[Inclosure in No. 625.]
The Marquis of Salisbury
to Mr. Phelps.
Foreign
Office, November 17,
1887.
Sir: I lost no time in referring to the board
of trade your letter of August 15, inviting the co-operation of Her
Majesty’s Government with that of the United States with a view to
lightening the burdens on shipping and amending the laws relating to
shipping, etc., and also asking for information as to whether any, and,
if so, what discrimination exists in this country against vessels of the
United States as compared with British vessels or the vessels of any
other country.
I have now the honor to state to you that I am informed by the board of
trade that there are no such discriminating duties on United States
vessels as compared with British vessels in ports of the United Kingdom.
Such indeed would be contrary to the convention of commerce between this
country and the United States of July 3, 1815, clause ii of which
stipulates that “no higher or other duties or charges shall be imposed
in any of the ports of the United States on British vessels than those
payable in the same ports by vessels of the United States, nor in the
ports of His Britannic Majesty’s territories in Europe on the vessels of
the United States than shall be payable in the same ports on British
vessels.”
This stipulation, so far as the United Kingdom is concerned, was carried
into effect by the Act 59, George III, chapter 54, clause viii.
It is, moreover, the general and long-established policy of the United
Kingdom, apart from treaties, not to impose discriminating duties of any
kind, whether on ships or cargoes; and even the coasting trade of the
United Kingdom is freely open to vessels of the United States as to
other foreign vessels, although the United States does not admit British
vessels to reciprocal privileges in her coasting trade.
As regards the request of the United States Government for co-operation
in reducing or lightening light-house or tonnage dues on shipping
between the ports of the British Empire and those of the United States,
I am informed by the board of trade that the whole subject of
light-house dues in the United Kingdom is being inquired into, with the
view of ascertaining whether any revision or re-adjustment of those dues
can be made, but not with any intention on the part of Her Majesty’s
Government to abolish them.
The board of trade are also making inquiries as to whether there are any
ports in the United Kingdom where the light-house dues in the trade with
the United States are lower than the tonnage dues now leviable in the
United States, so that, as regards these ports, British vessels would be
entitled to the reciprocal treatment promised in the circular which
accompanied your note; and as soon as I shall have heard the result of
those inquiries, I shall have the honor of addressing a further
communication to you.
I have, etc.,
