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  4. Document 332

Mr. Powell to Mr. Sherman.

Legation of the United States,
Port an Prince, Haiti, October 7, 1897. (Received October 16.)
No. 43.]

Sir: I respectfully call the attention of the Department to the inclosed proposed law referring to the future issue of passports. If this law should be enacted none of our citizens can leave any port of [Page 343] this Republic without a passport from the Haitian Government. I therefore request instructions on the following:

1. Are American citizens leaving Haiti to return to the United States required to obtain passports?; 2. What action shall I take if the same be enforced?

I have, etc.,

W. F. Powell.
[Inclosure 1 in 27o. 43.—Translation.]

Project of law.

Tiresias Augustin Simon Sam, President of Haiti, seeing the law of September 21, 1864, on the report of the secretary of state of finances and the advice of the council of the secretaries of state, has proposed, and the legislative hody has voted, the following law:

Art. 1. Article 1 of the law of October 31, 1876, on stamp papers, is modified as follows:

Article 1. From the promulgation of the present law there shall be ten stamps, to wit:

The first of P.0.05 The sixth of P.1.35
The second of 0.10 The seven of 2.00
The third of 0.20 The eighth of 4.00
The fourth of 0.35 The ninth of 6.00
The fifth of 0.70 The tenth of 15.00

Art. 2. The price of stamped papers on which shall he delivered passports for foreign parts with which every person dwelling on Haitian territory should he provided is thus fixed:

To go into the Dominican Territory G.4.00
To go into the Antilles or on the American continent 6.00
To go into the mother side of either oceans 15.00

art. 3. The present law abrogates an provisions of laws that are contrary thereto.

It shall he executed at the diligence of the secretary of state for finances and the secretary of the state of the interior, each one in that which concerns him.

Given at the National Palace at Port au Prince, October 1st, 1897, 94th year of the independence.

T. A. S. Sam.