Whereas by an act of the Congress of the United States of the 24th of
May, 1828, entitled "An act in addition to an act entitled 'An act
concerning discriminating duties of tonnage and impost' and to equalize
the duties on Prussian vessels and their cargoes," it is provided that
upon satisfactory evidence being given to the President of the United
States by the government of any foreign nation that no discriminating
duties of tonnage or impost are imposed or levied in the ports of the
said nation upon vessels wholly belonging to citizens of the United
States, or upon the produce, manufactures, or merchandise imported in
the same from the United States or from any foreign country, the
President is thereby authorized to issue his proclamation declaring that
the foreign discriminating duties of tonnage and impost within the
United States are and shall be suspended and discontinued so far as
respects the vessels of the said foreign nation and the produce,
manufactures, or merchandise imported into the United States in the same
from the said foreign nation or from any other foreign country, the said
suspension to take effect from the time of such notification being given
to the President of the United States and to continue so long as the
reciprocal exemption of vessels belonging to citizens of the United
States and their cargoes as aforesaid shall be continued, and no longer;
and
Whereas satisfactory evidence has lately been received by me from His
Majesty the Emperor of Brazil, through an official communication of Mr.
Felippe José Pereira Leal, his chargé d'affaires in the United States,
under date of the 25th of October, 1847, that no other or higher duties
of tonnage and impost are imposed or levied in the ports of Brazil upon
vessels wholly belonging to citizens of the United States and upon the
produce, manufactures, or merchandise imported in the same from the
United States and from any foreign country whatever than are levied on
Brazilian ships and their cargoes in the same ports under like
circumstances:
Now, therefore, I, James K. Polk, President of the United States of
America, do hereby declare and proclaim that so much of the several acts
imposing discriminating duties of tonnage and impost within the United
States are and shall be suspended and discontinued so far as respects
the vessels of Brazil and the produce, manufactures, and merchandise
imported into the United States in the same from Brazil and from any
other foreign country whatever, the said suspension to take effect from
the day above mentioned and to continue thenceforward so long as the
reciprocal exemption of the vessels of the United States and the
produce, manufactures, and merchandise imported into Brazil in the same
as aforesaid shall be continued on the part of the Government of Brazil.
Given under my hand, at the city of Washington, this 4th day of
November, A.D. 1847, and the seventy-second of the Independence of the
United States.