Señor Hurtado to Mr. Blaine.
Washington, March 23, 1892. (Received March 23.)
Sir: I have to-day had the honor to receive your note of yesterday, together with several printed copies of the proclamation issued by the is President of the United States of America on the 15th instant, imposing, from and after that day, import duties to be levied, collected, and paid upon sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides, the produce of, or exported from, Colombia, on their introduction into the United States.
The imposition of import duties by the Government of the United States on articles of Colombian produce, while the like articles from I other countries are admitted free from such duty, establishes a discrimination against Colombian produce in favor of goods of like character imported from, other countries, which my Government holds to be contrary to the spirit and express stipulations of the treaty of [Page 466] 1846, still in force. It therefore becomes my duty to request you to take notice that all rights of Colombia under said treaty, directly or indirectly bearing upon the provisions of the above-referred to proclamation, issued on the 15th instant, are and remain reserved, to be urged, if deemed expedient, at any future time or times.
Accept, etc.