The FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT. The two motions of the honorable delegate from Mexico, the Chair understands, have been incorporated in the report by assent of the committee. So that the report is amended in that respect, and we thus avoid taking two votes. If the honorable delegate from Mexico has no objection, that course will be pursued. If there be unanimous consent to vote on this sub ject as a whole only, without the vote by paragraphs, it will be so done. The Chair hears no objection whatever. Mr. GUZMAN. Mr. President, I abstain from voting on this question, not because I wish to disapprove of the report of the committee, but because I have not had sufficient time to study it. I wish to be so understood. VOTE. The vote being taken, the following delegations voted in the affirmative: And upon the delegation from Peru being called it voted "aye, in the terms already expressed." The FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT. The report of the Committee on Customs Regulations is approved by all the delegations present except that of Nicaragua, which abstains from voting. There is no other matter ready to be discussed by the Conference. Mr. HURTADO. I have asked the floor merely to indicate that the distribution, at least so far as I know, of the printed forms, which should accompany the report and which are very important, has not been made. As in the original form I noticed that there were several columns which had no heading, and as, in accordance with the plan, each column, or each space corresponds to a certain item, I would suggest that in the printing to be done these headings be inserted, but that nothing I have said be considered as any disapproval of the report. BUREAU OF INFORMATION. THIRD REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON CUSTOMS REGULATIONS. [As adopted by the Conference, April 14, 1890.] At the meeting of the Conference, held March 29, 1890, the following resolution was adopted: That the Governments here represented shall unite for the establishment of an American International Bureau for the collection, tabulation, and publication in the English, Spanish, and Portuguese languages of information as to the productions and commerce, and as to the customs, laws, and regulations of their respective countries; such Bureau to be maintained in one of the countries for the common benefit and at the common expense, and to furnish to all the other countries such commercial statistics and other useful information as may be contributed to it by any of the American Republics. That the Committee on Customs Regulations be authorized and instructed to furnish to the Conference a plan of organization and a scheme for the practical work of the proposed Bureau. In accordance with said resolution the committee submits the following recommendations: 1. There shall be formed by the countries represented in this Conference an association under the title of "The International Union of American Republics" for the prompt collection and distribution of commercial information. 2. The International Union shall be represented by a Bureau to be established in the city of Washington, D. C., under the supervision of the Secretary of State of the United States and to be charged with the care of all translations and publications and with all correspondence pertaining to the International Union. 3. This Bureau shall be called "The Commercial Bureau of the American Republics," and its organ shall be a publication to be entitled "Bulletin of the Commercial Bureau of the American Republics.' 4. The Bulletin shall be printed in the English, Spanish and Portuguese languages. 5. The contents of the Bulletin shall consist of (a) The existing customs tariffs of the several countries. belonging to the Union and all changes of the same as they occur, with such explanations as may be deemed useful. (b) All official regulations which affect the entrance and clearance of vessels and the importation and exportation of merchandise in the ports of the represented countries; also all circulars of instruction to customs officials which relate to customs procedure or to the classification of merchandise for duty. (c) Ample quotations from commercial and parcel-post treaties between any of the American Republics. (d) Important statistics of external commerce and domestic products and other information of special interest to merchants and shippers of the represented countries. 6. In order to enable the Commercial Bureau to secure the utmost accuracy in the publication of the Bulletin, each country belonging to this Union shall send directly to the Bureau, without delay, two copies each of all official documents which may pertain to matters having relation to the objects of the Union, including customs tariffs, official circulars, international treaties, or agreements, local regulations, and, so far as practical, complete statistics regarding commerce and domestic products and resources. 7. This Bureau shall at all times be available as a medium of communication and correspondence for persons applying for reasonable information in regard to matters pertaining to the customs tariffs and regulations, and to the commerce and navigation of the American Republics. 8. The form and style of the Bulletin shall be determined by the Commercial Bureau, and each edition shall consist of at least 1,000 copies. In order that diplomatic representatives, consular agents, boards of trade, and other preferred perons shall be promptly supplied with the Bulletin, each member of the Union may furnish the Bureau with addresses to which copies shall be mailed at its expense. 9. Every country belonging to the International Union. shall receive its quota of each issue of the Bulletin and the quota of each country shall be in proportion to its population. Copies of the Bulletin may be sold (if there be a surplus) at a price to be fixed by the Bureau. 10. While it shall be required that the utmost possible care be taken to insure absolute accuracy in the publications of the Bureau, the International Union will assume no pecuniary responsibility on account of errors or inaccuracies which may occur therein. A notice to this effect shall be conspicuously printed upon the first page of every successive issue of the Bulletin. 11. The maximum expense to be incurred for establishing the Bureau and for its annual maintenance shall be $36,000, and the following is a detailed estimate of its organization, subject to such changes as may prove desirable: Rent of apartments, to contain one room for director, one Publication of Bulletin. 3,000 500 3.500 Printing, paper, and other expenses..... 10,000 500 10,500 |