WASHINGTON, _March 9, 1840_.
_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_:
I transmit to Congress, for their consideration, copies and translations
of a correspondence between the Secretary of State and the Spanish
legation, growing out of an application on the part of Spain for a
reduction of tonnage duty on her vessels in certain cases.
By a royal order issued on the 29th of April, 1832, by the King of
Spain, in consequence of a representation made to his Government by
the minister of the United States against the discriminating tonnage
duty then levied in the ports of Spain upon American vessels, said duty
was reduced to 1 real de vellon, equal to 5 cents, per ton, without
reference to the place from whence the vessel came, being the same rate
as paid by those of all other nations, including Spain.
By the act approved on the 13th of July, 1832, a corresponding reduction
of tonnage duty upon Spanish vessels in ports of the United States was
authorized, but confined to vessels coming from ports in Spain; in
consequence of which said reduction has been applied to such Spanish
vessels only as came directly from ports in the Spanish Peninsula.
The application of the Spanish Government is for the extension of the
provisions of the act to vessels coming from other places, and I submit
for the consideration of Congress whether the principle of reciprocity
would not justify it in regard to all vessels owned in the Peninsula and
its dependencies of the Balearic and Canary islands, and coming from all
places other than the islands of Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippine,
and the repayment of such duties as may have been levied upon Spanish
vessels of that class which have entered our ports since the act of 1832
went into operation.