No. 639.
Mr. de
Muruaga to Mr. Bayard.
Washington, March 18, 1887. (Received March 19.)
The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Spain, has the honor to inform Hon. Thomas F. Bayard, in reply to his note dated 3d instant, respecting the application of article 26 of the Spanish consular tariff, that the payment of the imposts referred to in the said article is exacted of the vessels for the passengers transported in them in the following cases:
For embarkation.
- (1)
- On every Spanish vessel, whatever be her point of destination.
- (2)
- On every foreign vessel destined for different ports, for the passengers carried in her to a Spanish port, excluding those carried to foreign ports.
- (3)
- On every foreign vessel destined for a Spanish port.
For landing.
On every Spanish vessel only for the passengers carried on board.
By the enumeration of these cases the honorable the Secretary of State will see that the impost in question does not infringe upon the laws of the United States, and that the right of the American Government to regulate for itself the subject of the embarkation and the landing of passengers in the ports of the Union does not exclude the right of Her Majesty’s Government to regulate it also, in the cases above mentioned, in regard to the foreign vessels, and among them the American, which are obliged to present in the Spanish consular offices not only the manifest for the proper visa of the cargo and the bill of health, but also the list of passengers carried in them for Spanish ports.
The undersigned, etc.