No. 55.
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 [Page 1932] 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,
[Papers referred to in Mr. von
Alvensleben’s note of February 25, 1888.]
1. Mr. Schwab to Dr. Glavis
.
[Telegram.]
New York
,
February 15, 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.
2. 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, without 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 be
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 Ameriean 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.