anything at all-for I am not quite familiar with this subject was to secure a better condition of things with reference to statistics. I have appreciated for many years the difficulty of getting together statistics in case of exportation from this country by rail. Now I did not know, I must confess, that the Interstate Commission and the railroad companies had entered upon any general plan to facilitate this matter. I was not aware of that and I thank my colleague for informing me upon that subject. But I must say, in explanation of my interference in the matter-for I did not intend to interfere except so far as might touch the question of exportation-that for many years I have labored under great difficulty in trying to ascertain the trade between the United States and other countries where the trade was carried on by rail. Of course, if it is an importation our tax collectors can give us statistics, but in case of exportation we have never had statistics. Now it is a very important matter to us, for I think this matter of statistical information is important to direct the attention of legislation. It is important in every respect. We can not know ourselves and our neighbors until we have correct statistical information. Now my object of referring to the matter was this: that notwithstanding my colleague's view of the situation that the railroads were combining to give us information, it seemed to me that it ought to come from higher authority than from the railroad officials; it ought to come through the United States officials. And if my colleague can arrange it without trouble to the railroad officials, if it can be done, they ought to be compelled to supply that statistical information

to the customs officers. Necessarily there must be a customs-house official on the border of a country from which goods pass, and, if so, we ought to get the information desired. I consider the report a very able one, but I desire to call to the attention of the Conference the difficulty, and even impossibility, of getting statistics of goods going by rail to other

countries.

Mr. DAVIS. Mr. President, I had no wish to intimate to my friend and colleague from the United States that his remarks were in the nature of an interference. My thought was, and is now, that we were going too much into detail. We had to leave a large portion to those in charge and make only general recommendations. I will say further to my friends that the information now being received is of an official character, for this reason: both the Railroad Bureau and the Interstate Commission are official bodies of the United States.

Mr. HENDERSON The Interstate Commission is not authorized, by the law under which they are acting, to collect and report these statistics.

Mr. DAVIS. But the Statistical Bureau is arranging, and will in fact get them from this source. The Interstate Commerce Commission now requires all railroads to report on not only this trade, but on all others, even between the States of the Union. The simple explanation of this is that the information is very desirable, and if it were not in a way of being collected and published I should probably be fully as anxious as any member here to receive it. I think such an amendment as is now proposed by my colleague on the committee, Mr. Romero, of Mexico,

will cover the ground in a general way and not be objectionable to any one.

Mr. HENDERSON. Mr. President, I desire to call my colleague's attention to the fact, as suggested by another one of my colleagues, that his argument applies only to the United States. If the Interstate Commission here requires this information, of course, that is good for the United States; that is all right so far as the United States is concerned, and we will have the information in some form. Whether it is authentic is another thing. But I call his attention to the fact that this is a recommendation for all the countries here represented. Now, there are railroads running into Central America from Mexico, and I hope the railroads will soon extend to South America. This, then, is intended not for the United States alone and for Mexico, but is intended, as I understand it, for all the Republics. Mr. Romero's proposition, as I understood it, covered the whole ground, and was intended not only to apply as between the United States and Mexico, but between any and all of the countries connected with each other by rail.

Mr. DAVIS. Mr. President, I do not wish to prolong the discussion. The amendment, as now proposed by the delegate from Mexico, covers the whole ground more generally than the first. It is not that I do not wish the amendment; I only wish it to be more general and not so much in detail. I do not think there is a single Republic south of us that has a railroad running into an adjoining one, but I hope the day is not far distant when they will all be connected.

Mr. ARAGON. The honorable delegate from Salva

dor has raised an objection to the effect that the manifests to which the report makes reference are not annexed thereto. As these manifests are only to give a general idea of the form which they are to follow, and as they could not be got ready in time, I do not think this should be an obstacle to taking a vote on the report, at least as a whole. Those documents, the honorable delegate may rest assured, conform in everything to the provisions of the report. It is a paper ruled, with spaces to fill in, on one side with the marks of the goods and on the other the particular details concerning the same goods.

Thus, then, that form of manifests is nothing more than an illustration, and I think it will not be the subject of objections because it will follow the general plan laid down and set forth in the body of the recommendations.

Mr. CASTELLANOS. The remark I took the liberty of making was not for the purpose of deferring the taking of the vote, but simply for the purpose of manifesting that the report appeared to me to be incomplete because those documents were wanting. I repeat, I have not objected to the taking of the vote; I have simply suggested this omission in order that the Executive Committee may determine the course to be followed, to the end that those forms be attached.

Mr. HURTADO. I have asked the floor merely to state that, although I do not consider it necessary to have those forms at hand, I hope, however, their publication will not be omitted, and I say this with reference to a remark made by the honorable Mr. Henderson. He has stated that he did not think that these

propositions should enter into details, but lay down general principles.

I think it is indispensable that the greatest possible details be entered into and that that form of manifest be published to the end of designating and avoiding the defects and inconveniences under which those very manifests labor in several Republics, some of which forms have as many as twelve columns besides those containing the marks and number of packages; twelve columns of specifications in which the custom-house almost asks that the duties be paid by the shippers of the goods, these being under the necessity of designating even the section of the tariff list taxing the goods, and where there is a failure to do this fines, and heavy fines, are imposed.

Therefore it is necessary to dwell upon this idea: that the manifests be simple, and this can be secured only by entering into all possible details.

SESSION OF MARCH 28, 1890.

The FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT. Taking up the order of the day, the discussion of the recommendations made by the Committee on Customs Regulations will continue.

Mr. ROMERO. I proposed at yesterday's session an addition to the report now under discussion, and which was objected to in part by the Hon. Mr. Davis, a member of the committee, wherefore I have modified it in terms which meet with the approval of that delegate and of the other members of the United States delegation, as I have drafted it in general terms, without specifying the means of obtaining the necessary data to collate export statistics.