No. 635.
Mr. Bayard to Mr. de
Muruaga.
Washington, March 3, 1887.
Sir: I have the honor to beg of your accustomed courtesy enlightenment touching a certain item found in the Spanish tariff of consular fees, which went into operation on the 1st of August, 1886.
Among the fees for visa of manifests, bills of lading, bills of health, and other consular acts pertaining to commerce and navigation, is the following:
Art; 26. Por el embarque ó desembarque de cada pasagero [en America], 2 pesetas.
I should esteem it a favor if you would kindly inform me what consular act or service is performed with regard to each passenger shipped or landed in the United States, whether it consists of the registry or certification of eachindividual passenger coming within its purview, and whether it applies only to passengers coming from or bound for a Spanish port or to any and all passengers, whatever their destination, carried by a vessel whose papers require the visa of the Spanish consul.
Reserving further and fuller communication on the subject until the operation of the tax is clearly understood, I may, however, express my hope thai it will not be found to be such a tax upon the shipment and landing of passengers in the United States as it properly pertains to the laws of the United States to regulate.
Accept etc.,