[Inclosure in No. 251.]
By the President of the United
States.
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas by a proclamation of the President of the United States,
dated January twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred and eighty-eight, upon
proof then appearing satisfactory that no tonnage or light-house
dues or any equivalent tax or taxes whatever were imposed upon
American vessels entering the ports of the Empire of Germany, either
by the Imperial Government, or by the governments of the German
maritime states, and that vessels belonging to the United States of
America and their cargoes were not required in German ports to pay
any fee or due of any kind or nature, or any import due higher or
other than was payable by German vessels or their cargoes in the
United States, the President did thereby declare and proclaim, from
and after the date of his said proclamation of January twenty-sixth,
eighteen hundred and eighty-eight, the suspension of the collection
of the whole of the duty of six cents per ton, not to exceed thirty
cents per ton per annum, imposed upon vessels entered in the ports
of the United States from any of the ports of the Empire of Germany
by section 11 of the act of Congress approved June nineteenth,
eighteen hundred and eighty-six, entitled “An act to abolish certain
fees for official services to American vessels and to amend the laws
relating to shipping commissioners, seamen, and owners of vessels
and for other purposes;”
And whereas the President did further declare and proclaim in his
proclamation of January twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred and
eighty-eight, that the said suspension should continue so long as
the reciprocal exemption of vessels belonging to citizens of the
United States and their cargoes should be continued in the said
ports of the Empire of Germany and no longer;
And whereas it now appears upon satisfactory proof that tonnage or
light-house dues, or a tax or taxes equivalent thereto, are in fact
imposed upon American vessels and their cargoes entered in German
ports higher and other than those imposed upon German vessels or
their cargoes entered in ports of the United States, so that said
proclamation of January twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred and
eighty-eight, in its operation and effect contravenes the meaning
and intent of said section 11 of the act of Congress approved June
nineteenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-six:
Now, therefore, I, Grover Cleveland, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the aforesaid section 11 of the act
aforesaid, as well as in pursuance of the terms of said proclamation
itself, do hereby revoke my said proclamation of January
twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred and eighty-eight, suspending the
collection of the whole of the duty of six cents per ton, not to
exceed thirty cents per ton per annum (which is imposed by the
aforesaid section of said act), upon vessels entered in the ports of
the United States from any of the ports of the German Empire; this
revocation of said proclamation to take effect on and after the
second day of January, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven.
In witness 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
third day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and ninety-six, and of the Independence of the
United States the one hundred and
twenty-first.
[
seal.]
Grover Cleveland.
By the President:
Richard
Olney,
Secretary of
State.
