No. 417.
Mr. Porter to Mr. Curry.

No. 133.]

Sir: I inclose, with reference to the telegram sent you yesterday, copies of the proclamation of the President dated the 27th instant, suspending the discriminating customs duties on the products of and articles proceeding under the Spanish flag from Cuba and Porto Rico or any other foreign country. Attached to the copies inclosed you will find a memorandum of agreement on the subject, signed on the part of both Governments October 27, 1886.

I am, &c.,

JAS. D. PORTER,
Acting Secretary.
[Page 826]
[Inclosure 1 in No. 133.]

by the president of the united states of america.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas satisfactory proof has been given to me by the Government of Spain that no discriminating duties of tonnage or imposts are imposed or levied in the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico upon vessels wholly belonging to citizens of the United States, or upon the produce, manufactures, or merchandise imported in the same from the United States or from any foreign country;

And whereas notification of such abolition of discriminating duties of tonnage and imposts as aforesaid has been given to me by a memorandum of agreement signed this day in the city of Washington between the Secretary of State of the United States and the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Her Majesty the Queen Regent of Spain accredited to the Government of the United States of America:

Now, therefore, I, Grover Cleveland, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 4228 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, do hereby declare and proclaim that from and after the date of this my proclamation, being also the date of the notification received as aforesaid, the foreign discriminating duties of tonnage and impost within the United States are suspended and discontinued so far as respects the vessels of Spain and the produce, manufactures, or merchandise imported in said vessels into the United States from the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico, or from any other foreign country; such suspension to continue as long as the reciprocal exemption of vessels belonging to citizens of the United States and their cargoes shall be continued in the said islands of Cuba and Porto Rico, and no longer.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.


[seal.]
GROVER CLEVELAND.

By the President:
T. F. Bayard,
Secretary of State.

[Inclosure 2 in No. 133.]

Memorandum of agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Spain for the reciprocal and complete suspension of all discriminating duties of tonnage or imposts in the United States and in the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico upon vessels of the respective countries and their cargoes.

First. It is positively understood that from this date an absolute equalization of tonnage and impost duties will at once be applied to the products of and articles proceeding from the United States or from any foreign country in vessels owned by citizens of the United States to the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico, and that no higher or other impost or tonnage duties will be levied upon such vessels and the merchandise carried in them as aforesaid than are imposed upon Spanish vessels and their cargoes under the same circumstances.

Under the above conditions the President of the United States will at once issue his proclamation declaring that the foreign discriminating duties of tonnage and imposts within the United States are suspended and discontinued so far as respects Spanish vessels and the produce, manufactures, or merchandise imported in them into the United States from Spain or her possessions aforesaid, or from any foreign country.

This memorandum of agreement is offered by the Government of Spain and accepted by the Government of the United States as a full and satisfactory notification of the facts above recited.

Secondly, The United States minister at Madrid will he authorized to negotiate with the minister for foreign affairs, either by an agreement or treaty, so as to place the commercial relations between the United States and Spain on a permanent footing, advantageous to both countries.

In witness whereof the undersigned, in behalf of the Governments of the United States and of Spain, respectively, have hereunto set their hands and seals.


T. F. BAYARD
. [l. s.]
E. DE MURUAGA
. [l. s.]