Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1907, (In two parts), Part I

File No. 1199/216–7.

Minister McCreery to the Secretary of State.

American Legation,
Santo Domingo, July 8, 1907.

No. 21.]

Sir: One of the last acts of the Dominican Congress before adjourning, on the 26th ultimo, provides that, in view of the terms of the convention, from the date of ratification of the convention “the payment of customs duties which, according to the schedules made by the interventores, may accrue in the Republic shall be made direct to the general receiver or his assistants for distribution in conformity with the terms of the convention.”

I inclose a copy of the law as approved by the President, together with translation.

The functions of an interventor, as I understand them, combine those of examiner of merchandise and appraiser. He classifies the merchandise, appraises it, and, in fact, decides what duty it shall pay.

Under the modus vivendi, interventores have been appointed deputy collectors, and as such have assisted the receivership. Interventores acting as independent officials fixing the duties to be collected might not always be of assistance to the receivership.

I confirm my telegram of the 7th instant, as follows:

Santo Domingo, July 7, 1907.

Secstate, Washington:

On June 26 Congress passed a law which was approved by the President and which provides that in view of articles 1, 2, and 5 of the convention from the date of the ratification of the convention the payment of the customs duties which according to the schedules made by the interventores may accrue in the Republic shall be made direct to the general receiver or his assistants for the purposes of the convention.

McCreery.

I have, etc.,

Fenton R. McCreery.

[Inclosure.—Translation.]

Decree of June 26, 1907, relative to payment of Dominican customs duties to general receiver.

[From Gaceta Oficial No. 1800, June 29, 1907.]

The national congress, in the name of the Republic, urgency declared.

In view of articles 1, 2, and 5 of the Dominican-American convention, approved by this high body on May 3 of the present year,

Decrees: Sole article. From the date of the ratification of the said Dominican-American convention the payment of the customs duties which, according to the schedules made by the interventores, may accrue in the Republic shall be made directly to the general receiver or to his assistants for distribution in conformity with the terms of the said convention.

Transmit to the executive authority for constitutional ends.

Done in the hall of congress, 26th day of June, 1907; the sixty-fourth year of the Independence and the forty-fourth of the Restoration.

Ramon O. Lovaton,
President

.

Joaquin E. Salazar

,

Dario Manon,
Secretaries

.

Let it be executed, communicated by the corresponding department, published throughout the Republic, and observed.

Done in the national palace at Santo Domingo, capital of the Republic, the 26th day of June, 1907; the sixty-fourth year of the Independence and the forty-fourth of the Restoration.

R. Caceres,
President of the Republic.

Countersigned:

Fedco Velazquez H.,
Minister of Finance and Commerce.