Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

self, who signed the separate report, signed the committee report, and had he made any recommendation not to be found in the report of the committee he would have made it known; but Mr. Calderon asked nothing and only stated his conformity with the conclusions of the committee report.

I would like to add a few words, Mr. President, to what I have just said. The partial report of the delegate is dated January 27, and the report of the committee is dated the 6th of March. Of course it is understood that the former was taken into consideration in framing the report of the committee.

Mr. ALFONSO. I recognize, because it is most true, that the reports, that of the honorable delegate from Colombia as well as that of the committee to which he belongs, are distinct, but that does not prevent the conclusions arrived at by the honorable delegate from being somewhat different from those of the committee. Between the two there are substantial differences, and when I asked the reading of the former it was because it has been distributed to the delegates composing this Conference for their information, and I believe it should be taken into account by all this body, as I have taken it into account; but I raise no question on this point, and I am going to say a few words in support of the committee report, for, if between this and that of the honorable delegate from Colombia there should be a contradiction, I shall favor the report which proposes improvements and greater facilities for communication between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

In this regard the Conference will allow me to briefly relate the trip I made.

I embarked at Valparaiso and went as far as Pan ama, crossed the Isthmus, and re-embarking at Aspinwall, I took passage for New York.

From the first I was able to appreciate the fact that in the matter of steam vessels the South Pacific lines are far ahead of and afford better accommodations than the Pacific Mail line, which connects Aspinwall and the United States; but this is not the worst feature, for I had to stay six days in Panama so as to take the steamer which had to carry me from Aspinwall to New York.

As can be readily seen the sojourn of six days at that point is veritably a great annoyance; it might be fatal, and I know that many travelers and many merchants do not make the trip by this route because of this circumstance. The trouble consists in the fact that instead of two or three steamers touching at Panama there is but one, from which it results that connections are practically impossible.

Because of this, which I have personally experi enced, and in consequence of which my health still suffers, I favor the scheme of the committee, and it is not, Mr. President, for the purpose of putting it in juxtaposition with the committee report that I asked the reading of the individual report of the honorable delegate from Colombia-exactly the contrary: To demonstrate that the committee has much reason and is perfectly correct in asking an improvement of the

service.

Mr. ARAGON. I never supposed that there was a hostile intention on the part of the honorable delegate from Chili in asking for the reading of the report, nor have I thought so, since we are here met to

express our opinions upon the several matters to be discussed. What was said by the honorable delegate from Chili might have been favorable or unfavorable to the committee. He may rest assured that I would hear with pleasure any suggestion he might make, for because of his great experience and wisdom that would lead us to the greatest results and to the solution we seek in this matter as well as in others; but I must close, thanking him for the way in which he has been pleased to judge the report submitted by the committee.

The PRESIDENT. Is the Conference ready for the question? Shall the recommendation made by the committee in the concluding paragraph be adopted? The Chair hears no objection. The Chair directs that it be voted on by calling the States.

The roll-call resulted in the unanimous adoption of the recommendation of the committee, the following States participating in the vote:

[blocks in formation]

The PRESIDENT. By the unanimous vote of the delegations present the recommendations of the report are adopted.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS AS ADOPTED.

In view of the proximity of all the ports of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, the advantages that would accrue from increased social, commercial, and international

intercourse, their dependence upon proper communication, the improbability that this will be established by unaided private enterprise, the duty of Governments to promote public welfare, the small public expenditures required to secure adequate mail, passenger, and freight facilities, and the necessity for their control by the countries whose interests they should subserve, the International American Conference recommends to all the nations bordering upon these waters the granting of Government aid in the establishment of first-class steam-ship service between their several ports upon such terms as they may mutually agree with reference (a) to the service required, (b) the aid it is necessary to extend, (c) the facilities it will severally afford them, (d) the basis upon which they are to contribute, (e) the amount that each is to pay, (f) the forms of agreement between the several Governments, and the nature of contracts with steam-ship companies necessary to the successful execution of a general plan for such service.

NOMENCLATURE OF MERCHANDISE.

SESSION OF JANUARY 2, 1890.

The PRESIDENT. The order of the day is exhausted. What order of other business will the Conference take?

Mr. ROMERO. I ask that the resolution I have offered be read.

The PRESIDENT. The delegate from Mexico offers a resolution. He desires that the same shall be read in full in Spanish.

(The Secretary read the resolution and comments in Spanish.)

The PRESIDENT. The resolution will be read in En

glish.

The Secretary read the same as follows:

I think that one of the most efficacious measures to secure the unification of the customs rules and laws is the adoption, by all the nations represented in this Conference, of the uniform nomenclature of foreign merchandise, which will serve as a basis for the collection of impost duties and for all other customs operations, such as the preparation of manifests, consular invoices, etc. This naturally will not affect the rates which each country may see fit to collect on each class of merchandise, and will only refer to the definition of such merchandise.

I do not conceal from myself the difficulties which such a unification will present, principally on account of the

« AnteriorContinuar »