Tonnage-tax collections at the various ports during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898. 1,659.30 701.55 21,470.61 69,815.40 3,203.37 2.97 10.80 13,342.01 389.13 38, 330.94 8,364.54 4,381.37 2.64 168.45 6.00 30.45 2,119.20 516.90 14.85 6,774.45 4, 134.69 178.50 845, 723.16 a The amount actually received in the Treasury as tonnage tax during the fiscal year was $844,095.21. Tonnage-tax collections at the various ports during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898-Continued. The following statement shows the entries of vessels in foreign trade at seaports of the United States (Great Lakes excluded), classified as American and foreign, since 1888: The following statement shows the appropriations for rivers and harbors, LightHouse Establishment, Life-Saving Service, and Marine-Hospital Service, also tonnage tax paid by foreign vessels, for the past ten fiscal years: 5. TONNAGE TAXES IN FOREIGN PORTS IN POSSESSION OF THE MILITARY FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES AS WAR CONTRIBUTIONS. CUBA. [Tariff Circular No. 17.] WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 11, 1898. By direction of the President, paragraph 5, “Tonnage dues," on page 8 of the Customs Tariff and Regulations for Ports in Cuba in Possession of the United States, is hereby amended to read as follows: TONNAGE DUES. 5. At all ports or places in Cuba which may be in possession or under administrative control of the land or naval forces of the United States there shall be levied the following tonnage dues until further orders: (a) On entry of a vessel from a port or place not in Cuba, 20 cents per net ton. (b) On entry of a vessel from another port or place in Cuba, engaged at the time of entry in the coasting trade of Cuba, 2 cents per net ton. (c) The rate of tax on a vessel which enters or clears in ballast shall be one-half of the rate imposed by subdivision (a) or (b). (d) A vessel which has paid the tonnage tax imposed on entry from a port or place not in Cuba shall not be liable to tonnage tax on entering another port or place in Cuba during the same voyage until such vessel again enters from a port or place not in Cuba. (e) An express steamship engaged in carrying the mails in the service of a steamship line which is furnishing, under an agreement or contract with a government, a regular semi-monthly mail service from a port not in Cuba to a port on the south coast of Cuba, or a regular semi-weekly mail service from a port not in Cuba to a port on the north coast of Cuba, shall be exempt from tonnage taxes upon being furnished by the Secretary of War with a certificate that it is so employed. (f) The tonnage tax on entries of a vessel from a port or place not in Cuba shall not exceed in the aggregate $2 per net ton in any one year, beginning from the date of the first payment. The tonnage tax on entries of a vessel from other ports or places in Cuba, engaged at the time of entry exclusively in the coasting trade of Cuba, shail not exceed 40 cents per net ton in any one year, beginning from the date of the first payment. Upon receipt of this order by the officer in command of the United States forces at any port or place in the island of Cuba in possession of the United States, said order will be proclaimed and enforced. R. A. ALGER, PORTO RICO. [Tariff Circular No. 19.] WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 15, 1898. By direction of the President, Customs Tariff and Regulations for Ports in Porto Rico in Possession of the United States is hereby amended to read as follows: Regulation 1, first paragraph, page 5: 1. Trade between ports of the United States and all ports or places in Porto Rico, and trade between ports or places in Porto Rico, shall be carried on in registered vessels of the United States and no others." Regulation 1, subdivision (d), page 5: "(d) This regulation shall not be construed to authorize any lower customs charges or tariff charges on the cargoes of American vessels entering from the United States than are paid on the cargoes of foreign vessels entering from foreign ports." Section 5, page 6: 66 TONNAGE DUES. "5. At all ports or places in Porto Rico there shall be levied the following navigation and port charges: "On entry of a vessel from a port or place not in Porto Rico or not in the United States, 20 cents per net ton. "On the entry of a vessel from a port or place not in Porto Rico or not in the United States, lading or discharging cargo which is less than the net tonnage of the vessel, dues of $1 per thousand kilograms may be imposed, at the option of the master, consignor, or consignee of the cargo, in lieu of the tonnage tax above prescribed. "On entry of a vessel only to discharge or take on board passengers and their baggage the tonnage tax above prescribed shall not be imposed. 66 The following shall be exempt from tonnage dues: "A vessel belonging to or employed in the service of the Government of the United States; "A vessel of a foreign government not engaged in trade; "A vessel in distress; "A yacht belonging to an organized yacht club of the United States, or of a foreign nation which imposes no tonnage or equivalent taxes on American yachts; 'A vessel engaged in trade between the United States and Porto Rico; 'A vessel engaged in the coasting trade of Porto Rico. 66 "The tonnage of a vessel shall be the net or register tonnage expressed in her national certificate of registry." The foregoing amendments will take effect October 18, 1898, and will be proclaimed and enforced accordingly by the officer in command of the United States forces at any port or place in the island of Porto Rico in possession of the United States. R. A. ALGER, Secretary of War. PHILIPPINES. [November 10, 1898.] LIGHT DUES. 5. At all ports or places in the Philippines which may be in possession or under administrative control of the land or naval forces of the United States there shall be levied the following navigation and port charges: Per net ton. On each entry of a vessel from a port or place, except from another port or On each entry of a vessel from another port or place in the Philippines in On each departure of a vessel for another port or place in the Philippines in possession of the United States..... 6. The following shall be exempt from light dues: $0.10 .10 • 02 • 02 A vessel belonging to or employed in the service of the Government of the United States; or a vessel of a neutral foreign government not engaged in trade; or a vessel in distress; or a yacht belonging to an organized yacht club of the United States or of a neutral foreign nation. 7. The tonnage of a vessel shall be the net or register tonnage expressed in her national certificate of registry. 6. EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN MEXICAN VESSELS FROM TONNAGE DUTIES IMPOSED BY SECTION 4219, REVISED STATUTES. [Department Circular No. 192.] TREASURY DEPARTMENT, BUREAU OF NAVIGATION, Collectors of Customs and others: Under the proclamation of the President, printed below, Mexican vessels proceeding to the United States with the object of fishing on the coasts thereof, or for the purpose of receiving and carrying passengers and mail, or of loading cattle, wood, or any product of the United States, and which shall go directly to ports open to general commerce, so that they may be dispatched thence to their destination, and Mexican steam vessels, will be exempted from the payment of the tonnage duties imposed by section 4219 of the Revised Statutes of the United States. EUGENE T. CHAMBERLAIN, Commissioner. [Suspension of tonnage dues-Mexico.] BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. Whereas satisfactory proof has been given me that vessels of the United States in ballast which proceed to Mexico with the object of devoting themselves to pearl fishery and fishing on the Mexican coasts, or for the purpose of receiving and carrying passengers and mail, or of loading cattle, wood, or any other Mexican prodduct, and which shall go directly to ports open to general commerce, so that thence they may be despatched to their destination, and steam vesseis of the United States are exempted from tonnage duties in Mexican ports; Now, therefore, I, William McKinley, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the act of Congress, approved July 24, 1897, entitled "An act to authorize the President to suspend discriminating duties imposed on foreign vessels and commerce," do hereby declare and proclaim that from and after the date of this, my proclamation, Mexican vessels in ballast, which proceed to the United States with the object of fishing on the coast thereof, or for the purpose of receiving and carrying passengers and mail, or of loading cattle, wood, or any other product of the United States, and which shall go directly to ports open to general commerce, so that thence they may be despatched to their destination, and Mexican steam vessels shall be exempted from the payment of the tonnage duties imposed by section 4219 of the Revised Statutes of the United States. And this proclamation shall remain in force and effect until otherwise ordered by the President of the United States. In witness whereof I have set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed. Done at the city of Washington this twelfth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven, and of the independence of the United States one hundred and twenty-second. Following are statements of the laws imposing tonnage taxes, light dues and equivalent taxes, together with the rates, in Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Mexico: GREAT BRITAIN. Under the system at present in force in Great Britain, light dues are levied at every entry and clearance of a vessel, on the basis, theoretically, of the lighthouses which the vessel passes on her inward and outward voyage. These rates vary for different lighthouses and for different ports. Through the usual official channels the bureau has been furnished by the British Board of Trade with a statement of the light dues imposed on a vessel entering and clearing each of eight of the principal seaports of the United Kingdom. It should be noted that the average charge on a ship of 1,000 tons in the last column is the average rate paid on one way only, namely, for entry or for clearance, while the charges are imposed at both entry and clearance. Table 2 states more particularly the nature of the local light dues, which are in addition to the general light dues based on the lighthouses passed. The general light dues are devoted to the mercantile marine fund, the local light dues to local purposes. |