To my suggestion that the more usual course would be to present the
matter to you through the British embassy at Washington, they said that
they were aware of that, but had obtained permission from the foreign
office to approach me on the subject.
As the matter appeared to be of some importance, and apparently no such
relief as they sought could be obtained except through legislation, I
told them that if they would present the matter in writing I would
transmit it immediately to you, and had no doubt that it would receive
due consideration.
Accordingly, the agent-general of New South Wales has now addressed to me
a letter on the subject, which I inclose, and shall await your
instructions as to any answer to be made thereto.
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Copeland to
Mr. Choate.
[Confidential.]
Westminster chambers,
9
Victoria Street, Westminster, S. W.,
November 7,
1900.
Sir: At the request of the government of
New South Wales (whose representative I am in London), and with the
concurrence of the governments of the other Australian colonies
represented by their several agents-general, I have the honor to
informally approach you on the following subject, having first
obtained the assent of Her Majesty’s Government to the adoption of
this somewhat unofficial course of procedure.
The subject on which I am about to address your excellency has
reference to the provisions of the United States navigation laws, so
far as they relate to Hawaiian international commerce.
Owing to the application of the laws in question, it has become
impossible for any of the mail steamers trading between Australasian
and American ports to carry passengers and goods between the United
States and Honolulu, unless such steamers are wholly owned by
Americans and registered in the United States of America.
As that trade has hitherto represented a very valuable portion of the
commerce of this route, Australasian owned shipping is now placed
under very serious disadvantages, and in this connection I may
mention that the new steamship Moana, which
was only recently placed on the San Francisco line by the United
Steamship Company
[Page 202]
of New
Zealand, will have to be withdrawn from that service unless some
concession is accorded by your Government with respect to the laws
referred to.
Further, those laws are so stringent that produce of the United
States, even when for convenience of carriage is being sent to a
foreign port for transshipment, can not be landed at Honolulu by an
alien vessel, and the effect of this has been that the
Australian-Canadian mail steamers have lost the trade of Tacoma and
Seattle, the produce of those places having hitherto been sent to
Vancouver, British Columbia, for shipment to Honolulu.
I may mention that when Hawaii was annexed to the United States it
was anticipated by the Australasian colonies that at any rate an
interval of some years would have to “be allowed to elapse between
annexation and the application of the American navigation laws to
the Hawaiian territory.
The whole of the colonies composing the Commonwealth of Australia are
unanimous in their desire that the United States Government may be
induced to adopt such means as may be available to them for relaxing
these restrictions on our international trade. In New South Wales
the question has been raised and also debated in Parliament, while
the chambers of commerce and representative men have strongly urged
upon the Government that some action should be taken in the matter
as soon as possible.
As an inducement to your Government to favorably entertain this
question, I may point out that in addition to the commerce between
the United States and the other Australasian colonies (including New
Zeland), a large trade is being rapidly developed between your
country and the mother colony of New South Wales. Last year (1899),
9 American steamers and 60 sailing vessels from the United States
entered the ports of New South Wales, conveying no less than 87,000
tons of your goods; while, during the same period (1899), 8 American
steamers and 60 sailing vessels left New South Wales, conveying to
your ports 79,798 tons of our goods. As a further instance of this
rapid development it may be noted that the value of our imports from
your country in 1895 amounted to £624,268, whereas for last year
(1899) those imports had swollen to £2,219,319. On the other hand,
the value of our exports to your country, which in 1895 amounted to
£683,606, had increased to £2,392,281 in 1899. So that our total
trade with the United States last year amounted to £4,611,600,
having grown to that sum from £1,307,874 in 1895, during a period of
only four years.
I would further urge on your attention the fact that the greater
portion, if not the whole, of the American goods for which New South
Wales provided a profitable market, were allowed to enter our ports
free from the imposition of any customs duties, besides being
liberally treated with respect to port charges, etc., and I venture
to suggest that such commercial liberality on our side is entitled
to considerate treatment from the Government of the United States of
America.
In conclusion, I beg therefore to ask that your excellency will be so
good as to make representations to the United States Government with
a view to such relaxation being made in the application of their
navigation laws as will permit of passengers and goods being
conveyed, as formerly, by Australasian-owned shipping between
American ports and Honolulu, at least for some years to come.
I have, etc.,
Henry Copeland,
Agent-General for New South
Wales.
