Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 3, 1888, Part II

No. 760.
Mr. Bayard to Mr. Gonnery.

Department of State,
Washington, January 18, 1888.

No. 243.]

Sir: I transmit a copy of a letter from Messrs. Alexandre & Sons, dated the 12th instant, wherein they refer to the introduction in the Mexican Congress of a bill, which, however, failed of passage, granting to American steamers the 2 per cent. rebate in duties enjoyed by the Spanish line of steamers.

As the Department has no information upon this subject, I will thank you to report whether such a bill was so introduced; and, if so, to obtain, if possible, a copy thereof for the Department’s information, accompanied by a translation of the same.

I am, etc.,

T. F. Bayard.

[Inclosure in No. 243.]

Messrs. Alexandre & Sons to Mr. Bayard.

New York, January 12, 1888.

Sir: We beg to inform you that we are in receipt of advices from our correspondents in Mexico, informing us that the Mexican Congress had adjourned without passing the bill granting to American steamers the 2 per cent, rebate in duties enjoyed by the Spanish lines of steamers, which had been confidently expected.

This 2 per cent, rebate in duties in favor of the Spanish line enables it to underbid us on freights to the Mexican Gulf ports, and it is only a question of a short time now when we will have to withdraw from a route on which our steamers have been the representatives of American enterprise for a period of twenty years.

Yours, etc.,

F. Alexandre & Sons.