of last February.
It was necessary to take into consideration, at the same time, the
requirements of the public health and the legitimate transactions of
commerce. The French Government has striven to conciliate as much as
possible these two interests by organizing at Havre a laboratory for
inspection.
The salt meats which were in transit at the time of the signature of the
aforesaid decree were received in France on condition they should be
previously examined by micographers of the laboratory at Havre and
acknowledged exempt from trichina. Now, microscopic researches made in
this laboratory have confirmed the existence of numerous cases of
trichina in the larger portion of salt meat Of American origin which
have been submitted to inspection. In the face of these facts, mentioned
in official reports, it seems difficult to deny the existence, in a
large number of American hogs, of a disease communicable to man, and to
dispute, consequently, the fitness of the provisions which were made the
subject of the decree of the 18th of February.
The Chamber of Deputies has, besides, given its approval to these
provisions, and the government only has its wishes carried out by
maintaining, until further disposition, the decree of prohibition. It
does not the less pursue the study of the means to ameliorate the actual
situation by the organization of a service of general inspection, to be
applied not only to American salt meats, but to all meats of foreign
origin. This service, Mr. Tirard remarks, would have a very appreciable
advantage for importers. Indeed, when the local service of inspection
which the municipalities have the right to organize in order to secure
the healthfulness of the products of consumption would exercise its
control it would no longer, but by accident and in very rare instances,
have the opportunity to seize and destroy, as unhealthy, meat which had
already paid the custom dues. If, as that appears probable, one succeeds
in finding a satisfactory mode for inspecting meats of every origin,
this general service would relieve commerce of certain difficulties.
Finally, it is, to its very deep regret, that the Government of the
Republic has found itself under the necessity, in order to protect the
public health, to adopt a measure of prohibition, which, for the moment,
caused unavoidable trouble in American meat transactions between France
and the United States. But it is confident that the provisions which it
has hastened to adopt to modify the rigor of this measure, and those of
which it is seeking the realization, must give every satisfaction, as it
deeply desires, in the interests of this international commerce. Far
from causing an obstacle there, these measures would rather tend to
develop it by securing the verification of the good quality of
merchandise, and by removing in this way the suspicions of which certain
ones of these commodities were the object on the part of consumers.
I beg you, sir, to have the kindness to communicate these diverse
considerations to the Government of the United States, which I am
pleased to hope will appreciate their value and conciliating
character.
Accept, sir, the assurance of the most distinguished consideration with
which I have the honor to be,
Your very, &c.,
