Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, For the Year 1887, Transmitted to Congress, With a Message of the President, June 26, 1888
No. 612.
Mr. Bayard
to Mr. Curry.
Washington, January 10, 1887.
Sir: I inclose for your information a copy of a dispatch from the United States consulate-general in Cuba, reporting on tonnage dues paid by Spanish vessels there.
I am, etc.,
Mr. Springer to Mr. Porter.
Havana, December 16, 1886. (Received December 21.)
Sir: In obedience to instruction of the Department, No. 235, of 3d instant, I have now the honor to inclose copy of a communication from the administrador central of customs, to the effect that Appendix No. 16 to the customs tariff in force [Page 983] contains the rate of tonnage does paid by Spanish vessels in the ports of Cuba, and all the regulations regarding steam-ships making regular trips and mail steamers. I accompany translations of several of the same, omitting reference to any other than Spanish vessels.
I am, etc.,
Mr. Valdes to Mr. Springer.
central administration of customs of the island of cuba.
Sir: In reply to your attentive official communication of this date regarding the present payment of tonnage dues by Spanish vessels, I have the honor to inform you that in Appendix 16 of the customs tariff now ruling, a copy of which was sent to your consulate, will be found the tariff now ruling, together with all the regulations regarding steam-ships making regular trips and mail steamers.
God guard you many years.
A.—Navigation and port dues.
- First.* * * A Spanish vessel arriving and clearing with cargo will pay for each ton of admeasurement according to register, $1.35.
- Second. * * * A Spanish vessel arriving with cargo and leaving in ballast will pay $1.30.
- Third. * * * A Spanish vessel arriving in ballast and leaving with cargo, $1.
- Fourth. * * * Spanish vessels arriving with coal in quantity equal to or exceeeding their registered tonnage, if they bring other goods, nothing.
- A Spanish Vessel importing coal as the only cargo, but in quantity less than their registered tonnage, will pay for each ton occupied by coal nothing, and for every ton not so occupied 62 cents.
- Spanish vessels importing coal in less quantity than their regular tonnage, and besides bringing other goods in whatever quantity, will pay for every ton occupied by coal 73 cents, and for every other ton $1.35.
- Fifth. * * * A Spanish vessel arriving in ballast and leaving with a full cargo of molasses will pay 37 cents.
- Sixth. * * * A Spanish vessel arriving in ballast and leaving with products of the country will pay, per ton, $1, and for every ton empty, 5 cents.
- Seventh. * * * A Spanish vessel arriving and leaving in ballast, per ton, 5 cents.
- Eighth. * * * A Spanish vessel putting in for orders or in distress, per ton, 5 cents.
- Ninth. Steam-ships which make periodical trips to Cuban ports, whatever may be the flag or from any port, will be exempt from payment of all dues, provided they do not import or export more than be tons of cargo, and will be cleared with preference to others when carrying the mails.
- Tenth. A Spanish steam-ship, under the foregoing circumstances, importing or exporting more than 6 tons will pay, per ton, 62½ cents.
- Eleventh. Spanish mail steam-ships will pay according to the special contracts they may have with the Government.
- Twelfth. Whenever the steam-ships that may arrive are not comprised in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh cases they will pay according to their flag and port whence from, deducting from total tonnage those occupied by machinery and bunkers.
B.—Reciprocity with foreign nations for the payment of tonnage and port dues.
a. Royal decree of June 4, 1868, establishing reciprocity of dues for the payment of tonnage or navigation and port dues in the islands of Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippines, with respect to the vessels of all nations which in their respective territories [Page 984] or colonial possessions grant the same benefit to vessels of the Spanish merchant service. * * *
Article. 1. The vessels of all nations which grant a similar benefit within their respective territories and colonial possessions to Spanish merchant vessels proceeding from the ports of Spain and adjacent islands shall be equalized in the islands of Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippines with Spanish vessels in regard to the exaction of tonnage and port dues.
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d. Nations, the vessels of which have been successively equalized with Spanish vessels for the payment of navigation and port duties: France, Germany, Great Britain and all her colonies, Sweden and Norway, Holland and her colonies, Denmark, United States of America, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Russia and Finland, and Mexico.
d. Regulations of August 28, 1882, modified on 10th May, 1883, in accordance with royal order of January 4, 1883, and finally amended by the intendancy general of finance, on October 16, 1883, in obedience to royal order of August 26 of that year.
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Article 1. All Spanish vessels from Spain and her colonial possessions will pay, upon arriving in this island, 37½ cents for each ton of 1,000 kilograms of cargo discharged, and 25 cents for each passenger landed, whatever may be the port for which the vessel afterwards clears.
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Art. 5. All steam-ships registered in Spain and engaged in periodical trips between the ports of this island and those of Spain and Porto Rico, with the exception of those lines which have a direct subvention, are exempt from the payment of this discharge tax (inward tonnage dues). To enjoy that benefit the duration of the regular trips shall not exceed twenty days from Havana to Spain, and vice versa, and four days: from Porto Rico, respectively; a regular trip being understood to be at least one a month, deducting on each trip the days employed in touching at other ports.
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Art. 9. For the payment of outward tonnage dues and passenger fees, due observance will be had of the foregoing articles. Spanish vessels arriving from Spain and her colonial possessions will pay 25 cents for each ton of 1,000 kilograms of cargo, and the same amount for each passenger shipped, whatever may be the port to which the vessel is bound, as stated in article 1, being exempt from payment of dues on cargo when it leaves in ballast, but not from the passenger fees.
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