No. 55.
Mr. von Alvensleben to Mr. Bayard.
Imperial German
Legation,
Washington, February 25, 1888.
(Received February 25.)
Dear Mr. Bayard: Referring to my verbal communication of
the 17th instant and the papers I left then with you, I have
the regret to state that, according to a telegram from
Messrs. Oelrichs & Co. in New York, which reached me
yesterday, tonnage duties have again been
[Page 1932]
collected on the steamer Saale at that port on her arrival
from Bremen yesterday.
I should be obliged if, in order to prevent any further
misconstruction of the proclamation issued by the President
of the United States in favor of the vessels arriving from
the ports of Germany, you would cause the proper authorities
to be given without delay to understand that such
proceedings are in manifest contradiction with that
proclamation.
Believe me, dear Mr. Bayard, very sincerely, yours,
[Papers referred to in Mr.
von Alvensleben’s note of February 25,
1888.]
1. Mr. Schwab to Dr. Glavis.
[Telegram.]
New York, February 15,
1888.
Dr. Glavis,
515 Fourteenth
street, Washington:
Collector continues collection of tonnage dues from us,
Commissioner Navigation having instructed him only
vessels coming direct from German ports entitled to the
suspension. Our steamers do not enter at Southampton.
They only run to Southampton water to embark mails and
passengers.
2. Treasury circular.
Treasury Department, Bureau of
Navigation,
Washington,
D. C., February
1, 1888.
No. 19.]
tonnage dues on
vessels from germany.
To collectors of
customs and others:
The attention of officers of the customs is invited to
the appended proclamation* by the President, dated the
26th ultimo, declaring that vessels may be entered in
the ports of the United States from any of the ports of
the Empire of Germany, without the payment of tonnage
dues at the rate of 6 cents per ton, under section 11 of
the act of June 19, 1886.
Vessels arriving from any of said ports will hereafter be
admitted to entry without the payment of said dues,
unless the vessel shall belong to a foreign country in
whose ports the fees or dues imposed on Ameriean vessels
or the duties on their cargoes exceed (1) those imposed
on its own vessels or their cargoes, or exceed (2) those
imposed on the vessels of Germany or their cargoes.
Certified statements may be forwarded for a refund of the
dues on tonnage aforesaid, paid on the entry from German
ports, of vessels exempted from the tax, and which were
entered at any port of the United States on or since the
26th ultimo.
The proclamation does not apply to vessels which entered
before that date, and the dues on such vessels were
lawfully levied, and will be retained.
You are requested to notify this office of any tonnage
tax or other equivalent tax or taxes which may be
imposed hereafter on vessels of the United States in any
port of the German Empire, and you will exercise care to
levy tonnage dues on all vessels, from said ports of any
foreign country which discriminates in its own ports
against vessels of the United States or their cargoes in
favor of its own vessels or of the vessels of
Germany.
Information has been received showing that vessels
belonging to Great Britain, France, Germany, Denmark,
Holland, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, and Portugal arriving
in the United States directly
from the ports of the German Empire may be admitted
under the proclamation without the payment of the dues
therein mentioned.
C. B.
Morton,
Commissioner of
Navigation.
Approved:
C. S.
Fairchild,
Secretary.