As you are aware, section 11 of the act of Congress approved June 19, 1886 ("Public" No. 85), and entitled "An act to abolish certain fees for official services to American vessels, and the laws relating to shipping commissioners, seamen, and owners of vessels, and for other purposes," after fixing the rates of tonnage duties to be paid by all vessels entering a port of the United States of America, provides as follows:

Provided, That the President of the United States shall suspend the collection of so much of the duty herein imposed on vessels entering from any foreign port as may be in excess of the tonnage and light-house dues, or other equivalent tax or taxes, imposed in said port on American vessels by the Government of the foreign country in which such port is situated, and shall, upon the passage of this act, and from time to time thereafter, as often as it may become necessary by reason of changes in the laws of the foreign countries above mentioned, indicate by proclamation the ports to which such suspension shall apply, and the rate or rates of tonnage duty, if any, to be collected under such suspension.

Provided further, That such proclamation shall exclude from the benefits of the suspension herein authorized 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 the country in which such port is situated, or on the cargoes of such vessels; and sections 4223 and 4224, and so much of section 4219 of the Revised Statutes as conflict with this section, are hereby repealed.

In view of these provisions, I take the liberty to call your attention to the fact that Article I of the law of the Netherlands, which bears date of June 3, 1875, No. 101 (the said law still being in force), abolished light-house and light dues, tonnage dues, and beacon and buoy dues in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

I will add that my Government does not impose any other equivalent tax upon foreign vessels, no matter under what flag they may sail.

It is probably superfluous for me to remind your excellency that vessels belonging to the United States of America, and their cargoes, are not required in the Netherlands to pay any "fee or due of any kind or nature," or any import duty higher or other than would be payable by vessels of the Netherlands or their cargoes.

As to export duties, which are likewise mentioned in the act of June 19, 1886, you know that none exist in the Netherlands.

The same is the case in the free ports of the Dutch East Indies, a list of which you will find herewith, and in which not only are vessels subjected to no fiscal tax, but no import or export duties are levied there.

My Government thinks, Mr. Secretary of State, that the ports of the Netherlands which I have just mentioned, viz, those in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (in Europe) and the free ports in the Dutch East Indies, fulfill the conditions required by section 11 of the act of June 19, 1886, and I am consequently instructed to beg you to be pleased, with your accustomed kindness, to cause such measures to be adopted

that the collection of tonnage dues in the United States of America,may be suspended in the case of vessels coming from the ports in question. Be pleased to accept, etc.,

[Inclosure.]

G. DE WECKHERLIN.

SIR: I had the honor on the 10th of November last to receive your note of the 8th of the same month, in which you were pleased to advert to section 11 of the shipping act approved June 19, 1886, and, after citing its provisions, to advise me that neither in the Kingdom of the Netherlands nor in the free ports of the Dutch colonies, of which you append a list, are any light dues, tonnage dues, or beacon or buoy dues imposed, neither is any other equivalent tax here imposed upon foreign vessels; and, further, that no export duties exist in the Netherlands or their free ports, and that where an import duty is levied on cargo brought by foreign vessels it is no higher or other than would be payable by vessels of the Netherlands or their cargoes. In view of this recital, you state it to be the opinion of your Government that the European ports of the Netherlands and the free ports in the Dutch East Indies (mentioned in your aforesaid list) "fulfill the conditions required by section 11 of the act of June 19, 1886," and consequently, under your instructions, you request me "to cause such measures to be adopted that the collection of tonnage dues in the United States may be suspended in the case of vessels coming from the ports in question." Circumstances have (as I have stated to you in verbal conferences) interfered to prevent an earlier consideration of your note, but I beg you to believe that the delay has been due to no want of appreciation of the good will which prompts the offer, and of the evident desire of the Royal Government to develop in every possible way the commercial and friendly ties between the Netherlands and the United Statesa desire equally cherished by the Government I have the honor to represent, and for the expression of which it provides and seeks every ap propriate channel.

I am happy to inform you that the President, accepting the declaration contained in your note as a satisfactory notification of entire reciprocity of treatment in the ports of the Netherlands, has, in the exercise of the authority conferred upon him by the said eleventh section of the statute of June 19, 1886, issued his proclamation (copies of which are herewith inclosed for your information) suspending the collection of the whole of the duty of 6 cents per ton imposed by said section on vessels entering the ports of the United States from any port of the Netherlands in Europe, or from any free port of the Dutch colonies named in the list appended to your note; but, in equal obedience to the statute named, excluding from the benefits of such suspension in favor of vessels coming from said ports the vessels of any foreign country in whose ports the fees or dues of any nature imposed on vessels of the United States or the import or export dues on their cargoes are in excess of the fees, dues, or duties imposed on the vessels of the country in which such port is situated, or on the cargoes of such vessels.

It has afforded me great pleasure to observe that the proposal of the Government of the Netherlands adheres to the principle of reciprocity which pervades the treaties between the two countries, and which it has ever been the equal aim of the respective Governments to follow. The twelfth section of the statute of June 19, 1886, provides

That the President be, and hereby is, directed to cause the governments of foreign countries, which at any of their ports impose on American vessels a tonnage tax or light-house dues, or other equivalent tax or taxes, or any other fees, charges, or dues, to be informed of the provisions of the preceding section, and invited to co-operate with the Government of the United States in abolishing all light-house dues, tonnage taxes, or other equivalent tax or taxes on, and also all other fees for official services to, the vessels of the respective nations employed in the trade between the ports of such foreign country and the ports of the United States.

The declarations made in your note of the 8th ultimo would appear to remove the Netherlands from the class of foreign governments the invitation of which is contemplated by the statute, but inasmuch as it is not clear from your note that the appended list comprises (with the European ports of the Netherlands) all the ports under the administration of the Dutch Government with which vessels of the United States may trade, and moreover, as the section in question proposes the mutual abolition of "all other fees for official services to the vessels of the respective nations,” it is proper that I should extend, as I now hereby do, the authorized invitation in the name of the Government of the United States to the Royal Netherlands Government, in order that such an understanding may be conventionally reached as may insure the absolute reciprocity and equality of the respective navigation between the two countries in the ports of the other, as to all official charges of any nature whatsoever.

Accept, etc.,

[Inclosure.]

T. F. BAYARD.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas satisfactory proof has been given to me by the Government of the Netherlands that no light-house and light dues, tonnage dues, or beacon and buoy dues are imposed in the ports of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; that no other equiva

lent tax of any kind is imposed upon vessels in said ports, under whatever flag they may sail; that vessels belonging to the United States of America, and their cargoes, are not required, in the Netherlands, to pay any fee or due of any kind, or nature, or any import due higher or other than is payable by vessels of the Netherlands or their cargoes; that no export duties are imposed in the Netherlands; and that in the free ports of the Dutch East Indies, to wit, Riouw (in the island of Riouw), Pabean, Sangrit, Loloan, and Tamboekoes (in the island of Bali), Koepang (in the island of Timor), Makassar, Menado, Kema, and Gorontalo (in the island of Celebes), Amboina, Saparoa, Banda, Ternate, and Kajeli (in the Moluccas), Oleh-leh, and Bengkalis (in the island of Sumatra), vessels are subjected to no fiscal tax, and no import or export duties are there levied:

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 eightysix, do hereby declare and proclaim that from and after the date of this my procla mation 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 Kingdom of the Netherlands in Europe, or from any of the above-named free ports of the Dutch East Indies:

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 the country in which are the ports mentioned in this proclaination, 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 Kingdom of the Netherlands in Europe and the said free ports of the Dutch East Indies, 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-second day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and eleventh.

I have the honor to offer you my sincere thanks for the letter you were pleased to write to me on the 22d of April last, and through which I learn with satisfaction that the President of the United States of America has, in conformity with the provisions of section 11 of the shipping act of June 19, 1886, No. 85, suspended tonnage dues in regard to vessels arriving in the United States from a certain class of ports in the Netherlands.

With respect to the invitation, which in the same paper you had the kindness to address to my Government, in consequence of the contents of section 12 of the said "shipping act," I hasten to inform you that I have not failed to take the steps necessary to insure its reaching its destination.

Accept, etc.,

G. DE WECKHERLIN.

I did not fail to inform my Government of the letter which you were good enough to address to me on the 22d April, to inform me that the President had suspended the tonnage dues on ships arriving in the United States from a certain category of ports of the Netherlands.

The minister of foreign affairs at the Hague received this information with pleasure, and desires me now to express to you how much he appreciates the decision of the United States Government in the matter in question.

In accordance with those instructions I have, therefore, the honor to offer you the thanks of Mr. Karnebeek, and I hope that you will permit me at the same time to inform you as regards the invitation to later negotiations, conveyed in your above-mentioned note, under section 12 of the shipping act of the 19th of June 1886, that my Government will hasten to examine the question with all the interest it merits. Accept, etc., G. DE WECKHERLIN.

SIR: As instructed in Department's circular of July 9, which I received on the 24th ultimo, I have advised the foreign office relative to act of Congress, approved June 19, 1886, to abolish certain fees for official services to American vessels, etc., as will fully appear in copy of note which I inclose.

SIR: Under an act of Congress approved June 19, 1886, a reduction was made in the tonnage tax of 30 cents per ton per annum, formerly collected, and instead, a duty of 3 cents per ton is imposed, not to exceed in the aggregate 15 cents per ton in any one year on each entry of vessels into United States ports from all foreign ports and places in North America, Central America, the West India Islands, or the coast of South America bordering on the Caribbean Sea. This, it may be observed, has been considered as applying to a geographical zone, not involving a test of flag; while on vessels from all other foreign ports a duty of 6 cents per ton is imposed on each entry, not to exceed 30 cents per ton per annum in the aggregate, and not, however, to include vessels in distress or not engaged in trade.