Boots and shoes in whole or in part of leather or skins

It is agreed that the duties of the third column of the tarifïs of the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico mentioned in this schedule are understood to be those stated in the tariffs now in force , with the additional duties authorized by laws and orders previous to this date.

(Signed,) Fabié.

Washington, June 8, 1891.

A true copy.

M, Suarez Gitanes.

Mr. Blaine to Senor Suarez Guanes.

Department of State,

Washington, June 10, 1891.

Sir ; I have great pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of your note of the 8th instant, in which you inform me that, as a provisional measure, until a more définitive arrangement shall be put in opération, the Government of Spain, in reciprocity and compensation for the admission into the ports of the United States, free from ail national, State, or municipal duties, of the products of the Spanish islands of Cuba and Porto Rico enumerated in my note of January 3 last, is prepared by due légal enactment to authorize the free or favored admission into said islands, from September 1 next , of the articles proceeding directly from , and the product or manufacture of, the United States of America , named in the schedule attached to your note ; that your Government gives the assurance that no export or port tax , whether national or provincial , shall be imposed on the articles admitted free into the United States ; that it will seek to have no greater municipal duties duties than those paid by national products imposed on the articles named in said schedule, and that said duties shall not materially increase the price of said articles; and that the laws and régulations which may be adopted by Spain to prevent fraud shall not

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impose any additional charges therefor on the articles named in said schedule imported from the United States.

I ara directed by the Président to state to you that, as a provisional measure, he accepts this action of the Government of Spain , in proposing to grant exemption of duties to the products of the United States , as a due reciprocity for the action of the Congress of the United States, as set forth in my note to you of January 3 last.

I am also pleased to reciprocate the assurance contained in your note, and to state that no export tax, whether national, State, or municipal, can or will be imposed in the United States upon the products and manufactures enumerated in the schedule attached to your note of the 8th instant.

It may be further understood that, while the Government of the United States reserves the right to adopt such laws and régulations as may be found necessary to protect the revenue and prevent fraud in the déclarations and proof that the articles enumerated in my note of January 3 last, and whose free admission is provided for by the tariff law therein cited, are the product or manufacture of the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico, the laws and régulations to be adopted to that end shall place no undue restrictions on the importer nor impose any additional charges therefor upon the articles imported.

It is likewise understood that wheat-flour shall not share in the specified réduction of duties which begins to take effect January 1, 1892, which, on its exportation from the United States, may have been favored with any tariff advantages in the nature of drawbacks.

I have, therefore, to request that you will be so kind as to call at the Department of State at your early convenience to agrée upon the time and manner of making public announcement of this transitory commercial arrangement, which , it is understood , shall remain in force so long 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 Congress of the United States and of the Cortes of Spain to modify or repeal said arrangement whenever they may think proper.

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

James G. Blaine.

Senor Don Miguel Suarez Guanes,

Etc., etc., etc.

Sefîor Suarez Guanes to Mr. Blaine.

Légation of Spain at Washington,

June 12, 1891.

The undersigned, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Spain, has the honor to inform the Honorable Secretary of State that, a transitory commercial arrangement having been agreed upon between the

Government of His Majesty and that of the United States of North America, which is to go into effect on the lst day of September, 1891, and it being the désire of both Governments that said arrangements should have a définitive character from the time when Spain shall be free from her international engagements , the Government of His Majesty, in reciprocity and compensation for the admission into the ports of the United States of America, free of ail national, State, and municipal duties, of the products of Cuba and Porto Rico enumerated in the note of the Honorable Secretary of State of the 3d of January of the présent year, is prepared to make full use of the power granted to it by the law of the 22d of July, 1884, authorizing the admission into ail the established ports of said islands, from the lst of July, 1892, of the articles or merchandise named in the schedules annexed to this note, designated by the letters A, B, C, and D; provided that the duties of the third column of the tariffs of the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico, to which référence is made in said schedules, are understood to be those stated in the tariffs which are now in force, with the additional duties authorized by laws and orders previous to this date.

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

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

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

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

A repertory shall be compiled to regulate the better application of the annexed schedules in the custom-houses of Cuba and Porto Rico, and as a basis for the classification of articles the repertory attached to the unratified treaty of October 18, 1884, shall be taken with such modifications as the présent schedules require.

Plour which , on its departure from the ports of the Union for those of Cuba and Porto Rico, is favored with drawbaks or other tariff advantages is excluded from the réduction of duties conceded in the annexed schedules to American wheat and wheat-flour, and shall not share in said favor.

It is to be understood that, when this définitive commercial arrange-

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ment goes into effect, the transitory one shall terminate and be of no further force* •

The définitive arrangement thus put in opération shall remain in force so long 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 said arrangement whenever they may think proper.

The Governments of the two nations shall fix the day when this définitive arrangement shall be simultaneously and officially published in both countries.

In proposing in the name of his Government the project of the définitive commercial arrangement in the terms which he has just transcribed, it remains for the undersigned to comply with the spécial instruction which his Government has likewise given him , to submit to the considération of the Honorable Secretary of State the serious injuries which bave been occasioned to the tobacco production in the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico, in conséquence of the increase of duties imposed on said article by the new tariff law of the United Stutes, cherishing the hope that, while it may not be possible to diminish them at once in the présent arrangement, because the Président of the Union has not the power to do so, the latter will exercise his constitutional powers in order to recommend to Congress the said réduction of duties on the tobacco of Cuba and Porto Rico.

Thèse measures will duly complète the friendly character of the commercial relations between the two countries, for which purpose the Spanish Government has not hesitated to facilitate, as far as was within its power, the negotiation of the présent reciprocity arrangement.

The undersigned Minister hopes, therefore, that the Président will comply with thèse proper desires of the Government of His Majesty, and that the Secretary of State will respond to the same in a separate note, if possible, at the time he replies to the proposition for the arrangement contained in the présent note, and he gladly improves this opportunity to repeat the assurances of his highest considération.

(Signed,) M. Suarez Guanes.

To the Honorable James G. Blaine,

Secretary of State of the United States of America.

Schedule A.

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 July 1, 1892, free of customs duties, and unloading and ail other charges, whether national or provincial:

1. Marble, jasper and alabaster natural or artificial, in rough or in pièces, dressed, squared and prepared for taking shape.

2. Other stones and earthy matters, including cernent, employed in building, the arts and industries.