Mr. Smythe to Mr.
Gresham.
Legation of the United States.
Port au Prince, Haiti, May 15,
1894.
(Received May 28.)
No. 72.]Sir: * * * I have to inclose a copy of my note
to the foreign secretary in regard to the methods of levying tonnage
dues, and their evident discrimination against steam vessels. My note
was almost identical with that sent the same day by the consul-general
of Great Britain, and I believe the evil will be corrected.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure in No. 72.]
Mr. Smythe to
Mr. Lespinasse.
Legation of the United States.
Port au Prince, Haiti,
April 27,
1894.
Sir: It has been represented to this
legation that under existing customs regulations of your Government,
the levying (or the method of levying) tonnage dues works an
injustice to steam vessels as distinguished from sailing vessels in
this: That whereas steam vessels pay duties at the rate of — per ton
on their actual cargo, the sailing vessel
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pays only on its registered tonnage, and
frequently carries freight of twice this amount. This, as you can
easily see, operates to the prejudice of steam vessels, which by the
reason of their swiftness of passage and regular schedule of time
are much better adapted to the requirements of modern commerce than
the sailing vessel, and which in consequence of these manifest
advantages frequently receive subsidies from governments to be
benefited by the increase of interchange growing out of their
superior advantages.
This subject having been brought to the attention of my Government, I
am instructed, under date of March 16, to call the attention of your
Government to this evident discrimination, and to endeavor to secure
“from every point of view the same treatment for sailing vessels and
steamships.” In the confident belief that your Government will be
swift to correct this, injustice, and to place all interests on the
same tooting of impartial justice,
I have, etc.,
