Carriages of two or four wheels and pièces of the same

It is understood that flour which, on its exportation from the United States, has been favored with drawbacks shall not share in the foregoing réduction of duty.

Commerce.

The provisional arrangement as set forth in the Transitory Schedule shall corne to an end on July 1, 1892, and on that date be substituted by the définitive arrangement as set forth in schedules A , B , C , and D.

And that the Government of Spain has further provided that the laws and régulations, adopted to protect its revenue and prevent fraud in the déclarations and proof that the articles named in the foregoing schedules are tbe product or manufacture of the United States of America, shall place no undue restrictions on the importer, nor impose any additional charges or fees therefor on the articles imported.

Aud whereas the Secretary of State has , by my direction , given assurance to the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Spain at Washington that this action of the Government of Spain , in granting exemption of duties to the products and manufactures of the United Scates of America on their importation into Cuba and Porto Rico , is accepted for those islands as a due reciprocity for the action of Congress as set forth in section 3 of said A et :

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, Président of the United States of America, have caused the above - stated modifications of the tariff laws of Cuba and Porto Rico to be made public for the information of the citizens of the United Statee of America.

In testimony 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 thirty - first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and ninetyone, and of the independence of the United States of America the one hundred and sixteenth.

[Seal.] By the Président: Benj. Harrison.

William F. Wharton, Acting Secretary of State.

Preceding Correspondence.

Mr. Blaine to Senor Suarez Guanes.

Department of State,

Washington, January 3, 1891.

Sir : I have the honor to bring to your attention the fact that the Congress of the United States, at its last session, enacted a law, of which a copy is enclosed herewitb, in which provision was made for the admission into the United States, free of ail duty, of the following articles : Ail sugars not above No. 16 Dutch standard in color, molasses, coffee, tea, hides, and skins.

In section 3 of this law it is declared that thèse remissions of duty were made «with a view to secure reciprocal trade with countries producing» those articles; and it is provided that whenever the Président shall be satisfied that reciprocal favors are not granted to the products of the

Etats-Unis d'Amérique, Espagne.

United States in the countries referred to, «he shall have the power and it shall be his duty» to impose upon the articles above enumerated , the products of the countries concerned, the rates of duty set forth in section 3.

The Government of the United States being earnestly desirous of maintaining with Spain and its colonies such trade relations as shall be reciprocally equal and mutually advantageous , I am dîrected by the Président to request you to bring the above-mentioned provisions of this act of Congress to the attention of your Government, and to express the hope that you may be empowered to enter with me upon the considération of the subjet, with a view to the adjustment of the commercial relations between the two countries on a permanent basis of reciprocity profitable alike to both.

Accept, Sir, the renewed assurances of my highest considération.

Senor Don Miguel Suarez Guanes-,

Etc., etc., etc. •

Senor Suarez Guanes to Mr. Blaine.

Légation of Spain at Washington.

Washington, June 8, 1891.

The undersigned, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Spain, has the honor to inform the Honorable Secretary of State, in reply to his note of the 3d of January last, that his Government, desirous of strengthening and increasing the commercial relations between Spain and the United States of North America to the benefit of both countries, and being convinced that the community and harmony of their respective interests counsel that said relations should be stimulated and favored for the greater development and encouragement of their commerce, has decided to respond, as promptly and as fully as its national interests and international engagements permit, to tbe législation of the Congress of the United States, as set forth in the note of January 3 above mentioned.

He has therefore been instructed to inform the Honorable Secretary of State that, in view of there having been decreed the free admission into the United States, from the lst of April of the présent year, of sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and untanned hides, as provisional measure, until a définitive arrangement between the United States and Spain shall be put in opération , and in reciprocity and compensation for the admission into the ports of the Union , free of ail national , State , and municipal duties, of the products of Cuba and Porto Rico enumerated in the aforesaid note of the 3d of January last, the Government of Her Majesty is prepared to make use in part of the power granted to it by the law of the 22d of July, 1884, authorizing the admission into ail the established ports of Cuba and Porto Rico, from the lst day of September, 1891, of the articles or marchandise named in the transitory schedule annexed hereto; provided that the duties of the third columm of the tariffs of the said

Commerce.

islands, to which référence is made in said schedule, are understood to be those stated in the tariflfs which are now in force, with the additional duties authorised by laws and orders previous to this date.

The necessary condition is imposed that said merchandise shall be the product or manufacture of the United States, and proceed directly from the ports of thèse States in the manner stated in the annexed schedule.

As provided in the same schedule , the benefit of the réduction of duties granted to American wheat and wheat-flour, on their introduction into the ports of Cuba and Porto Rico, shall not take effect until the lst day of January, 1892.

Flour shall be excluded from said réduction , and shall not therefore share in it, which, on its departure from the ports of the Union, destined to those of Cuba and Porto Rico , may be favored with drawbacks or other tariff advantages.

The Government of Spain gives the assurance that , during the existence of this transitory arrangement, no export or port duty, whether national or provincial, shall be imposed on the articles or merchandise exported from Cuba and Porto Rico to the United States , and which the latter nation admits free of duties.

Respecting the North American articles af food, drink, and fuel , specified in the annexed transitory schedule, which are imported into said islands, the Government of Spain, without restricting the rights of the municipal councils , will seek to have the latter impose upon them no greater municipal duties than those which national products pay, and that they shall not materially increase the price of said articles.

The Spanish Government reserves the right to propose the laws and adopt the régulations necessary to protect the customs revenues in said islands , to prevent fraud and require proof of the North American nationality of the articles enumerated in the annexed schedule. Thèse laws and régulations shall not be unduly restrictive , nor create additional charges therefor, nor impose new duties on the articles imported.

What has just been stated will couvince the Président that the Gouvernement of Her Majesty responds to the législation of the Congress of the United States in a spirit of sincère friendship and reciprocity, and, in this firm conviction, it has authorized the undersigned to conclude with that of the United States the proper executive internationl agreement, which shall begin to take effect on the lst day of September, 1891, and also to agrée with the Honorable Secretary of State on the day when it shall be simultaneously and officially published in both countries, with the understanding that this commercial arrangement, put in opération under the clauses above stated, shall remain in force so lang as it shall not be modified by the mutual agreement of the Executive Power of the two countries, always reserving the respective right of the Cortes of Spain and of the Congress of the United States to modify or repeal it whenever they may think proper.

The undersigned Minister gladly improves this opportunity to reiterate

États-Unis d'Amérique, Espagne

to the Honorable Secretary of State the assurances of his highest considération.

M. Suarez Gitanes.

The Honorable James G. Blaine ,

Secretary of State of the United States.

Transitory Schedule.

Products or manufactures of the United States proceeding from the ports of said States to be admitted into Cuba and Porto Rico , on and after September I, 1891, free of customs duties , and unloading and ail other charges, whether national or provincial :

1. Méats, in brine, salted or srnoked, bacon, hams, and méats preserved in cans , in lard or by extraction of air ; jerked beef excepted.