Whereas satisfactory evidence has been received by me that upon
vessels of the United States arriving at the port of San Juan del Norte
(Greytown), Nicaragua, 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 port by the Government of Nicaragua;
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 Dominion of Canada, Newfoundland, the Bahama Islands, the
Bermuda Islands, the West India Islands, Mexico, and Central America
down to and including Aspinwall and Panama 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 tax or taxes, imposed on American
vessels by the government of the foreign country in which such port is
situated:
Now, therefore, I, Chester A. Arthur, 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
the first Tuesday in March, 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 the port of San Juan del Norte
(Greytown), Nicaragua.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, this 26th day of February, 1885, and of
the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and
ninth.
[SEAL.]