By the President of the United States of
America.
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas, by my proclamation of August 18, 1892, and in pursuance of
the authority conferred on me by an act of Congress approved July
26, 1892, entitled “An act to enforce the reciprocal commercial
relations between the United States and Canada, and for other
purposes,” I directed “that from and after September 1, 1892, until
further notice, a toll of twenty cents per ton be levied, collected,
and paid on all freight of whatever kind or description passing
through the St. Mary’s Falls Canal in transit to any port of the
Dominion of Canada, whether carried in vessels of the United States
or of other nations;” and to that extent thereby suspended “from and
after said date the right of free passage through said St. Mary’s
Falls Canal of any and all cargoes or portions of cargoes in transit
to Canadian ports;” and
Whereas the above order was issued in consequence of the imposition
by the Government of the Dominion of Canada of a discriminating toll
whereby unjust and unreasonable burdens were placed, in violation of
article 27 of the treaty of Washington, upon the carrying of
passengers and cargoes through the Welland Canal in transit to ports
of the United States, as is fully set forth in said proclamation;
and
Whereas by an order in council dated February 13, 1893, the
Governor-General of the Dominion of Canada has directed that “for
the season of 1893 the canal tolls for the passage of the following
food products, wheat, Indian corn, pease, barley, rye, oats,
flaxseed, and buckwheat, for passage eastward through the Welland
Canal be 10 cents per ton; and for passage westward through the St.
Lawrence Canals only 10 cents per ton; payment of the said toll of
10 cents per ton for passage through the Welland Canal to entitle
these products to free passage through the St. Lawrence canals;”
and
Whereas I have received satisfactory assurances that this order
revokes during the season of 1893 the discriminating provisions
above referred to and secures to citizens of the United States
equality with British subjects as regards the use of said
canals:
Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the said act of Congress approved July 26,
1892, do hereby declare and proclaim that from and after the date
hereof, and until further notice, the provisions of my said
proclamation of August 18, 1892, are suspended, in so far as they
direct that a toll of 20 cents per ton be levied, collected, and
paid on all freight of whatever kind or description passing through
the St. Mary Falls’s Canal in transit to any port of the Dominion of
Canada whether carried in vessels of the United States or of other
nations.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal
of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of
Washington
this
twenty-first day of February, one thousand eight hundred and
ninety-three and of the Independence of the United States of
America the one hundred and seventeenth.
[
seal.]
Benjamin Harrison.
By the President:
John W. Foster,
Secretary of State.
