Whereas satisfactory evidence has been received by me that upon vessels
of the United States arriving at the island of Trinidad, British West
Indies, no duty is imposed by the ton as tonnage tax or as light money,
and that no other equivalent tax on vessels of the United States is
imposed at said island by the British Government; and Whereas by the
provisions of section 14 of an act approved June 26, 1884, "to remove
certain burdens on the American merchant marine and encourage the
American foreign carrying trade, and for other purposes," the President
of the United States is authorized to suspend the collection in ports of
the United States from vessels arriving from any port in the island of
Trinidad of so much of the duty at the rate of 3 cents per ton as may be
in excess of the tonnage and light-house dues, or other equivalent of
tax or taxes, imposed on American vessels by the government of the
foreign country in which such port is situated:
Now, therefore, I, Grover Cleveland, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the act and section
hereinbefore mentioned, do hereby declare and proclaim that on and after
this 7th day of April, 1885, the collection of said tonnage duty of 3
cents per ton shall be suspended as regards all vessels arriving in any
port of the United States from a port in the island of Trinidad, British
West Indies.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.
[SEAL.]
Done at the city of Washington, this 7th day of April, 1885, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and ninth.