[Inclosure.]
By the President of the United
States of America,
a
proclamation.
Whereas satisfactory proof has been given to me by the
Government of the Empire of Germany that no tonnage or
lighthouse dues, or any equivalent tax or taxes
whatever, are 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
slates, and that vessels belonging to the United States
of America, and their cargoes, are not required, in
German ports, to pay any fee or due of any kind or
nature, or any import due higher or other than is
payable by German vessels or their cargoes:
Now, therefore, I, Grover Cleveland, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by section 11 of the act of Congress
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,” approved June
nineteenth, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-six,
do hereby declare and proclaim that from and after the
date of this my proclamation shall be suspended 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 said section of said act) upon vessels
entered in the ports of the United States from any of
the ports of the Empire of Germany.
Provided, That there shall be
excluded from the benefits of the suspension hereby
declared and proclaimed the vessels of any foreign
country in whose ports the fees or dues of any kind or
nature imposed on vessels of the United States, or the
import or export duties on their cargoes, are in excess
of the fees, dues, or duties imposed on the vessels of
such foreign country, or their cargoes, or of the fees,
dues, or duties imposed on the vessels of Germany or the
cargoes of such vessels.
And the suspension hereby declared and proclaimed shall
continue so long as the reciprocal exemption of vessels
belonging to citizens of the United States, and their
cargoes, shall be continued in the said ports of the
Empire of Germany, and no longer.
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 twenty-sixth day of
January, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty-eight, and of the
Independence of the United States the one hundred
and twelfth.
[
seal.]
Grover
Cleveland.
By the President:
T. F.
Bayard,
Secretary of
State.
