Mr. Blaine to Señor Hurtado.
Washington, May 31, 1892.
Sir: I have had the honor to receive your notes of March 25 and May 18 last respecting the action of the President under the tariff law of October 1, 1890, in the imposition of duties on hides and coffee, the product of Colombia, on their importation into the United States.
I can only repeat what has been stated to you verbally on more than one occasion, that it was a source of the deepest regret on the part of the President that he felt constrained, by the requirements of section 3 of the law above cited, to issue his proclamation of March 15 last, and which has occasioned your note to which I now reply.
[Page 473]The Congress of the United States enacted the provisions referred to “with a view to secure reciprocal trade” and to place our commercial relations with the countries concerned on a basis of equal and reasonable reciprocity; and it imposed upon the President a duty which he sought to discharge by causing negotiations to be promptly opened, first, between this Department and yourself, and afterwards between the minister of the United States at Bogota and the minister for foreign affairs, for the attainment of some mutually satisfactory and advantageous reciprocity agreement which would be a substantial compliance with the expressed will of the Congress of the United States. But in the year or more which elapsed after the initiation of these negotiations, and notwithstanding the earnest efforts of the representatives of the United States, it was not possible to obtain from your Government any proposition whatever which could be regarded as in any respect responsive to the liberal provisions of the Congress of the United States. Under these circumstances, the President deemed that he had no alternative but to take the action called for by the law.
The President directs me to say that he does not regard this law of Congress, nor his action under it, as in violation of Article ii of the treaty of 1846, referred to by you. The law cited applies the same treatment to all countries whose tariffs are found by the President to be unequal and unreasonable. Referring to the countries named in your note of March 25, it may be stated that the negotiations so far conducted with them have not been attended with the same unsatisfactory results which have marked our efforts to reach an agreement with Colombia, and in none of them are the conditions of commerce and of the tariff so unfavorable for the United States. Without indicating what action may be taken respecting them, when negotiations have been completely terminated, the treatment which may be extended to them can not be invoked in favor of Colombia until its trade and tariff conditions with the United States shall have been materially modified.
The Government of the United States has always sought to cultivate with your country, Mr. Minister, the most intimate and cordial commercial and political relations, and it has been to me a cause of profound regret that, by the inaction of your Government, the President was constrained to issue the proclamation of March 15. I can assure you with entire sincerity, and beg you to communicate this assurance to your Government, that the President will cheerfully withdraw that proclamation whenever Colombia shall afford him reasonable occasion to do so.
I have purposely delayed responding to your note of March 25 in the hope that you would present to me some proposition which could be accepted as an equitable reciprocity for the free access to our markets which is afforded by the tariff laws of the United States to the products of Colombia. In fact, I have been notified by the minister of the United States resident at Bogota that he has been advised by your Government that it entertained such a purpose, and that you would be instructed to reopen the negotiations for a reciprocity arrangement, with the belief on the part of your Government that an early arrangement could be reached. I shall be greatly gratified if you may be authorized to take such a step, and I can assure you in advance of the most friendly consideration to any proposition to that end which you may submit.
Accept, etc.,