portion of their goods to pay customs duties. If they were placed on the same footing as steamers this advantage would be lost to the sailing vessel, and merchants would order by the steam vessel to secure prompt delivery. The lines of steam vessels touching at these ports are principally under the protection of other powers, and inasmuch as the complaint originated with the sailing interest, which is almost entirely American and has been withdrawn (or abandoned), in the absence of any further instructions I will consider the matter closed. I am, etc., HENRY M. SMYTHE. No. 38.] Mr. Uhl to Mr. Smythe. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have received your No. 49.of the 6th instant in regard to the practice of the Haitian Government in detaining sailing vessels until the duties on their inward cargoes are paid. You therein state that any change in the custom would prove to the disadvantage of the sailing vessels, and that their masters were of this opinion and had withdrawn their complaint. The Department's instructions on the subject were based on complaints submitted by American ship-owners. In the light of your.report, and as no further representations have been made by interested parties, the matter may be suffered to rest. SIR: I inclose herewith a copy of a letter from Messrs. W. P. Clyde & Co., which alleges a discrimination in tonnage dues against steamers and in favor of sailing vessels in Haitian ports. From the facts stated, it appears that while a tax is levied on every ton of cargo landed by a steamer, on sailing vessels the tax is imposed on the registered tonnage irrespective of the amount of cargo discharged. As a sailing vessel, it is alleged, carries in cargo twice or more than twice her registered tonnage, the result is that the steamship is taxed on every ton of cargo, while the sailing vessel escapes taxation on the excess of cargo over the amount of tonnage. The detention of sailing vessels referred to in the President's last annual message has been the subject of many instructions to your legation. It is the opinion of this Government that neither class of vessels should have an advantage over the other. If there exists a discrimination against the steamers of Messrs. Clyde & Co., who control the steamship communication between the United States and the Not printed. northern part of Haiti, you are instructed, in connection with the negotiations now pending for the relief of sailing vessels from the detention to which they are subjected, to call the attention of the Haitian Government to this complaint and endeavor to secure, from every point of view, the same treatment for sailing vessels and steamships in the ports of the islands. I am, etc., EDWIN F. UHL, Acting Secretary. Mr. Smythe to Mr. Gresham. No. 62.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your No. 35, inclosing a letter from Messrs. W. P. Clyde & Co., referring to the practice of the Haitian Government in levying discriminating tonnage duties on steamships, as against sailing vessels, and note your instructions. I have already had a conference with the English consul-general in this connection, and we have agreed to unite in a dispatch to the Haitian Government, to the end that neither class of vessels may be subjected to any duty not equally borne by the other, and to endeavor, in short, to "secure from every point of view the same treatment for sailing vessels and steamships in the ports of the islands." 1 have, etc., HENRY M. SMYTHE. No. 72.] Mr. Smythe to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES. Port au Prince, Haiti, May 15, 1894. (Received May 28.) SIR: * I have to inclose a copy of my note to the foreign secretary in regard to the methods of levying tonnage dues, and their evident discrimination against steam vessels. My note was almost identical with that sent the same day by the consul-general of Great Britain, and I believe the evil will be corrected. I have, etc., [Inclosure in No. 72.] HENRY M. SMYTHE. Mr. Smythe to Mr. Lespinasse. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES. Port au Prince, Haiti, April 27, 1894. SIR: It has been represented to this legation that under existing customs regulations of your Government, the levying (or the method of levying) tonnage dues works an injustice to steam vessels as distinguished from sailing vessels in this: That whereas steam vessels pay duties at the rate of per ton on their actual cargo, the sailing ves sel pays only on its registered tonnage, and frequently carries freight of twice this amount. This, as you can easily see, operates to the prejudice of steam vessels, which by the reason of their swiftness of passage and regular schedule of time are much better adapted to the requirements of modern commerce than the sailing vessel, and which in consequence of these manifest advantages frequently receive subsidies from governments to be benefited by the increase of interchange growing out of their superior advantages. This subject having been brought to the attention of my Government, I am instructed, under date of March 16, to call the attention of your Government to this evident discrimination, and to endeavor to secure "from every point of view the same treatment for sailing ves sels and steamships." In the confident belief that your Government will be swift to correct this injustice, and to place all interests on the same footing of impartial justice, I have, etc., HENRY M. SMYTHE. HAWAIIAN REPUBLIC.1 RECOGNITION HAWAIIAN REPUBLIC. Mr. Gresham to Mr. Hatch. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of July 7 last, inclosing original and office copy of a letter addressed by His Excellency Sanford B. Dole, President of the Republic of Hawaii, to the President of the United States of America, announcing the establishment of that Government and his assumption of the office of President thereof. I have delivered his excellency's letter to the President and his reply will be forwarded through the legation of the United States at Honolulu. Accept, etc., Mr. Gresham to Mr. Willis. W. Q. GRESHAM. No. 38.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I inclose herewith, in sealed original and office copy, a letter from the President to His Excellency Sanford B. Dole, President of Hawaii, in response to his letter announcing the establishment of that Government and his assumption of the office of President thereof. You will transmit one of the copies to the minister of foreign affairs, and deliver the original in such manner as will most suit the convenience of his excellency. I am, etc., W. Q. GRESHAM. [Inclosure in No. 38.] Grover Cleveland, President of the United States of America, to His Excellency Sanford B. Dole, President of the Republic of Hawaii. GREAT AND GOOD FRIEND: I have received your letter of the 7th ultimo, by which you announce the establishment and proclamation of the Republic of Hawaii on the 4th day of July, 1894, and your assumption of the office of President with all the formalities prescribed by the constitution thereof. The correspondence respecting affairs in Hawaii during 1894 will be found in the appendix to Foreign Relations, 1894. I cordially reciprocate the sentiments you express for the continuance of the friendly relations which have existed between the United States and the Hawaiian Islands, and assure you of my best wishes for your personal prosperity. Written at Washington, the 7th day of August, 1894. Your good friend, GROVER CLEVELAND. Mr. Gresham to Mr. Willis. No. 39.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: Your No. 65 of the 9th ultimo reported the proceedings attending the close of the Hawaiian constitutional convention, the adoption and promulgation of a constitution, and the installation of the Government of the Republic of Hawaii on the 4th of July. I have to commend your reply to Mr. Hatch's announcement of the organization of the new Government. It was clearly proper to extend it, as you did, the recognition accorded to its predecessor, the Provisional Government; thus carrying out the long-observed rule of the United States of entering into relations with the authorities of an unopposed government. The additional office copy which accompanied my No. 38 of the 7th instant of the President's reply to the announcement by President Dole of his entrance upon the duties of his office will be preserved in the archives of your legation. am, etc., W. Q. GRESHAM. No. 67.] Mr. Willis to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, August 27, 1894. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that the autograph letter of President Cleveland, recognizing the Republic of Hawaii, was delivered to President Dole at 11 o'clock this morning at the executive building in the presence of the members of his cabinet and Minister Thurston. I inclose copies of the remarks submitted upon the occasion. I am, etc., ALBERT S. WILLIS. [Inclosure No. 1 in No. 67.] Remarks of Mr. Willis to President Dole. MR. PRESIDENT: The right of the people of the Hawaiian Islands to establish their own form of government has been formally acknowl edged both by the executive and legislative departments of the United States. |