PORTUGAL, Continued. from any other foreign country in British vessels; and in cases where different duties are imposed upon such goods so imported from different foreign countries, than upon payment of the lowest duties required to be paid on the importation in British vessels of any such goods, wares, and merchandize from any foreign country.-§ 3. Elephants' Ivory may be produce. imported in So much of 31 Geo. III., c. 38 and 27 Geo. 1., as prohi bits the importation of Tobacco, &c., of It shall be lawful for any person to import into this kingdom elephants' teeth and ivory from any of the said dominions, either in British or in Portuguese vessels; notwithstanding such elephants' teeth or ivory may not be of the produce of any the dominions of the Crown of Portugal; and such elephants' teeth or ivory so imported, may be entered and landed on payment of such duties only, as are due and payable on such articles when British vessels.-§ 4. So much of an Act passed in the 31st year of His Majesty's reign, and also so much of an Act passed in the 27th year of His Majesty's reign, for allowing the importation and exportation of certain goods in the ports of Kingston, Savannah la Mar, Montego Bay, and Santa Lucia, in the Island of Jamaica, in the port of Saint George in the Island of Grenada, in the port of Rosea in the Island of Dominica, and in the port of Nassau in the Island of New Providence, one of the Bahama Islands, under certain restrictions, as prohibits the importation of tobacco, pitch, tar, turpentine, hemp, flux, masts, yards, bowsprits, staves, heading-boards, timber, shingles, and lumber of any sort, bread, biscuit, flour, pease, beans, potatoes, wheat, rice, oats, barley, and grain of any sort, being of the growth or production of any of the territories or dominions of the Crown of Portugal, from being imported directly from any such territories, &c., into any island under the dominion of His Majesty in the West Indies (in which description the Bahama Islands and the Bermudas or Somer Islands are included) in British ships, shall be, and the same is hereby, repealed.—§ 5. the production of the Portuguese domi. nions into the West India Islands in British Ships, repealed. Such Goods, the growth, It shall be lawful for any person to import into any of the said West India Islands any of the said goods in British ships, and in no other;-such goods being of the growth or production of some of the territories or dominions belonging to the Crown of Portugal in South America, and imported into America, may &c. of the dominions of Portugal in South PORTUGAL be imported into the West Indies in British Ships. continued. By the 20th Goods of the dominions of Portugal described in Table A of 43 Geo. III., c. 132, may be warehoused without payment of duty. the said islands direct from the said territories or dominions.-§ 6. Article of the Portuguese Treaty *, it is stipulated that all articles, the growth and produce of Brazil, and all other parts of the Portuguese dominions, may be warehoused in all the ports of His Majesty's dominions appointed to be warehousing ports for those articles+; be it therefore enacted, that sugar, coffee, cotton wool, the growth or produce of any of the territories or dominions of the Crown of Portugal, or any other goods, the growth, &c. of the said territories, &c. which are enumerated in the Table marked A†, annexed to the warehousing Act (43 Geo. III., c. 132), shall and may be secured in the warehouses belonging to the West India Dock Company, or in the warehouses of the London Dock Company, in the port of London, or in such other warehouses at any of the other ports of this kingdom, as shall have been, or shall be approved, for the reception of goods of the like denomination+, when legally imported from the West Indies, without the duties due on the importation thereof being first paid, application being made for that purpose in the usual manner to the Commissioners of Customs, by the owners, proprietors, or consignees of such goods. Goods so imported entitled to drawback on exportation. All goods, wares, and merchandize so imported into this kingdom from any of the territories or dominions of the Crown of Portugal, shall, upon the exportation thereof from this kingdom, be entitled to the same drawbacks as are allowed upon the exportation of the like goods, wares, and merchandize when exported from this kingdom; and there shall be allowed and paid the same drawbacks and bounties on goods, wares, and merchandize so exported from this kingdom to the said territories, &c., as are allowed upon the exportation of goods, &c. of the like description to any of the islands, plantations, or colonies belonging to the Crown of Great Britain in America.-§ 8. No higher No higher or greater tonnage duties or imposts, under the denomination of port-charges, tonnage, and anchorage duties, shall be paid on behalf of His Majesty, in any of the ports of the United King port-charges to be paid for Pur tuguese VesBritish. sels than for PORTUGAL, continued. dom, for vessels owned by Portuguese subjects, than are payable for ships and vessels owned by His Majesty's subjects; provided that nothing in this Act shall extend to repeal, or in any wise alter, the duties of package, scavage, bailliage, or portage, or any other duties payable to the mayor, and commonalty, and citizens of the city of London, or to any other city or town corporate within this kingdom, or to any subject or subjects of His Majesty, or to repeal, or in anywise alter, any special privilege or exemption to which any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate, is or are now entitled by law, but the same shall be continued as heretofore.-§ 9. This Act shall be in force during the continuance of the Treaty with His Royal Highness the Prince Regent of Portugal.-§ 12. Continuance of Act. Agreement between the British and Portuguese Commissioners, on four points connected with the execution of the Treaty of 1810. Identification of British Signed at London, the 18th of December, 1812. 1st. It is agreed that the official certificate of registry, signed by the proper officer of the British Customs, shall be deemed sufficient to identify a British-built ship; and that on the production of such certificate she shall be admitted as such in any of the ports within the dominions of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent of Portugal. Ships. Verification of British Mer chandize in the Portuguese do minions. 2nd. It is agreed, that on the importation of any goods or merchandize from the United Kingdom, into any of the ports in the dominions of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent of Portugal, all such goods shall be accompanied by the original cockets, signed and sealed by the proper officers of the British Customs at the port of shipping, and that the cockets belonging to each ship shall be numbered progressively, the total number stated on the first and last cocket, by the proper officers of the Customs, at the final clearance of each vessel at the British port; and it is further agreed, that prior to the final clearance by the searchers at the shipping port, the cockets for each ship must be collected and fastened together, to which shall be annexed a paper, with the number of the cockets, sealed with the official seal, and signed by the searchers; the cockets so collected shall be produced, together with the manifest sworn to by the captain, to the Portuguese D PORTUGAL, continued. Consul, who shall certify the same on the manifest; the cockets, thus secured together, and the manifest, so authenticated, to be returned to the searcher, in order to the final clearance of the ship. 3rd. It is agreed to place the Portuguese merchant on the Arrangement same footing with the British merchant, both with regard to the duties of scavage and package payable to the corporation of London, and the duties payable on shipping to the corporation of the Trinity-House in London. To effect this, and at the same time to preserve the chartered rights of the Corporation of London and of the Trinity-House, it will be necessary that those duties should, in the first instance, be paid as at present; and in all cases where it shall appear that the Portuguese merchant shall have paid more than the British, the difference to be returned without expense, in such manner as the British Government shall direct. Mode of levying the 15 per cent. duty on British Goods in Portuguese Ports. 4th. It is agreed, that the most equitable mode of adjusting this matter, so as to secure to the Portuguese revenue the full payment of the duty of 15 per cent., and to afford to the merchant the certainty of not being compelled to pay more in any case, appears to be thus: That the importer shall, on making the entry at the Portuguese Customhouse, sign a declaration of the value of his goods, to such amount as he shall deem proper; and in case the Portuguese examining officers should be of opinion that such valuation is insufficient, they shall be at liberty to take the goods, on paying the importer the amount, according to his declaration, with the addition of 10 per cent., and also returning the duty paid. The amount to be paid on the goods being delivered to the Portuguese officer, which must be within fifteen days from the first detention of the goods. CONVENTION OF COMMERCE WITH PRUSSIA. Signed at London, the 2nd of April, 1824. ARTICLE 1.-From and after the 1st May, 1824, Prussian vessels entering or departing from the ports of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and British vessels entering or departing from the ports of his Prussian Majesty's dominions, shall not be subject to any other or higher duties or charges whatever, than are or shall be levied on national vessels entering or departing from such ports respectively. PRUSSIA, continued. Art. 2-All articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of any of the dominions of either of the contracting parties, which are or shall be permitted to be imported into or exported from the ports of the United Kingdom and of Prussia respectively, in vessels of the one country, shall in like manner be permitted to be imported into and exported from those ports in vessels of the other. Art. 3.-All articles not of the growth, produce, or manufacture of the dominions of his Britannic Majesty, which can legally be imported from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, into the ports of Prussia, in British ships, shall be subject only to the same duties as are payable upon the like articles, if imported in Prussian ships; and the same reciprocity shall be observed in the ports of the United Kingdom, in respect to all articles not the growth, produce, or manufacture of the dominions of his Prussian Majesty, which can legally be imported into the ports of the United Kingdom in Prussian ships. Art. 4.-All goods, wares, and merchandize which can legally be imported into the ports of either country, shall be admitted at the same rate of duty, whether imported in vessels of the other country, or in national vessels; and all goods, wares, or merchandize which can be legally exported from the ports of either country, shall be entitled to the same bounties, drawbacks, and allowances, whether exported in vessels of the other country, or in national vessels.* Art. 5.-No priority or preference shall be given, directly or indirectly, by the Government of either country, or by any company, corporation, or agent acting on its behalf or under its authority, in the purchase of any article, the growth, produce, or manufacture of either country, imported into the other, on account of, or in reference to the character of, the vessel in which such article was imported; it being the true intent and meaning of the high contracting parties, that no distinction or difference whatever shall be made in this respect. Art. 6. The present convention shall be in force for the term of ten years from the date hereof; and further, until the end of twelve months after either of the contracting parties shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the same; each of the contracting parties reserving to itself the right of giving such notice to the other, at the end of the said term of ten years; and it is hereby agreed between them, * See note in page 4, as to importation direct. |