Mr. Olney to Mr.
Uhl.
Department of State,
Washington, May 19,
1896.
No. 53.]
Sir: Referring to Mr. Von Alvensleben’s note to
this Department of the 24th of January, 1888, to the effect that
American vessels are exempt from tonnage dues and other charges in
German ports, and to Mr. Bayard’s reply thereto of the 26th of the same
month, stating that in view of the contents of Mr. Von Alvensleben’s
communication the President would at once issue a proclamation
suspending the collection dues upon vessels entered from any of the
ports of the German Empire, which was accordingly done on the same day
(see Foreign Relations for 1888, pp.
669–672), I inclose for
your information copies of recent correspondence, indicated below,
between this Department and the Secretary of the Treasury relative to
the tonnage taxes, light-house dues, and other similar taxes now imposed
upon vessels of the United States in certain German ports.
You are instructed to bring this subject to the attention of the Imperial
German foreign office, in such manner as your judgment may best
indicate, and to ask for an explanation of the apparent inconsistencies
between the assurances given in Mr. Alvensleben’s note of the 24th of
January, 1888, and the practice now existing in the ports of Hamburg and
Bremen, as reported by our consuls there.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 53.]
Mr. Curtis to
Mr. Olney.
Treasury Department,
Office of the
Secretary,
Washington, D.
C., November 7,
1895.
Sir: I have the honor to request that you
obtain, for the use of this Department, a report from the United
States consul at Hamburg and from the United States consul at
Stettin, showing what tonnage tax, light dues, or other equivalent
taxes or dues are imposed on vessels of the United States arriving
at said places or at their outlying ports.
Respectfully, yours,
W. E. Curtis,
Acting Secretary.
[Page 143]
[Inclosure 2 in No. 53.]
Mr. Olney to
Mr. Carlisle.
Department of State,
Washington, December 21,
1895.
Sir: Referring to your letter of November 7
last, I have the honor to inclose for your information copies of
dispatches1 from
the consuls at Hamburg and Stettin transmitting reports upon the
tonnage tax, light-house dues, and other similar taxes imposed upon
vessels of the United States at Hamburg and Stettin.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 3 in No. 53.]
Mr. Wike to Mr.
Olney.
Treasury Department,
Office of the
Secretary,
Washington, D.
C., December 27,
1895.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 21st instant, inclosing copies of
dispatches from the consuls at Hamburg and Stettin, transmitting
reports upon the tonnage tax, lighthouse dues, and other similar
taxes imposed upon vessels of the United States at Hamburg and
Stettin.
It is noted that the consul at Hamburg reports the following tonnage
dues imposed at that port upon American vessels:
The tonnage dues for steamers entering the port of Hamburg
are 2.86 cents per cubic meter (0.353 ton) on foreign
(British) measurement, or 2.38 cents per cubic meter (0.353
ton) on German measurement. * * * For sailing vessels the
tonnage dues are 2.86 cents per cubic meter (0.353 ton).
I have the honor to invite your attention therewith to the
proclamation of the President, dated January 26, 1888, beginning
“Whereas satisfactory proof has been given to me by the Government
of the Empire of Germany that no tonnage or light-house dues or any
equivalent tax or taxes whatever are imposed upon American vessels
entering the ports of Germany,” * * * and concluding, “And the
suspension hereby declared and proclaimed shall continue so long as
the reciprocal exemption of vessels belonging to citizens of the
United States, and their cargoes, shall be continued in the ports of
the Empire of Germany, and no longer.”
I have the honor to suggest that the consul at Hamburg be instructed
to ascertain the amount of tonnage tax thus exacted at Hamburg from
American vessels since January 26, 1888, and to inquire whether, in
the judgment of your Department, the imposition of this tax does not
call for the suspension of the exemption in American ports, pursuant
to the proclamation of the President, so far as vessels entering the
United States from Hamburg are concerned.
Respectfully, yours,
S. Wike,
Acting Secretary.
[Page 144]
[Inclosure 4 in No. 53.]
Mr. Wike to Mr.
Olney.
Treasury Department,
Office of the
Secretary,
Washington, D.
C., March 9,
1896.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 5th instant,1 transmitting inclosures
from the United States consul at Hamburg concerning the imposition
of tonnage taxes upon American vessels.
Your attention is respectfully invited to the statement of the consul
in his dispatch, dated February 21, 1896, that “it will be seen that
every United States vessel arriving here since January 1, 1888, has
been charged tonnage dues, except the U. S. S. Marblehead,” and to his tabulated statement of the
American vessels arriving at that port from February 6, 1888, to
December 22, 1895, together with a statement furnished by the
Hamburg foreign office of the amount of tonnage taxes paid by each
of said vessels.
On January 26, 1888, the President of the United States issued his
proclamation, beginning, “Whereas satisfactory proof has been given
to me by the Government of the Empire of Germany that no tonnage or
light-house dues or any equivalent tax or taxes whatever are imposed
upon American vessels entering the ports of the Empire of Germany,”
and concluding, “and the suspension hereby declared and proclaimed
shall continue so long as the reciprocal exemption of vessels
belonging to citizens of the United States and their cargoes shall
be continued in the said ports of the Empire of Germany, and no
longer.”
It appears from the statement of the United States consul at Hamburg,
accompanied by the statement of tonnage taxes actually paid,
furnished by the Hamburg foreign office, that the imposition of
tonnage taxes on American vessels by Hamburg was resumed on February
6, 1888, eleven days after the issue of the proclamation of the
President of the United States, if indeed it was ever suspended, and
that the imposition of tonnage taxes on American vessels arriving
from the United States from February 6, 1888, has continued up to
the present time by Hamburg. In the meantime vessels from Hamburg in
ports of the United States have not paid tonnage taxes (amounting to
many thousands of dollars) upon the assurance of the German
Government that no such taxes were levied on American vessels by
Hamburg.
In view of these facts, I have the honor respectfully to renew my
inquiry of December 27, 1895, whether, in your judgment, the
imposition of tonnage taxes since February 6, 1888, by Hamburg upon
American vessels entering from the United States does not call for
the suspension of the exemption from tonnage taxes in American
ports, pursuant to the proclamation of the President, so far as
vessels entering the United States from Hamburg are concerned, and
further, to inquire whether it does not also call for proceedings on
the part of the United States for the collection of tonnage taxes
from vessels entering the United States from Hamburg subsequent to
February 6, 1888, the exemption from payment of which taxes was in
violation of law (act of June 19, 1886, sec. 11).
Respectfully, yours,
S. Wike,
Acting Secretary.
[Page 145]
[Inclosure 5 in No. 53.]
Mr. Wike to Mr.
Olney.
Treasury Department,
Office of the
Secretary,
Washington, D.
C., May 2,
1896.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 28th ultimo1 transmitting copy of a
dispatch with the original inclosure from the American consul at
Bremen reporting on the tonnage tax, light, and other dues imposed
on vessels at Bremen and its outlying ports.
Your attention is respectfully invited to the statement of the
American consul in his dispatch dated Bremen, April 14, 1896, that
“there is no difference in the charges made on vessels of the United
States and those of any other country.” His tabulated statement
shows that light dues are imposed at Bremen and outlying ports as
follows:
All vessels of more than 200 cubic meters carrying capacity net which
come to or go from the river Weser, per cubic meter 11 pfennigs = 2½
cents.
On January 26, 1888, the President of the United States issued his
proclamation beginning, “Whereas satisfactory proof has been given
to me by the Government of the Empire of Germany that no tonnage or
light-house dues or any equivalent tax or taxes whatever are imposed
upon American vessels entering the ports of the Empire of Germany,”
and concluding, “and the suspension hereby declared and proclaimed
shall continue so long as the reciprocal exemption of vessels
belonging to citizens of the United States and their cargoes shall
be continued in the said ports of the Empire of Germany, and no
longer.”
It appears from the statement of the United States consul at Bremen
that light-house dues are now imposed at Bremen and the outlying
ports, whatever may have been the practice at the time when the
President’s proclamation was issued. In the meantime vessels from
Bremen and Bremerhaven have been exempt in ports of the United
States from tonnage and light dues amounting to many thousand
dollars, upon the assurance of the German Government that no such
taxes were levied on American vessels at Bremen.
In view of these facts, I have the honor respectfully to inquire
whether in your judgment the imposition of light dues by Bremen and
outlying ports upon American vessels does not call for the
suspension of the exemption from tonnage taxes in American ports
pursuant to the proclamation of the President, so far as vessels
entering the United States from Bremen and outlying ports are
concerned.
As further bearing upon this subject, your attention is respectfully
invited to the letter of this Department, dated March 9, 1896,
referring to taxes levied on American vessels in the port of
Hamburg.
Respectfully, yours,
S. Wike, Acting Secretary.
