Mr. Douglass to Mr. Blaine .
Port-au-Prince , June 27, 1891. (Received July 9.)
Sir: Almost at the hour fixed for the sailing of the steamer Prins Willem III, which is to take me to New York and which is already just one week behind her schedule time, I am put in possession of the annual [Page 657] message that President Hyppolite has recently sent to the Corps Législatif, now in session at this capital, and I accordingly hasten to transmit to you herewith a copy of that document.
On pages 25 and 26 of the message will be found some important statements in respect to the matter of discriminations which have been observed these late years against our sailing vessels coining to Haitian ports (see my No. 157, of April 27, 1891).
The statements referred to are as follows:
An absolutely remarkable fact is the importance of the constantly increasing commerce of Haiti with the United States. It is this that explains the numerous complaints put forth by the New York journals against the measures taken in Haiti in regard to sailing-vessels, which bring hither the greatest part of the provisions coming from the United States.
The American legation has had several friendly consultations with the secretary of state for the purpose of demanding whether the Government would not ameliorate the situation in regard to sailing vessels by placing them somewhat nearly under the same condition with steamers. The principal cause of complaint set forth is, according to the honorable Mr. Douglass, the refusal to expedite every sailing vessel, the whole of whose import duties have not yet been paid, after the drawing up of the exact duty sheets, while steamers are in no way detained by the nonpayment of the duties on their cargoes.
It has been found, from an examination made by the bureaus of the department of commerce, that no law imposes the obligation to detain sailing vessels until the import duties on their inward cargoes are paid.
This measure is perhaps only supported by a decree of the 30th of April, 1869, a decree which was not inserted either in the Official Moniteur nor in any law bulletin of the Republic, so that it is not known from what authority it emanates. In any case, the date of the 30th of April, 1869, calls to mind a troubled epoch of the Republic, in which it was impossible to render a decree in constitutional form, that which makes this decree an act of pure circumstance.
The Government thinks that the obligation imposed on merchants to pay the import duties either definitively or approximately before taking away their merchandise suffices amply to safeguard the fiscal interests. If the national assembly make no objection thereto, the minister of finance and commerce will, in the future, make the application pure and simple of the law of December 10, 1861, which only exacts before the expediting of sailing vessels the payment of tonnage dues and all other charges affecting the body of the vessels.
It is thus seen that my persistent efforts for the removal of the discriminations complained of have been effectual.
I am, etc.,