No. 94.
Mr. Bayard
to Mr. Ball
Department
of State,
Washington, February 6,
1888.
No. 549.]
Sir: I transmit for your information, in connection
with previous correspondence, a copy of a letter addressed by me to the
Secretary of
[Page 125]
the Treasury to-day
relative to the imposition of a discriminating duty of 10 per cent., as
provided by section 2502 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, upon
the cargoes imported at San Francisco from Costa Rica by the vessels of the
Spanish Central American Line.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 549.]
Mr. Bayard to Mr.
Fairchild.
Department of State,
Washington, February 6,
1888.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 31st ultimo, inclosing a draught of a
letter to the collector of customs at San Francisco, in relation to the
imposition of the 10 per cent, discriminating duty under section 2502 of
the tariff act of March 3, 1883, on the cargo of the steamer Costa Eica.
The third paragraph of the letter reads as follows:
“Merchandise imported in said steamer, with the exception of such as is
covered by the terms of Article VI of the treaty of 1851 with Costa
Rica, is subject to the discriminating duties levied by section 2502 of
the tariff act of March 3, 1883.”
The only suggestion the Department wishes to offer is whether the
discriminating duty should not be imposed on all the merchandise on the
vessel, as the discriminating rebate of duties on merchandise imported
into Costa Rica on vessels of the line in question is understood to
apply to all merchandise, whether the growth, produce, or manufacture of
the United States or not.
If it should be deemed advisable not to raise this treaty question as yet
it might perhaps be well explicitly to state that there shall he
excepted from the imposition of the discriminating duty such merchandise
as may be the growth, produce, or manufacture of the Republic of Costa
Rica.
In the opinion of the Department, however, the discrimination now made by
Costa Rica in favor of merchandise imported on the vessels of the
Central American Line being applied to all merchandise, is violative of
Article VI of the treaty of 1851 between the United States and Costa
Rica, and would justify this Government in regarding its provisions as
temporarily suspended by Costa Rica.
I inclose herewith, for your further information, copy of a letter of the
1st instant to this Department, from the secretary of the pacific Mail
Steamship Company.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 549.]
Mr. Lane to Mr.
Bayard.
Pacific
Mail Steamship Company,
New
York, February 1,
1888.
continued imposition of a
discriminating duty of 5 per cent by costa
rica against american vessels in favor of those of the spanish
central american line.
Sir: Referring to previous correspondence, and
especially to our letter of the 27th ult., relating to the above
subject, I now beg to hand to you a further extract from a letter just
received from our special agent, Mr. J. H. Leverich, at the city of
Guatemala, under date of January 7, 1888, from which you will notice
that M. Leverich states that the 5 per cent, question was then in statu quo, and that the Marquis de Campo’s
steamer Costa Rica had landed 125 tons of goods
from San Francisco under that protection.
Asking that you will kindly communicate this to the Treasury
Department,
I remain, etc.,
[Page 126]
[Inclosure 3 in No.
549.—Extract.]
Mr. Leverich to Mr.
Lane.
Guatemala, January 7,
1888.
costa rica—differential
duties.
Dear Sirs: I am glad to hear you intended
asking Mr. Bayard now to urge action on the part of the Treasury
Department against Costa Rica in the shape of the 10 per cent,
discriminating duties on goods imported into San Francisco under the
flag of that Republic. My latest advices from Punt a Arenas are that the
5 per cent, question is still in statu quo and
that the Costa Mica landed 125 tons of goods from
San Francisco under that protection.
Respectfully, etc.,
