Mr. Blaine to Señor Bolet-Peraza.
Washington, January 7, 1892.
Sir: I am directed by the President to again bring to your attention the provisions of the tariff law of the Congress of the United States, approved October 1, 1890, in which provision was made for the admission into the United States, free of all duty, of the following articles, to wit: All sugars not above No. 16 Dutch standard in color, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides. In section 3 of this law, it is declared that these remissions of duty were made “with a view to secure reciprocal trade with countries producing” those articles, and it is provided that—
On and after the 1st day of January, 1892, whenever, and so often as the President shall be satisfied that the Government of any country producing and exporting sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides, raw and uncured, or any of such articles, imposes duties or other exactions upon the agricultural or other products of the United States, which, in view of the free introduction of such sugar, molasses, coffee, [Page 500] tea, and hides into the United States, he may deem to be reciprocally unequal and unreasonable, he shall have the power, and it shall be his duty, to suspend by proclamation to that effect, the provisions of this act relating to the free introduction of such sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides, the production of such country, for such time as he shall deem just, and in such case and during such suspension duties shall be levied, collected, and paid upon sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides, the product of, or exported from, such designated country,
at the rate set forth in said section 3.
I am further directed by the President to inform you that in view of the free introduction into the United States of the articles named, the product of Venezuela, he deems the duties imposed upon the agricultural and other products of the United States, on their introduction into Venezuela, to be reciprocally unequal and unreasonable, and that, unless on or before the 15th day of March next, some satisfactory commercial arrangement is entered upon between the Government of the United States and the Government of Venezuela, or unless some action is taken by the latter Government whereby the unequal and unreasonable state of the trade relations between the two countries is removed, the President will, on the date last named, issue his proclamation suspending the provisions of the tariff law cited relating to the free introduction of such sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides, the production of Venezuela, and during such suspension the duties set forth in section 3 of said law shall be levied, collected, and paid upon sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides, the product of or exported from Venezuela.
In asking you to transmit to your Government the foregoing information, I desire to repeat the assurance, which has been given to you and to your Government at various times since the enactmentof the law cited, of the earnest desire of this Government to maintain with Venezuela the most intimate and friendly trade relations, and to express the hope that you may yet be empowered by your Government to enter with me upon a commercial arrangement reciprocally equal and mutually advantageous.
Accept, etc.,