Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 5, 1898

Mr. Storer to Mr. Day.

Legation of the United States,
Brussels, September 14, 1898.

No. 141.]

Sir: I have the honor to report that the regulations of the importation of fresh, salted, and preserved meats into Belgium has been again amended. I beg to refer to my dispatch No. 83, dated January 27, 1898, for a statement of the substance of the amendment of these regulations, then just made, stating the impossibility at that time of forwarding a printed copy. I beg now to inclose a reprinted copy of the said “arrete” or decree of December 14, 1897, amending the law as then existing and of which the Department was already in possession, and also an abstract of the “Moniteur Belge” of August 29 and 30, 1898, containing the amendments last made, dated August 22, 1898.

It will be observed that now the inspection and conditions of importation are extended to include “fats and extracts produced from cattle, sheep, goats, and hogs;” that the importation of fats and extracts of horse flesh, as well as the flesh itself, are prohibited, and that the stamp of inspection may be placed on the case or cover of the package in case of preserved or tinned meats.

I have, etc.,

Bellamy Storer.

[Inclosure 1 in dispatch No. 141.—Translation.]

Expert inspection of meats imported into the Kingdom.

[Department of agriculture and public works.—Bureau of public health and hygiene.]

51.

rules of organization.

Leopold II, King of the Belgians, to all present and to come, greeting:

See article 1, last paragraph, of the law of June 18, 1887, establishing a right of entry for animals and meats, modified by the law of January 30, 1892.

See the law of August 4, 1890, relative to the adulteration of food, modified by that of December 30, 1895.

See especially the order contained in article 3 of this last law, in the following terms:

“Concerning the meats imported into the Kingdom, there shall be first levied against the importers a duty which will not exceed the cost of inspection, and of which the Government shall fix the assessment.”

In the review of articles 13, 14, and 20 of the regulation of February 9, 1891, upon commerce in meats.

See the notice of the operation of veterinary inspection. Upon the proposition of our minister of agriculture and public works, we have decreed and we hereby decree:

Article 1. “The entry into Belgium of fresh meats, prepared or preserved, will not take place except through the customs officers or branches of custom-house offices on the frontier or in the interior, which shall be designated by our minister of agriculture and public works, and at such hours and upon such days as shall be determined by our minister of finance.

“The importation of horse flesh, prepared or preserved, is interdicted.”¹

Art. 2. “The fresh meats, with the exception of those prepared from sheep, are not admitted in other form than the entire animal or in halves or quarters and on condition that the lungs are adhering.² Fresh meats prepared from the horse, the ass, the mule, and donkey are not admitted to entry except when having the lungs adhering.”¹

Art. 3. “The fresh meats imported shall not he put upon the public markets for food until pronounced upon as suitable and are furnished with a stamp conforming to the prescribed model after an examination made by the veterinarians who are charged with the control of live animals imported into Belgium or by other experts designated for this purpose.”

Art. 4. “If the importer does not accept the decision of the expert, there will be a delay of twenty-four hours granted for him to present his objections. He will be allowed, in this case, to have a second inspection made by a veterinary surgeon of his own choice. In case of failure to agree, the first expert will call in a third expert, who shall be the veterinary inspector of the Government or his deputy, and whose opinion shall prevail.”

Art. 5. “If the inspection shows that the meat is improper for food, even after sterilization, it will be sequestered in care of the expert, who will immediately inform the ehief magistrate in writing, who, following the directions of the expert, will examine it and decide whether it can be submitted to a close cutting up; if not, he will order the burial in the ground of the entire mass, under supervision of the police.”

Art. 6. “The expenses of inspection are charged to the importer. In case of a second inspection, the expense will be borne by the interested party if the decision of the first expert is confirmed, and by the Government in the contrary case.”

Art. 7. “The preceding regulations do not apply to meats, prepared or preserved, which pass in transit directly through the Kingdom.”

Art. 8. “Infractions of the preceding rules will be punished by the penalties prescribed by articles 6 and 7 of the law of August 4, 1890, without waiving the application of the penalties established by the penal code.”

Art. 9. “Articles 13, 14, and 20 of the royal decree of February 9, 1891, concerning the general regulation of commerce in meats, are abolished.”

Art. 10. “Our minister of agriculture and public works is charged with the execution of this decree, which will be in force from the 1st of January, 1898.”

Given at Brussels December 14, 1897.

Leopold.

In the King’s name, the minister of agriculture and public works.

Leon De Bruyn.

52.

decree fixing the amount of taxes for inspection.

Leopold II, King of the Belgians, to all present and to come, greeting:

See article 3, paragraph 2, of the law of December 30, 1895, in the following terms:

“Concerning the meats imported into the Kingdom, there shall be first levied against the importers a duty which will not exceed the cost of inspection, and of which the Government shall fix the assessment.”

See article 3 of the royal decree dated this day relative to the expert inspection of meats imported into the Kingdom.

Upon the proposition of our minister of agriculture and public works, we have decreed and hereby do decree:

Article 1. “The tax for expert inspection of meats imported into the Kingdom is fixed at 20 centimes per hundred kilograms or fraction of a hundred kilograms.”

Art. 2. “The tax for expert inspection repeated is fixed at 3 francs.

“For traveling expenses, 25 centimes per kilometer, going and returning, and calculated from town to town, are allowed over and above other expenses to the second expert when he does not reside in the locality where the inspection is made.”

Art. 3. “The taxes for expert inspection are placed in the hands of the expert by means of a coupon receipt taken from a coupon register (stub book).”

Art. 4. “Our minister of agriculture and public works is charged with the executionf this decree.”

Given at Brussels December 14, 1897.

Leopold.

In the King’s name, the minister of agriculture and public works.

Leon De Bruyn.

ministerial regulations determining the bureaus op customs to be open to the importation of fresh meats.

The minister of agriculture and public works.

See the royal decree of December 14, 1897, reorganizing the service of expert inspection of fresh meats imported into the Kingdom.

Upon the proposition of the minister of finance, decree:

Single article. The importation of fresh meats after the 1st of January proximo will be make exclusively through the bureaus and branch bureaus of customs which are enumerated in the annexed table as a part of this decree, and upon the days and at the hours indicated.

The inspection shall be made under the direction of the experts whose names are set opposite those of the bureaus and branch bureaus of customs.

Brussels, the December 17, 1897.

Leon De Bruyn.

amendment to the ministerial decree of 17th of december, 1897.

Table showing the days and hours at which Belgian custom-house offices are open to the importation into Belgium of fresh meats.

[Offices and branch offices of customs expert veterinarians.]

Names.	Days when offices are open.	Names.	Residence.
	By sea transit.
Antwerp (port)	Every day from sunrise to sunset	Weemaes	Antwerp.
Gand (port) or Ghent.	Days not holidays from 8 to 12 o’clock, and from 14 to 18 hours (2 to 6 o’clock).	De Conick	Ghent.
Ostend (port)	Every day from the rising to the setting of the sun.	Verraert	Ostend.
	By railway transit, Holland frontier.
Houcke	The first and third Mondays of the month, and the evenings during the Bruges fair, from 9 to 10 o’clock.	Van Damma	Westchappell.
Maldeghem (Pont de paille).	Mondays from 14 to 15 (2 to 3 o’clock).	Vander Heyden	Eecloo.
Watervliet	Wednesdays from 9.30 to 10.30 o’clock	do	Do.
Staak, Assenede	Tuesdays from 15 to 16 (3 to 4 o’clock)	Denil	Selzaete.
Selzaete (station)	Wednesdays from 6 to 9 o’clock, and Saturdays on arrival of the train, at 12–34m	do	Do.
La Trompe (Stekene)	Wednesdays from 9 to 10 o’clock	De Bruyn	Stekene.
Kruisstraat (Moerbeke).	Tuesdays from 14 to 15 (2 to 3 o’clock)	do	Do.
Santoliet	The first and third Saturdays of the month from 9 to 11 o’clock.	Bril	Strabroeck.
Esschen (station)	Tuesdays and Saturdays from sunrise to sunset.	Van Gerven	Essche.
Esschen (village)	Saturdays from 1 to 2 o’clock	do	Do.
Poppel	First and third Saturdays of the month from 10 to 11 o’clock.	Huynen	Turnhout.
Achel (station)	By railway and by overland routes, Wednesdays and Saturdays until 10 a.m.	Vander Hoydouck.	Peer.
Hamont (station)	The first Wednesday of the month at the hour of the passing of the first morning train.	Schowterden	Bree.
Hamont (village)	Tuesdays from 8 to 9 o’clock.	do	Do.
La Planck	The holidays at Fauquemont or Valkenburg from 2 to 3 o’clock.	Lowhienne	Aubel.
Vise (station)	Tuesdays from sunrise to 12 m. and Saturdays from 12 m. to sunset.	Simon	Vise.
La Clinge (station)	Thursdays from 8 to 9 o’clock	De Clerck	Vracene.
La Clinge (village)	do	do	Do.
Kieldrecht	Tuesdays from 2 to 3 o’clock	do	Do.
Brussels (first office)	Every day at 9 o’clock	Van Hertsen	Brussels.
Westwezel	Tuesdays from 2 to 4 o’clock	De Ryck	Antwerp.
Bar-le-Duc	Wednesdays from 10 to 12 in winter, Thursdays from 6 to 7 in summer.	Huynen	Turnhout.
Arendouck	Thursdays, 11 to 12 in winter and from 5 to 6 in summer.	do	Do.
Maeseyck or Maesyck.	Mondays and Thursdays from 2 to 4 in winter and from 5 to 7 on Mondays and Fridays in summer.	Pernot	Maeseyck.
Lanaeken (station) or Lanaken.	Wednesdays and Fridays at 11 o’clock.	Tyvaert	Lanaeken.
Gemmenich	Wednesdays from 2 to 3 o’clock
Ophoven	Thursdays from 10 to 12 in winter, Fridays from 10 to 12 in summer.	Dumoulin	Montzen.
Petit-Lanaye	Wednesdays and Fridays at 1 o’clock.	Deborre	Sichen-Sussen and Bolre.
Stockheim	Wednesdays at 3 o’clock	Pernot	Maeseyck.
Sneermaes	Wednesdays and Fridays, 1.30 o’clock	Tyvaert	Lanaeken.
Vroenhoven	Fridays at 10 o’clock	Detorre	Sichen-Sussen and Bolre.
Verviers (western station).	Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 to 11 o’clock.	Hansoulle	Verviers.
Liege (first office)	do	Ruelens	Liege.
Liege (second office)	Tuesdays from 11 to 12 o’clock	do	Do.
	Germany and Grand Ducal frontiers.
Bleyberg (station)	Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays on the arrival of trains transporting live stock.	Dumoulin	Moutzen.
Welkenraedt	Saturdays from 9 to 10 o’clock	Conradt	Dolhain Limbourg.
Wolberg (Antelba)	Mondays; (a) from 1st of April until 30th September from 5 to 6 o’clock; (b) from 1st of October until 31st March from 3 to 4 o’clock.	Laurencin	Arlou.
Sterpenich (station)	The evening before the fairs at Binche, the evening of the fairs at Neufchateau and Ciney, and the day following the fairs at Thionville, at the hours of the arrival of trains 5233 and 5225.	do	Do.
Aubange	Wednesdays and the evenings of the fair at Arlou, or the evening before if the evening be a holiday, from 10 to 11 o’clock; the days of the fair at Louguyon from 3 to 4 o’clock.	Simon	Messancy.
Anthus (station)	Tuesdays from 8 to 9 o’clock	do	Do.
Gonvy (station)	Wednesdays from 8 to 9 o’clock.	Ransens	Gonvy.
	French frontier.
St. Mard	Wednesdays and fair days at Longuyon from 2.30 to 4.30 o’clock; the day following the fairs at Etain and Verdun from 10 to 12 o clock.	Gratia	Virton.
Limes (Geronville)	Saturdays and fair days at St. Walfroid and Stenay from 2.30 to 4.30 o’clock.	Smeets	Florenville.
Villers-devant-Orval	Mondays: (a) from 15th June to the 15th September from 7 to 8.30 o’clock; (b) from 16th September to 14th June from 2.30 to 4 o’clock.	do	Do.
Florenville	First, from 15th June to 15th September, Tuesdays from 6.30 to 8 o’clock, and Fridays from 6 to 7.30 o’clock, and on fair days at Stenay from 6.30 to 7.30. Second, from 16th September to 14th June, Tuesdays and Fridays from 12.30 to 2 o’clock, and the day following the fair at Stenay from 8 to 9 o’clock. Third, every year, fair d ay s at Carignan from 2 to 4 o’clock.	do	Do.
Muno	The second and fourth Fridays of the month: (a) from 8 to 9 o’clock for the period from 15th June to 15th September; (b) from 9 to 10 o’clock for the period from 16th September to 14th June.	do	Do.
Bouillon	Fridays from 3 to 4 o’clock	Bacus	Bouillon.
Agimont (station)	Tuesdays and Fridays as well as the evenings of fail days, at Ciney, or the preceding evening if the former is a holiday, from 9 to 10 o’clock.	Polet	Doische.
Cul-des-Sarts	The first Saturday in the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December, and the first Monday of the months of January, March, May, July, September and November: (a) from the 1st October to the 31st March from 3 to 4 o’clock p.m.; (b) from the 1st April to the 30th September from 4 to 5 p.m. Every year, the third Thursday of the month from 1 to 2 o’clock.	Pureur	Couvin.
Momignies (station)	Mondays and Saturdays, 3 to 4 o’clock.	Gerard	Momignies.
Erquelimes	By railway and overland routes Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 to 11 o’clock.	Duby	Solre Sur-Sambre.
Bois-Bourdon (Havay).	Tuesdays and Fridays, as well as on the 14th and 15th of each, or on the 13th if the 14th is a Sunday or a holiday, from 10 to 11 o’clock.	Fauconnier	Givry.
Quievrain (village)	Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 to 11 o’clock.	Delattre	Hensies.
Do	Thursdays from 3 to 4 o’clock	do	Do.
Hertain	Wednesdays as well as evenings of fair days at Tournai from 4 to 5 o’clock.	Ninove	Templeuve.
Menin (station)	Saturdays from 9.30 to 10.30 o’clock	Snaeck	Menin.
Menin (town)	Mondays from 4 to 5 o’clock	do	Do.
Drouckaert (Reckcm).	Wednesdays: (a) from the 1st October to the 31st March from 3 to 4 o’clock; (b) from 1st April to the 30th September, 5 to 6 o’clock.	do	Do.
Pont-Rouge (Warenton).	Wednesdays, as well as the day before the fairs at Thourout, Elverdinghe, Ypres, and Boesinghe, from 2 to 3 o’clock.	Stragier	Warenton.
L’Abeele (Village-Waton)	Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 to 3 o’clock	Breyne	Poperinghe.
IIaeghedoorne (Beveren on the Yser).	Thursdays from 2 to 3 o’clock	Taccoen	Leysele
Adinkerke (Village).	The first and third Fridays of the month from 10 to 11 o’clock.	Desmet	Furnes.
Lamorteau (station)	Fridays and the days of fairs at Montmedy from 2.30 to 4 o’clock.	Gratia	Virton.
Query (station)	Thursdays from 2.30 to 4 o’clock	Deghilage	Goegnies-Chaussee.

N. B.—When the opening day appointed for the bureaus and branch bureaus of customs occurs on a Sunday or on a holiday the receiver shall agree with the expert veterinarian upon the evening or day before or the day following as the day of importation. This change shall be made known to the public by means of a placard in a prominent place, at least eight days in advance, on the walls of the building” or j>reraises belonging to the customs office.

54.

circular addressed to the expert meat inspectors on the frontier.

Brussels, December 24, 1897.

I have the honor herewith to forward to you a copy:

• First. Of the royal decree of the 14th of this month which organizes the service of expert inspection of meats imported into the Kingdom.
• Second. Of the royal decree of the same date which gives the amount of the tax to collect from the importers.
• Third. Of the ministerial decree of the 17th of this month which indicates those bureaus of customs through which the entry of the meats is authorized, the days and hours of their being open; also the names of the veterinarians charged with the service of inspection.

Concerning the collection of the duties, you will please conform to the following instructions:

Before the inspection the importer or his representative must pay into the hands of the expert the amount of the tax due according to the royal decree of the 14th of the current month.

The expert gives him a receipt torn from a stub hook (Form No. 42). The receipt and the stub must bear the same inscriptions.

The expert will address to the central administration (service of health and public hygiene) within the first five days of each month an exact certified statement of the taxes which he has collected during the preceding month, and if the expert is charged with the service in several localities directed by a bureau or subbureau use Form No. 41.

Under such circumstances, a postal order should be annexed equaling in amount the gross receipts.

Whenever experts live in a locality where there is an agency of the national bank, or in proximity to one, they will pay directly into the treasury the amount of the receipt under the law, “Product of the taxes of inspection of meats.” They will replace the postal order by a certificate of deposit, which will be delivered to them, and which they should immediately have signed by the agent of the treasury.

Agents who are likewise charged with the sanitary control of live stock will render a separate account of the receipts connected with the two branches of the service. They will produce a postal order or a certificate of deposit, distinct for the support of each statement.

When the importer demands a second inspection he should place in the hands of the first expert a sum sufficient to cover the expenses of the second inspection. If the decision of the first expert is confirmed, the tax for the second inspection is borne on the monthly account of receipts. If the decision of the first expert is revoked, the sum consigned is immediately restored to the interested parties.

The experts in meat inspection at the frontier offices are remunerated according to the regulation of April 8, 1893, relative to the sanitary control of domestic animals.

At each visit they make a declaration through the receiver of customs, establishing the exact hour of their arrival at the bureau of control, as well as the hour at which they terminated the operations of inspection.

A quarterly report in duplicate shall be made of the indemnities which are due and the disbursements which have been made, and especially noting the sending of postal orders. The two copies will be transmitted to the central administration within the first ten days after the end of the quarter year, having annexed thereto the declarations of the receivers and other vouchers.

When the same office of customs is open both to the importation of live stock and slaughtered meats, fees connected with the double service intrusted to the expert are combined, from the point of view of the remuneration. They will therefore have to produce but a single account, in duplicate, of the fees connected with both branches of the service.

The third expert who may be designated by the veterinary inspector and the second expert will forward to the central administration a declaration of that which is due to them.

You will be required, Mr. Veterinarian, to demand from the experts now in charge of the service of inspection of imported meats the employment of stamps made obligatory by the ministerial decree of June 28, 1891.

The minister of agriculture and public works.

Leon De Bruyn.

[Form No. 42.]

[Kingdom of Belgium, minister of agriculture and public works. Service of public health and hygiene.]

inspection of imported meats.

No. —.

Received of Mr. ________,¹ for the inspection² of ________ kilograms of meat of ________, the sum of ________,³

At ________, the ________, 189 ________

The expert.

[Form No. 41.]

[Minister of agriculture and public works. Service of public health and hygiene.]

inspection of imported meats.

Statement of taxes for inspection, collected by Mr. ________, veterinarian at ________, during the month of ________, 189 ________.

Custom-House Office ________¹

Dates of importations.	Amount of the—		Observations. [Give special information in this column as to the second inspection; also the name and address of the second and third inspector.]
	Tax for inspection.	Tax for repetition of inspection.

[Inclosure 2 in dispatch No. 141. Abstract from Moniteur Belge, August 29–150, 1898.—Translation.]

Expert inspection of imported meats.

Leopold II, King of the Belgians, to all that are and shall be, greeting:

Reviewing the royal decree of December 14, 1897, concerning the expert inspection of fresh meats imported into the Kingdom, see Article I of the law of December 20, 1897, thus expressed:

The articles 19 to 26, 28, and 50 of the loi of April 6, 1843, upon the repression of fraud are applicable in case of importation, of exportation, or transit, without declaration of merchandise liable to duty or not, which would be subject to measures of legal control, or which might be temporarily prohibited for any cause whatever, at the point of entry, or of departure or in transit, by all the frontiers or only a part.

See the notice of the service of veterinary inspection.

Upon the proposition of our minister of agriculture and public works, we have decreed and we hereby do decree:

Articles 1, 3, and 8 of the royal decree of December 14, 1897, relative to the inspection of imported meats into the Kingdom, are replaced by the following provisions:

Art. 1. The entrance into Belgium of meats, fats, and appurtenances, fresh, prepared, or preserved, coming from animals of the cattle, sheep, goat, or swine species, is not authorized except through the custom-house officers or branches of these offices, upon the frontier or in the interior as designated by our minister of agriculture and public works, and upon the days and at the hours determined in accord with our minister of finance.

The importation of meats, fats, and appurtenances of the horse species, prepared or preserved, is interdicted.

Art. 3. These meats, fats, and appurtenances imported shall not be delivered to the public markets for food until they are pronounced suitable for consumption and provided with a stamp in conformity to the model prescribed, after an examination put in operation by the veterinarians charged with the control of live stock imported into Belgium or by other experts designated for this purpose.

For those products which are prepared or preserved the stamp may be applied to the boxes or receptacles.

Art. 8. Infractions of articles 1 and 2 of this decree will be punished by the penalties provided by the law of April 6, 1845, for the repression of fraud in customs.

Infractions of articles 3 to 7 will be punished by the penalties provided by articles 6 and 7 of the law of August 4, 1890, without prejudice, as to the application of penalties established by the penal code.

Our minister of agriculture and public works is charged with the execution of this decree.

Given at Ostend August 22, 1898.

Leopold.

In the name of the King. The minister of agriculture and public works.

Leon De Bruyn.

1. Article 1 of the law of December 30, 1895.
2. Article 2 of last paragraph of the law of June 18, 1887. Modified by the law of January 30, 1892.
1. Article 1 of the law of December 30, 1895.
1. Name, profession, dwelling place of the importer.
2. In case of a second inspection, modify the text.
3. In full words.

1. The experts charged with the inspection in several localities are requested to forward this statement to the bureau or subbureau of customs.