nomenclature which shall designate in equivalent terms, in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, the commodities on which import duties are levied, to be used respectively by all the American nations for the purpose of levying customs imposts which are or may hereafter be established, and also to be used in shipping manifests, consular invoices, entries, clearances, and other customs documents; but not to affect in any manner the right of each nation to levy the import duties now in force or which may hereafter be established.

J. ALFONSO.

CHARLES R. FLINT.

M. ROMERO.

H. G. DAVIS.

SALVADOR DE MENDONÇA.

CLIMACO CALDERÓN.

DISCUSSION.

SESSION OF FEBRUARY 19, 1890.

The PRESIDENT. The report of the Committee on Customs Regulations on Mr. Romero's resolution is the next thing in order according to the order of the day.

By direction of the President the motion and report were read as originally submitted. The resolution is as follows:

Resolved, That the International American Conference recommends to the Governments represented therein the adoption of a common nomenclature which shall designate in equivalent terms, in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, the commodities on which import duties are levied, to be used respectively by all the American nations for the purpose of levying customs imposts, which are or may hereafter be established, and also to be used in shipping mani

fests, consular invoices, entries, clearance petitions, and other customs documents, but not to affect in any manner the right of each nation to levy the import duties now in force or which may hereafter be established.

The PRESIDENT. The report and resolution are before the Conference. What order will the Conference take? Is the Conference ready to vote upon the resolution?

Mr. ZEGARRA. The resolution offered by the Committee on Customs Regulations is, in my opinion, likely to raise a doubt which I should like to have settled in advance in order to know how I should vote. If the report of the committee means by a "common nomenclature" such a classification by schedules as is usually found in tariffs I would ask the committee to consent to a slight change, so as to make it clearly appear that the proposed "common nomenclature" is only a sort of dictionary or alphabetical manual of foreign merchandise upon which the various nations may impose import duties. If this is the signification which the committee attaches to the phrase I have no objection to make, and I shall give my vote in favor of the report; but if it is otherwise, the vote of the Peruvian delegation will be in favor of restricting the phrase so that it shall mean only an official dictionary, giving the equivalent terms in the several languages, English, Spanish, and Portuguese, of the foreign articles imported into the various

nations.

I have made the suggestion to the committee, but I do not know whether the committee will accept it. If the committee should accept the amendment, that would save a great deal of time; but if the committee

will not accept it, I shall be obliged to submit it to the Chair as a motion.

Mr. ROMERO (Mexico). The committee understands the recommendation precisely as does the honorable delegate from Peru, and it believes that its resolution is sufficiently explicit; but if the honorable delegate thinks that some other phrase would more clearly express the idea, the committee will gladly accept the amendment.

Mr. ZEGARRA (Peru). I believe that if after the words "common nomenclature which shall designate," in the resolution as drawn, we should insert these other words: "in alphabetical order," the statement would be explicit, for then the resolution would read as follows: "The International American Conference recommends to the Governments represented therein the adoption of a common nomenclature which shall designate in alphabetical order," etc.

The PRESIDENT. Does the committee accept the suggestion? Is there objection? The Chair hears none, and it will be inserted. As amended upon the motion of the honorable delegate from Peru—is the Conference ready for the question?

Mr. DAVIS. I presume that the Conference understands or knows that this is an advance report, and that there will be a subsequent report by the committee covering a good many other points.

The PRESIDENT. As a preliminary report and resolution, is there objection to its being considered as adopted? The Chair hears no objection. It is agreed

to.

Mr. ROMERO. I request the ayes and noes by States.

VOTE.

The roll was called, with the following result:

The recommendations as amended were then declared adopted, as follows:

RECOMMENDATION AS TO. NOMENCLATURE AS ADOPTED.

Resolved, That the International American Conference recommends to the Governments represented therein the adoption of a common nomenclature which shall designate in alphabetical order in equivalent terms, in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, the commodities on which import duties are levied, to be used respectively by all the American nations for the purpose of levying customs imposts which are or may hereafter be established, and also to be used in shipping manifests, consular invoices, entries, clearance petitions, and other customs documents; but not to affect in any manner the right of each nation to levy the import duties now in force, or which may hereafter be established.

CLASSIFICATION AND VALUATION OF MERCHAN

DISE

SECOND REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON CUSTOMS

REGULATIONS.

[As adopted by the Conference in session of March 29, 1890.]

The Committee on "Customs Regulations," appointed by resolution passed at the sitting of the twelfth day, has the honor to submit the following report. The subjects designated for consideration by this committee, as appears in the printed minutes of the Conference, are the following:

A.-Formalities to be observed in the importation and exportation of merchandise.

B. The classification, examination, and valuation of merchandise. C.-Methods of imposing fines and penalties for the violation of customs and harbor regulations.

The committee has already made a preliminary report to the Conference, recommending the adoption of a plan for the assistance of importers and exporters by means of an official and uniform nomenclature and classification of merchandise, in alphabetical order, which is intended to furnish equivalents in the English, Spanish, and Portuguese languages.

In continuation of its labors, the committee now presents the following suggestions:

A.-Importation and exportation of merchandise.

1. The committee has not been authorized to take into consideration the varying rates of duties imposed upon exports and imports by the countries represented in the Conference, and such recommendations as are made in this report are intended to be applicable alike to the present and the future rates of duty.