Office of the Historian

No. 487.
Mr. Reed to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

[Extract.]
Legation of the United States,
Madrid, December 18, 1882. (Received January 3, 1883.)
No. 150.]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the reception of your instruction No. 111,* approving the note addressed by Mr. Hamlin on the 26th September last, to the minister of state, protesting against the Spanish consular charge of 40 cents per head on cattle, and of 10 cents per ton on the cargoes of vessels leaving ports of the United States for those of Spain.

Two months and a half having elapsed since the above note was written and sent to the minister of state, and no reply having been received thereto, I deemed it proper to invite attention to the subject. I accordingly, when at the ministry of state, on the 9th instant, mentioned the matter to the subsecretary, Mr. Mendez de Vigo, who made a note of it and promised an early answer.

* * * * * * *

I find, on referring to the Spanish consular tariff, that the fee of 40 cents (2 pesetas) on cattle and 10 cents (50 centimos) on the cargo of vessels is put down in said tariff for the United States, while in European countries the charge is just one-half that amount, viz, 20 cents (1 peseta) per head on cattle and 5 cents (25 centimos) on the cargo of vessels.* * *

I have, &c.,

DWIGHT T. REED.
  1. Printed in Foreign Relations for 1882.↩