Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 6, 1886

No. 395.
Mr. Porter to Mr. Curry.

Department of State,
Washington, October 4, 1886.

No. 124.]

Sir: Mr. Strobel’s No. 111, of the 8th ultimo, in relation to the conflict of interpretation which has sprung up in Havana concerning the effect of the royal order of 22d of June, 1886, for the due application of the commercial agreement of 1884, has been received.

The telegrams sent to you on the 24th and 29th untimo, and your reply of the 30th, have put the matter in so urgent a shape that it is presumed and hoped that a conclusion will have been reached before you receive this instruction. It seems needless to elaborate further the ample instructions given you on the subject in the Department’s instructions No. 39, of 23d of February, 1886, and No. 56, of 4th of May last, or to endeavor to more fully impress on the mind of Her Majesty’s Government the President’s duty in the premises, under section 4228 of the Revised Statutes, should the complete equivalent on the part of Spain for the President’s suspensory proclamation of February, 1884, be longer withheld. It may be remarked, however, that it is not easily understood here how the explicit declarations and assurances given by Señor Moret to Mr. Strobel on the 8th of September could have been followed by so antagonistic a course as that taken by the minister of ultramarine in his telegram to the governor-general of the Island of Cuba, of the 17th of September, a translation of which is hereto appended for your information.

I am, &c.,

JAS. D. PORTER,
Acting Secretary.

[Inclosure in No. 124.—Translation.]

Central administration of customs of the Island of Cuba.

By telegram of yesterday the ministry of the colonies communicates to his Excellency the governor-general the following:

“Royal order of June Gratifies and confirms that of September 13, 1884, in the understanding that third column of tariff is applicable only to natural products of the United States proceeding from their ports and in their vessels directly to Spanish West Indies. The equality of flag only embraces said products under conditions mentioned, but in no case foreign products even when brought in American vessels from United States.”

And his Excellency having ordered its execution under this date the same is published in the Gazette for general information.

Havana, 18th of September, 1886.

The administrator

JOAQUIN B. VALDES.