_February 27, 1836_.
The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:
The undersigned, Secretary of State, has the honor to report to the
President that official information was received at this Department some
time since from the chargé d'affaires of Portugal of the abolition of
all discriminating duties upon the cargoes of foreign vessels, including
those of the United States, imported into Lisbon and Oporto, by a decree
of the Portuguese Government promulgated on the 18th of April, 1834,
the operation of which decree was stated by the chargé to extend to the
island of Madeira. Upon the strength of this decree he applied, by order
of his Government, for the suspension, under the fourth section of the
act of Congress of January 7, 1824, of discriminating duties upon the
cargoes of Portuguese vessels imported into the United States; but
being informed that the act alluded to was inapplicable by reason that
discriminating duties upon the cargoes of American vessels still existed
in a part of the dominions of Portugal, he has requested that the
principle acted upon in regard to Holland may be extended to Portugal,
and that discriminating duties may be abolished in respect to Portugal
proper, the Madeira Islands, the Azores, and such other parts of the
Portuguese dominions wherein no discriminating duty is levied upon
the vessels of the United States or their cargoes. This request is
accompanied by a suggestion that unless some such reciprocity is
established the benefits of the decree of April, 1834, will be withdrawn
so far as respects this country. Application is also made for a return
of the discriminating duties which have been collected since the
promulgation of the said decree from the vessels of Portugal arriving
in the United States from any of the ports embraced by that decree.
In reference to this point it is proper to state that it does not appear
that the force or operation of the decree referred to of the 18th April,
1834, was extended by any official act of the Portuguese Government to
the islands of Madeira or the Azores until February or April, 1835.
It is also to be observed that, notwithstanding the abolition by that
decree of discriminating duties upon the importation of goods into
Portugal from foreign countries, an exemption existed until the 1st of
February instant, according to information received from our chargé
d'affaires at Lisbon, in favor of various articles when imported from
Great Britain, from an excise duty which was exacted upon the same
articles when imported from other foreign countries or produced or
manufactured at home. This exemption was granted in pursuance of the
construction given to a stipulation contained in the late treaty
between Portugal and Great Britain, and ceased, together with that
treaty, on the 1st day of the present month.
The undersigned has the honor to transmit with this report a copy of the
correspondence between the Department and the chargé d'affaires of
Portugal upon which it is founded.