No. 282.
Mr. Thompson to Mr. Bayard.
Legation of
the United States
Port au Prince,
Hayti, January 12, 1886.
(Received January 30.)
No. 67.]Sir: I have the honor, referring to the
instructions contained in your dispatch No. 6, dated June 23, 1885, to
transmit herewith the correspondence between this legation and the secretary
of state of foreign relations of the Haytian Government pertaining to the
excessive charges
[Page 532]
of said
Government on American sailing vessels. On August 13, 1885, I addressed the
inclosed dispatch to Mr. St. Victor. The response of the honorable secretary
of state of foreign relations, dated August 27, 1885, is also inclosed. You
will please notice in said dispatch Mr. St. Victor is pleased to designate
mine, a communication composed of unofficial and private counsel, “conseil offieieux et privé.” This I felt could not
be admitted; therefore, I sent a second dispatch, under date of September 4,
1885, which is herein inclosed. I deemed it advisable in the dispatch,
having fortunately about that time received a report from the honorable
Secretary of the Treasury, wherein was stated the exemption of tonnage tax
between Trinidad, British West Indies, and the United States, and the
proclamation of President Cleveland to that effect, thus exhibiting to Mr.
St. Victor proofs that these means of augmenting commerce had quite lately
been appreciated.
In addition to these means I called upon Mr. St. Victor, and having had
several discussions relative to the subject, eventually was pleased to find
we agreed in many respects on the advantages that could be derived from a
change, such as was advised; but he had fears that his people were not
sufficiently up to that point of progress, although the particular point
seemed to be owing to there being at present no merchant vessels whatever
carrying the Haytian flag; the reciprocity, according to their view, becomes
one-sided, and they would consequently lose the revenue now gained.
On the 23d ultimo I addressed a third dispatch. In response thereto I
received, under cover of the 30th ultimo, the inclosed dispatch. Judging
therefrom, I would presume after mature study, there may be at least a
diminution made in some of these excessive charges. From inquiries I find
the principal causes of complaint are the high tonnage dues, the water tax,
and the unreasonable liabilities under which the vessel is held until the
customs duties are paid on the cargo. The fact that steamers are allowed to
enter, deposit their cargoes in lighters, then depart with no responsibility
whatever, such cargoes being held in the custom-house until the consignee
pays all duties thereon, only adds to the vexation, for as soon as the goods
are landed from a sailing vessel the consignee may take them, but, as
aforesaid, the vessel is held until the duties thereof are paid.
Regarding the water tax or fountain tax, it appears when the sum of $10 was
established by law as the price there was a pipe leading from the fountain
to the custom-house wharf, and it simply necessitated the master of a vessel
sending his boat with casks to receive as much water as he wished; but since
a long time, at least ten years, the fountain and pipe have been destroyed;
indeed scarcely any trace of either is in existence. Hence it is necessary
either to send a boat to Bizoton, a village some three miles distant, where
the water is taken from the river, or buy it from a water merchant; yet that
fountain tax is still charged the same as if it was now standing. Therefore,
unless you deem it proper to do otherwise, in the course of time, watching
continually the tenor of discussions carried on by the Corps Législatif, I
will, when I deem it the proper moment, again bring their attention to the
hindrance to trade caused by such extreme charges, such unreasonable
detentions, and endeavor to reach a favorable definitive conclusion.
I am, &c.,
[Page 533]
[Inclosure 1 in No. 67.]
Mr. Thompson to Mr.
St. Victor.
Legation of the United States,
Port au Prince, Hayti, August 13, 1885.
Sir: In looking over the annual report of
shipping between the ports of Hayti and those of other countries it is
seen that the major portion of importation by sailing vessels is done by
those carrying the American flag, and even this is not what it should
be. The amount of shipping between this port and the United States could
be greatly augmented, thus adding to the resources here and making Port
au Prince the principal commercial city of the West Indies. The officers
of the new Administration in the United States are desirous of
increasing the shipping all over the world, hence are anxious to propose
any movement to enlarge such interest, thus raising the standard of
international commercial intercourse. On the commerce of a country
depend its riches; consequently I am advised by my Government, Mr.
Minister, to call to the attention of your Government, through you,
facts which, if removed, would certainly permit trade here to be done on
a larger scale. It appears there are certain restrictions met with at
this end of the voyage to American vessels sailing between here and the
United States. For example, a vessel leaves America, making a quick
passage, laden with cargo for Port au Prince and sundry ports of Hayti.
The vessel stops first at this port and unloads that portion of the
cargo belonging here. We will presume the vessel takes three days in
unloading. When the master of that vessel unloads his cargo here his
duty is done, yet that vessel is held here as security until the import
duties are paid. The importer of the goods is the party to pay that
duty. Then, after the goods have been landed and delivered, supervised
by the Haytian customs officers, is it not causing a great delay to keep
that vessel here, when she might, in the interval, have delivered all of
her cargo at different ports and be preparing to bring more revenue to
this country? for sometimes I understand vessels have been kept as long
as fifteen days awaiting the convenience of the importer; therefore the
utility of a quick voyage is lost by this delay. Should it not be here
as elsewhere, when the master of the vessel delivers his cargo before
the proper authorities his responsibility ceases? With regard to the
tonnage tax in the United States the tax is 3 cents per ton per voyage,
and after five voyages in one year that amount is not collected. In
Hayti the tonnage tax of $2 per ton is collectible every voyage; this,
besides being extremely high, has no limit. Certainly this subject has
escaped your notice. In the United States the citizens of each town are
taxed a certain amount to pay for the water supplied for shipping
purposes, while here in Hayti is the charge made of $10 per voyage; and,
I regret to say, those supplied with water are rare exceptions. The
international custom in general being to permit vessels—not those in the
coasting trade—after making the original entry, to proceed from port to
port unloading, and taking on cargo, without paying additional tonnage
tax, it is hoped that such an arrangement can be made here. Now, Mr.
Minister, I have tried to show you in as succinct a manner as possible
certain remediable hindrances to trade here. My Government, in speaking
of this matter, feel that it is simply necessary to point out these
facts and you will concur with them that such has a hurtful effect on
commerce. They believe, also, your keen sense of justice and desire for
reciprocating all international courtesies, will cause you to perfect
some more reasonable terms relative to American vessels. I would
respectfully suggest to you, Mr. Minister, since under a certain act it
is possible for the President of the United States to issue a
proclamation concerning such matters, that an agreement be made between
our respective Republics to repeal tonnage dues and other equivalent
taxes, thus permitting a Haytian vessel in American ports to enjoy the
same privileges as an American vessel itself, thus drawing still closer
our commercial relations. Accept, sir, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 67.]
Mr. St. Victor to
Mr. Thompson.
[Translation.]
Department of State of Foreign Relations,
Port au Prince, August 27, 1885.
Mr. Minister: Your predecessor, the honorable
Mr. Langston, in his dispatch of July 19 of last year, gave me his
opinion on the facilities which in the interest of commerce between
Hayti and the United States it would be necessary to grant to sailing
vessels.
[Page 534]
While answering him that my Government accepted the communication under
the form of a non-official and private memorandum, since our legislators
in their sovereignty had not yet decided on the modifications to be made
in our custom laws, I nevertheless thanked him none the less for the
interest which he thus manifested in the country.
In answer to your dispatch of August 13, which returns to the same
question, with the addition of new modifications to our laws, I can but
repeat to you what I said to Mr. Langston, and thank you warmly for the
interest which you take in the progress of the maritime commerce of
Hayti.
I will add, Mr. Minister, that all the questions which you present to me
to-day have been, and still continue to be, the object of governmental
studies; that the Haytian press even oftentimes occupied itself with,
and that up to the present our legislators, sole sovereign judges in the
matter, have not yet given any solution.
No agreement can be entered into between us before the modification of
these laws in question.
When the moment arrives, my Government, which recognizes as well as
yourself that the facilitating and the extension of the commercial
relations would assure to the people a certain progress and a brilliant
future will not fail to again bring to bear all its attention on these
interesting economical measures.
Accept, &c.,
[Inclosure 3 in No. 67.]
Mr. Thompson to Mr.
St. Victor.
Legation of the United States,
Port an Prince, Hayti, September 4, 1885.
Sir: I have the honor of acknowledging the
receipt of your dispatch of the 27th ultimo in answer to mine relative
to the excessive charges on merchant vessels sailing between this port
and ports of the United States.
I cannot understand, Mr. Minister, why you should not consider such a
communication official, notwithstanding its being sent with the kindly
spirit that this legation ever hopes to reveal in its dispatches, I
having, as stated in my dispatch of the the 13th ultimo, particular
instructions from my Government to bring these facts before those
capable of changing such laws in this country.
Since my dispatch of; the 13th ultimo I have received a report from the
Treasury Department at Washington, showing me how the governing power of
the island of Trinidad, British West Indies, seeing the increase of
commerce naturally to arise from such an arrangement, has caused the
exemption from tonnage tax, and the President of the United States has
issued a proclamation concerning such taxation between the two
countries.
I inclose herewith a copy of the dispatch from the Commissioner of the
Bureau of Navigation and the President’s proclamation. I am actuated in
sending you these papers to show you how anxious the new administration
in Washington is to raise the standard of commercial relations all over
the world, not for their benefit to the detriment of others, but to the
advantage of all commerce.
Hoping, therefore, that you will weigh this matter well, and seeing what
immense advantages may result to the two countries, bring it to the
attention of the legislative body, which, perhaps, in the press of other
matters, may not have given it the consideration due to so important a
subject, so that they may also see the necessity and advantage of
removing taxation of vessels sailing between the United States and
Hayti.
Accept, &c.,
[Inclosure 4 in No. 67.]
Mr. Thompson to Mr.
St. Victor.
Legation of the United States,
Port au Prince, Hayti, December 23, 1885.
Sir: I had the honor on August 13, 1885, in my
No. 8, addressed to your Department, to call your attention to the
excessive charges on merchant vessels sailing between the United States
and Hayti.
Owing to your response I deemed it necessary to again write you on this
subject in my No. 10, dated September 4, 1885. Since then I regret to
say no answer whatever
[Page 535]
has
been received by me, although I have understood the question came up
before the Corps Législatif. You may well understand, Mr. Minister, this
subject is of great importance to the commercial relations of our
respective countries, and certainly worthy of profound consideration
before being decided upon contrary to the expectations of those who are
anxious to augment the facilities of trade.
I am, sir, &c.,
[Inclosure 5 in No.
67.—Translation.]
Mr. St. Victor to
Mr. Thompson.
Department of State of Foreign Relations,
Port au Prince, December 30, 1885.
Mr. Minister: I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your two dispatches of September 4 and of 23d instant.
Note has been taken of the two documents relative to tonnage dues, which
the President of the United States, by virtue of the power with which he
has been invested by a special law, has suspended in the ports of the
United States for all vessels coming from Trinidad, the English
Government having decreed boforehand a similar measure in regard to
vessels coming from the United States to Trinidad.
I can believe, as you do, that this reciprocity, well understood, is of a
nature to give to the commerce between these two countries a certain
extension, and admit that the two flags, American and English, would
profit therefrom; but until my Government weighs well the doubtful
advantages to be gained by its flag from a like measure between the
United States and Hayti, which will then decide it to propose the
changes in its system of taxes to establish its financial equilibrium
until the legislative corps decides thereon, the question of the taxes
must remain under consideration, and I cannot make any engagements in
regard thereto.
The question of the reduction of tonnage dues has been rejected during
the last legislative session, I have the honor to remind you, and
without speaking of the considerations which I have just exposed to you,
we have to meditate well on the state of our conventional right before
we decide in such matter.
While thanking you for your important communication I much regret, Mr.
Minister, not being able to say at present, nor at what time nor in what
sense, it will be decided.
Accept, &c.,
