No. 487.
Mr. von
Alvensleben to Mr. Bayard.
Imperial German Legation,
Washington
,
February 25,
1888. (Received February 25.)
Dear Mr. Bayard: Referring to my verbal
communication of the 17th instant and the papers I left then with you, I
have the regret to state that, according to a telegram from Messrs.
Oelrichs & Co. in New York, which reached me yesterday, tonnage
duties have again been collected on the steamer Saale at that port on her arrival from Bremen yesterday.
I should be obliged if, in order to prevent any further misconstruction
of the proclamation issued by the President of the United States in
favor of the vessels arriving from the ports of Germany, you would cause
the proper authorities to be given without delay to understand that such
proceedings are in manifest contradiction with that proclamation.
Believe me, dear Mr. Bayard, very sincerely, yours,
1. Mr. Schwab
to Dr. Glavis
.
[Telegram.]
New
York
,
February 15,
1888.
[Papers referred to in Mr. von Alvensleben’s note of
February 25, 1888.]
Dr. Glavis,
515 Fourteenth street, Washington:
Collector continues collection of tonnage dues from us, Commissioner
Navigation having instructed him only vessels coming direct from
German ports entitled to the suspension. Our steamers do not enter
at Southampton. They only run to Southampton water to embark mails
and passengers.
Treasury circular.
Treasury Department, Bureau of Navigation,
Washington, D. C.
,
February 1, 1888.
No. 19.]
tonnage dues on vessels from
germany.
To collectors of customs and
others:
The attention of officers of the customs is invited to the appended
proclamation by the President, dated the 26th ultimo, declaring that
vessels may be entered in the ports of the United States from any of
the ports of the Empire of Germany, with [Page 674] out the payment of tonnage dues at the rate of
6 cents per ton, under section 11 of the act of June 19, 1886.
Vessels arriving from any of said ports will hereafter he admitted to
entry without the payment of said dues, unless the vessel shall
belong to a foreign country in whose ports the fees or dues imposed
on American vessels or the duties on their cargoes exceed (1) those
imposed on its own vessels or their cargoes, or exceed (2) those
imposed on the vessels of Germany or their cargoes.
Certified statements may be forwarded for a refund of the dues on
tonnage aforesaid, paid on the entry from German ports, of vessels
exempted from the tax, and which were entered at any port of the
United States on or since the 26th ultimo.
The proclamation does not apply to vessels which entered before that
date, and the dues on such vessels were lawfully levied, and will be
retained.
You are requested to notify this office of any tonnage tax or other
equivalent tax or taxes which may be imposed hereafter on vessels of
the United States in any port of the German Empire, and you will
exercise care to levy tonnage dues on all vessels from said ports of
any foreign country which discriminates in its own ports against
vessels of the United States or their cargoes in favor of its own
vessels or of the vessels of Germany.
Information has been received showing that vessels belonging to Great
Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Belgium,
and Portugal arriving in the United States directly from the ports of the German Empire may be
admitted under the proclamation without the payment of the dues
therein mentioned.
C. B.
Morton,
Commissioner of
Navigation.
Approved:
C. S.
Fairchild
,
Secretary.