COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH NEWFOUNDLAND (CONVENTION BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1903 Session I, A-06

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1903. NEW ZEALAND.

COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH NEWFOUNDLAND (CONVENTION BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF).

Laid on the Table of the House by Leave.

[Senate —57th Congress, 2nd Session—Document No. 49.] IMPROVEMENT OF COMMEEGIAL RELATIONS WITH NEWFOUNDLAND. Message from the President op the United States, transmitting a Convention with Great Britain, signed at Washington on November 8, 1902, for the improvement of commercial relations with Newfoundland. [December 17, 1902. —Read; ordered to be printed.] To the Senate. I transmit, for the advice and consent of the Senate to its ratification, a convention between the United States of America and Great Britain for the improvement of commercial relations between the United States and the Colony of Newfoundland, signed at Washington on November 8, 1902. White House, December 3, 1902. Theodore Roosevelt.

The President. I submit herewith, for transmission to the Senate should you deem it proper to do so, with a view to obtaining the advice and consent of that body to its ratification, a convention between the Governments of the United States and Great Britain for the improvement of commercial relations between the United States and His Britannic Majesty's Colony of Newfoundland, signed at Washington on November 8, 1902. Respectfully submitted. John Hay. Department of State, Washington, December 2, 1902.

The Governments of the United States and of Great Britain, desiring to improve the commercial relations between the United States and His Britannic Majesty's Colony of Newfoundland, have appointed as their respective plenipotentiaries, and given them full powers to treat of and conclude such convention, that is to say, — The President of the United States has appointed, on the part of the United States, John Hay, Secretary of State ; and His Britannic Majesty on his part has appointed the Eight Honourable Sir Michael Herbert, K.C.M.G., C.8., His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Washington ; And the said plenipotentiaries, after having exchanged their full powers, which were found to be in due and proper form, have agreed to and concluded the following articles: — Article I. United States fishing-vessels entering the waters of Newfoundland shall have the privilege of purchasing herring, caplin, squid, and other bait fishes at all times, on the same terms and conditions, and subject to the same penalties, as Newfoundland vessels. They shall also have the privilege of touching and trading, buying and selling fish and oil, and procuring supplies, in Newfoundland ; conforming to the harbour regulations, but without other charge than the payment of such light, harbour, and Customs dues as are or may be levied on Newfoundland fishing-vessels. Article 11. Codfish, cod-oil, seal-oil, whale-oil, unmanufactured whalebone, sealskins, herrings, salmon, trout, and salmon-trout, lobsters, cod-roes, tongues, and sounds, being the produce of the fisheries carried on by the fishermen of Newfoundland; and ores bf metals, the product of Newfoundland mines ; and slates from the quarry untrimmed shall be admitted into the United States free of duty. Also all packages in which the said fish and oils may be exported shall be admitted free of duty. It is understood, however, that unsalted or fresh codfish are not included in the provisions of this article.

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Article 111. The officers of Customs of the Newfoundland port where the vessels clear shall give to the master of the vessel a sworn certificate that the fish shipped were the produce of the fisheries carried on by the fishermen of Newfoundland, which certificate shall be countersigned by the Consul or Consular Agent of the United States. Article IV. When this convention shall come into operation, and during the continuance thereof, the following articles imported into the Colony of Newfoundland from the United States shall be admitted free of duty : — Agricultural implements and machinery imported by agricultural societies for the promotion of agriculture; cranes, derricks, fire-clay, fire-brick, rock-drills, rolling-mills, crushing-mills, separators, drill steel, machinery of every description for mining, used within the mine proper or at the surface of the mine ; smelting machinery of all kinds when imported directly by persons engaged in mining or to be used in their mining operations and not for sale ; brick-machines; dynamite, detonators, blasting-powder and fuse; raw cotton and cotton yarn ; corn for the manufacture of brooms and whisks; chair-cane, unmanufactured; cottonseed-oil, olive-oil, boracic acid, acetic acid, preservatine, when imported by manufacturers to be used in the preservation of fish or fish-glue ; hemp, hemp-yarn, coir-yarn, sisal, manila, jute, flax, and tow; Indian corn ; oil-cake, oil-cake meal, cottonseed-cake, cottonseed-meal, peasemeal, bran, and other preparations for cattle-feed; manures and fertilisers of all kinds, and sulphuric acid when imported to be used in the manufacture of manures; lines and twines used in connection with the fisheries, not including sporting-tackle; ores to be used as flux ; gas-engines, when protected by patent; ploughs, harrows, reaping, raking, ploughing, potato-digging and seed-sowing machines, when imported by those engaged in agriculture and not for sale ; engravers' plates of steel, polished for engraving thereon ; photo-engraving machinery—viz., router, bevelling and squaring machines, screen holders, crossline screens and chemicals for use in engraving, wood for blocking, engraving-tools, and process plates ; printing-presses, printing-paper, printing-types, printers' ink, when imported by bond fide printers for use in their business ; salt, in bulk, when imported for use in the fisheries. And the duties to be levied and collected upon the following enumerated merchandise imported into the Colony of Newfoundland from the United States shall not exceed the following amounts : viz., flour, 25 cents per barrel; pork, 1 dollar 50 cents per barrel of 2001b. ; bacon and hams, tongues, smoked beef, and sausages, 2J cents per pound, or 2 dollars 50 cents per 112 lb. ; beef, pigs' heads, hocks, ami feet, salted and cured, 1 dollar per barrel of 200 lb. ; Indian meal, 20 cents per barrel; peas, 30 cents per barrel; oatmeal, 30 cents per barrel of 2001b. ; rice, J cent per pound ; kerosene oil, 6 cents per gallon. Article V. It is understood that if any reduction is made by the Colony of Newfoundland, at any time during the term of this convention, in the rate of duty upon the articles named in Article IV. of this convention, coming from any other country, the said reduction shall apply to the United States, and that no heavier duty shall be imposed on articles coming from the United States than is imposed on such articles coming from elsewhere. Article VI. The present convention shall be duly ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and by His Britannic Majesty ; and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Washington as soon thereafter as practicable. Its provisions shall go into effect thirty days after the exchange of ratifications, and shall continue and remain in full force for the term of five years from the date at which it may come into operation, and further until the expiration of twelve months after either of the contracting parties shall have given notice to the other at the end of the said term of five years, or at any time afterwards. In faith whereof, we, the respective plenipotentiaries, have signed this convention, and have hereunto affixed our seals. Done in duplicate at Washington, this Bth day of November, in the year of our Lord, 1902. John Hay. [Seal.] Michael H. Herbert. [Seal.] Approximate, Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given; printing (1,375 copies), £1 6s. 6d.

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9o3. Price 3d.]