expert or other services rendered to a ship by private persons, such services being provided for by private contracts or by schedules arranged with reference to the laws or ordinances of the country particularly in question; nor would such tonnage cover such services as those of wharfage or dockage or docks not open to general use without compensation; for the charge in question includes only the payments exacted from vessels by the authorities by way of dues.

Therefore, what is desired is only to include this part of the report in the resolutions of the committee. In consequence there is nothing new-no innovation, or any addition.

Mr. MENDONÇA spoke in Portuguese and interpreted his remarks as follows: I propose to the chairman that this report, with the amendment, go back to the committee. If this matter or if this subject had any consideration at all before the Conference, it was in accordance with the programme of our Conference, which was to obtain uniformity in the payment of such dues. I am not a believer that this Conference of sovereign nations must be always regulated by the programme that the Congress of the United States opened to us. I think we can make addition to that for the convenience of the different nations. But so far we have not been deviating from that line, and if the mission of this Conference was to bring about uniformity of taxation for port dues, I contend that the first vote of the Conference was to kill it, I think it is high time to send the report back to the committee to see if it is possible that the committee, in regard to the will of the different delegations, can come to some agreement. So far, in my opinion, the report is killed.

Mr. VARAS. Undoubtedly, Mr. President, the Conference must have rested under the impression produced by the remarks made by the honorable delegate from Brazil, which put difficulties in the way of the acceptance of the plan, since, to his mind, it will bring about such a considerable decrease in the charges now imposed that it would not be possible to put it into practice.

The honorable delegate has evidently considered this plan as dead, in view of the amendment offered at the beginning; but, in the mean time, it may be said it is a talking corpse, and it speaks by resolution of the Conference, created and taken through the approbation it received as a whole on yesterday. What is the principal idea expressed by that report? It is no other than to merge all these charges into a single one, and if this be the idea, and it has already received the sanction of the Conference, then, I repeat, this is a living corpse.

Very well, does the circumstance of the offering of the amendment of the honorable delegate from the Argentine Republic kill the idea? By no means. The Conference is aware, for it is a fact, that at the very time the honorable gentleman, the delegate from the Argentine Republic, offered his amendment, he stated that he agreed to the fundamental idea of the plan, and that, in consequence, he accepted this basis as a principle that all charges, imposts, or dues, now required of vessels shall be reduced to a single one-tonnage dues.

Has this idea been amended, has it been attacked? No, sir; never. It is only claimed that there is a temporary obstacle, that there is an objection of de

tail, not of a permanent character, but of the moment, respecting one of these charges, and all that is desired is that, this momentary difficulty existing, the execution of the idea in so far as it relates to this point be suspended until that difficulty be solved.

According, Mr. President, to the criticism of the honorable delegate from Brazil, there can be no precept, either Divine or human, that can live or exist, wherefore I would ask the honorable delegate what principle, what law, however general, however comprehensive, however absolute, has not some exceptions, be they permanent or transitory? And can it be said for this reason that this conclusion is dead? Can it be said that it does not exist? By no means. I should be very sorry if the honorable delegate, relying on this judgment, should reach the conclusion that there can be no understanding or agreement arrived at by the Conference.

I limit myself, Mr. President, to this point alone, because I believe that it would take too much time to enter into details, which, moreover, I consider unnecessary to the forming of their judgment by the honorable delegates.

Mr. GUZMAN. I do not attempt, although perhaps my profession authorizes me, to express myself as to whether the plan under discussion is alive or dead; but at present I am not speaking as a physician, but rather as a delegate to this Conference, and I speak to second the motion of the honorable representative from Brazil, for, if I am not in error, the honorable gentleman moves that this question return to the committee.

Mr. MENDONÇA. That is 563A-31

my motion.

Mr. GUZMAN. In that case I favor the motion, so that another report may be presented, enabling us to reach unanimity, which is what is desired.

Mr. BOLET PERAZA. Were I to judge this heated discussion to be, upon the essential, the substance of the idea expressed in the plan, I would be indifferent as to whether it were voted or not, whether it were approved or rejected; but it appears that we are all agreed on the general idea. Very well; in questions like the present, which has its importance, and for the purpose of seeking in everything the greatest number of minds, the greatest possible light, and of reaching a full agreement, since that was our first purpose, it appears to me it would be advisable not only to adopt what is proposed by the honorable delegate from Brazil that the plan return to the committee, but that this committee be increased by two or three more members, to be named by the President, who with their knowledge may aid us in clearing up the matter, seeking exactness and wording the plan so that when it be again submitted to the Conference we may know at least what we are going to discuss. I therefore support the motion of the honorable delegate from Brazil, with the amendment that the number of members of the committee shall be increased by three more delegates.

And I should add, Mr. President, that this is the smallest committee of all in the Conference, because it has been reduced to three members, since, as the Conference knows, Mr. Nin has absented himself, as well as Mr. Laforestrie, who were honorable delegates forming part of the committee.

Therefore, if only for the circumstance mentioned, that committee should be increased.

Mr. VARAS. I am merely going to ask the honorable delegate from Brazil to be good enough to explain the scope of the motion he has made, for in my remarks I have only referred to what he said generally regarding the idea of the plan, that is to say, that it could not be practicable, that it ought not to be considered by the Conference.

Regarding the re-reference of the question to the committee, the truth is that I did not understand or did not hear that the honorable delegate moved what my colleague, Mr. Delegate Bolet Peraza, has just stated.

Mr. MENDONÇA spoke in Portuguese in reply to the honorable delegate from Chili, Mr. Varas, but as his previous remarks had been understood by the United States delegation he did not interpret them again.

Mr. VARAS. I beg the honorable President will permit me to say two words.

The honorable delegate who had the floor has been pleased to express with all clearness and precision the object of his remarks, and the purpose and end of the re-reference of that plan to the committee. The substance of his motion, as I have understood, is that all the amendments offered or which may be suggested by the honorable delegates shall be considered. Is not that it, Mr. Mendonça?

Mr. MENDONÇA. Yes, sir.

Mr. VARAS. Then, Mr. President, perhaps it would be preferable before expressing ourselves on this motion that all the amendments or modifications to