Mr. Muruaga to Mr. Gresham.

The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Spain, has the honor to inform the honorable Secretary of State, in addition to the verbal statements which he has already made to him, that, as His Majesty’s Government will probably soon be under the necessity of imposing customs duties upon articles of Spanish production in general, which are now free, and of increasing those already established on foreign goods, it desires to know the opinion and to receive a statement of the views of the United States Government on the following points:

1.
Whether, if His Majesty’s Government shall levy import duties in Cuba and Puerto Rico on goods of Spanish production, duties will, in like manner, be levied by the United States Government upon those [Page 622] productions which are now free in pursuance of the reciprocity treaty applicable to those islands which is now in force?
2.
Whether, in case of an increase on, all items of the tariffs now in force, the same increase will be made in the case of articles which, under the aforesaid tariff, pay a reduced duty?

The undersigned minister begs the honorable Secretary of State to, inform him, with as little delay as possible, concerning the views and’ intentions of his Government on the foregoing points, and he gladly avails himself, etc.

E. de Muruaga.