No. 400.
Mr. Curry
to Mr. Bayard.
Mr. Curry transmits the proposition of the Spanish minister of state in the latter’s language, and expresses the hope that the postponement of the date of the taking effect of the President’s proclamation of October 13, requested by the said minister, be accorded.
[Page 811]He asks whether the United States Government would consider acceptable the proposal of Mr. Moret relating to the third and fourth columns.
The proposition of Mr. Moret is as follows:
Firstly. The postponement to the 25th of November proximo of the date of October 25 assigned in the proclamation of October 13, 1886; secondly, within the period mentioned, the minister of the United States and the Government of Spain are to come to an understanding or to arrange a modus vivendi by means of which Spanish and American vessels are to receive perfectly equal treatment so far as tonnage fees and custom-house duties are concerned.
It is understood by equal treatment, firstly, that payment under the third column of the tariff will be required in the case of cargoes consisting of products of the United States shipped to ports thereof and in American vessels, which treatment is the same as that accorded to vessels flying the Spadish flag carrying products of the United States; secondly, that payment under the fourth column is to be required of cargoes consisting of the products of foreign countries, whether shipped at Spanish or American ports on Spanish or American vessels; thirdly, equalization of the tonnage fees for the flags of both countries.