No. 858.
Mr. Romero to Mr. Bayard.
Washington, March 12, 1888. (Received March 14.)
Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to inform you that I have received instructions from the Government of Mexico to call the attention of the United States Government to the fact that the decision adopted by the Treasury Department of this country, which bears date of August 1, 1887, and was published in the synopsis of the 1st of September following (No. 8368), relative to the importation of some Mexican tobacco from Paso del Norte, at El Paso, Texas, tends to increase the duty imposed by section 246 of the tariff of March 3, 1883, now in force in this country, which lays a duty of 75 cents per pound upon leaf-tobacco, provided that 83 per cent, be of the requisite size and of the requisite fineness of texture to be suitable for wrappers, and that one hundred leaves weigh less than a pound, and lays a duty of 35 cents thereon when its weight exceeds that quantity.
Before the adoption of the said decision collectors of customs in the United States observed the following system: They took as the unit for the collection of that duty a tercio or hand of tobacco, which appears [Page 1286] to be more in accordance with the provisions of the tariff, because otherwise the provision relative to the amount per cent. for the fixing of the amount of the duty seems to have no object. According to the aforesaid decision of the Treasury Department of August 1, 1887, the leaf itself has been adopted as the unit, the result of which is that even when the proportion of the tobacco that is to pay the heavier duty is less than 85 per cent. a part of each tercio or of each hand pays that duty and another the less duty.
The Government of Mexico thinks that it would be more in accordance with the text of the tariff and with justice to levy the duty upon tobacco according to its mean weight, and not to take the leaf unit as a basis; and with a view to the development of the trade in this article between the two countries, which must prove mutually advantageous, it has instructed me to invite your attention to this matter, in the hope that the subject will be re-examined by the Treasury Department of the United States.
Be pleased to accept, etc.,