PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :-
885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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All the
On 1st March, 1823, an Act of Congress was passed "to regulate the Commercial Intercourse between the United States and certain British Ports," opening the ports of the United States to British vessels coming from the free ports of the British North American and West India Possessions, and giving the President power to remove the differential imposts levied upon goods so imported, upon information of similar privi- leges having been conceded in such British colo- nial ports to United States' vessels. goods so imported must be the produce of the colony whence they came, and must have been imported thence direct. It further enacted that such British ships might take back produce of the United States, provided they give bonds to land them directly at the ports for which they clear. The provisions of this Act were to depend on the continuance of those enacted by the British Act of 1822 3rd Geo. IV, c. 44, before quoted.
Inasmuch, however, as United States' ships were not placed on precisely the same footing in the ports of the West Indies as British ships, this power of the President was never exercised, and in consequence a British order in council was issued on the 21st July, 1823, for levying counter- vailing duties on vessels of the United States and their cargoes in the ports of the British North American and West India Possessions, equal to those charged on British vessels from the said ports in the United States, viz., 48. 3d. per ton, and a discriminating duty of 10 per cent. on imported articles.
Subsequently, on the first consolidation of the Customs Laws in 1825, the Possessions Act (6 Geo. IV, c. 114), after enumerating the privileges which would be granted to such foreign States as gave similar advantages to British ships in their colonies, reserves to the King the right of extending or annulling them in respect of any foreign State, which either does, or does not, fulfil the conditions stated.
Negotiations were at this time being carried on with the United States, but at first without
October 5, 1830.
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success; and on the 27th July, 1826, an order in council was issued, reciting that the conditions laid down in the Possessions Act, had not been fulfilled by the United States, and ordering
that the privileges possessed by United States' vessels of importing the produce of the States into the British Possessions abroad, and of ex- porting the produce of those possessions to any foreign country whatever, shall determine on certain days (1st Dec., 1826, 1st March, 1827, and 1st May, 1827), fixed according to the situation of the different British Possessions.
In consequence of this order, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States on the 17th March, 1827, prohibiting
the trade and intercourse authorized by the Act
of Congress of 1st March, 1823, with certain enumerated ports of the British Possessions, (which had been passed in consequence of the provisions
of 3 Geo. IV c. 44, now repealed,) from and after the 1st December, 1826.
At last, however, the negotiations which bad long been pending were brought to a successful termination, and, the disputes having been finally adjusted, it was enacted by the Ame- rican Congress on the 29th of May, 1830, that whenever the President has evidence that Great Britain will open the ports of her Colonial Possessions in the West Indies, South America, Bahamas, Caribs, and Bermudas, for a limited or indefinite time, to United States' ships
at the same rate of impost and tonnage, and with the same cargoes, as to British vessels, and that they are allowed to export from such British Posses- sions, to any country whatever, any article which may be exported in British vessels, having the intercourse with Great Britain, in other respects, as it now is, he may grant similar privileges to British vessels coming from the said possessions to the United States, and the Acts and supple- mentary Acts concerning navigation shall be so far repealed or suspended.
This was followed by a proclamation of the President, extending the foregoing provisions to the said British colonies in the West Indies, South America, Bahamas, Caribs, and Bermuda, H