Proclamation 449—Ratification of Commercial Treaty With Italy

Whereas His Majesty the King of Italy has entered into a reciprocal Commercial Agreement with the United States of America pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of the Tariff Act of the United States approved July 24, 1897, which agreement is in the English text in the words and figures following, to wit:

The President of the United States of America and His Majesty the King of Italy, mutually desirous to improve the commercial relations between the two countries by a Special Agreement relative thereto, have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries for that purpose, namely:

The President of the United States of America, the Honorable John A. Kasson, Special Commissioner Plenipotentiary, etc., and His Majesty the King of Italy, His Excellency the Baron S. Fava, Senator of the Kingdom, his Ambassador at Washington, etc., Who being duly empowered thereunto have agreed upon the following articles:

ARTICLE I.

It is agreed on the part of the United States, pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of the third section of the Tariff Act of the United States approved July 24, 1897, and in consideration of the concessions hereinafter made on the part of Italy in favor of the products and manufactures of the United States. that the existing duties imposed upon the following articles, being the product of the soil or industry of Italy, imported into the United States shall be suspended during the continuance in force of this agreement, and in place thereof the duties to be assessed and collected thereon shall be as follows, namely:

On argols, or crude tartar, or wine lees, crude, five per centum ad valorem .

On brandies, or other spirits manufactured or distilled from grain or other materials, one dollar and seventy-five cents per proof gallon.

On still wines, and vermuth, in casks, thirty-five cents per gallon; in bottles or jugs, per case of one dozen bottles or jugs containing each not more than one quart and more than one pint, or twenty-four bottles or jugs containing each not more than one pint, one dollar and twenty-five cents per case, and any excess beyond these quantities found in such bottles or jugs shall be subject to a duty of four cents per pint or fractional part thereof, but no separate or additional duty shall be assessed upon the bottles or jugs.

On paintings in oil or water colors, pastels, pen and ink drawings, and statuary, fifteen per centum ad valorem.

ARTICLE II.

It is reciprocally agreed on the part of Italy, in consideration of the provisions of the foregoing article, that so long as this convention shall remain in force the duties to be assessed and collected on the following described merchandise, being the product of the soil or industry of the United States, imported into Italy shall not exceed the rates hereinafter specified, namely:

Upon cotton seed oil lire 21.50 per quintal.

" fish, pickled or in oil, excluding the tunny, preserved

in boxes or barrels, sardines and anchovies------------------------------------ 15.00

other fish, preserved----------------------------------------------------------- 25.00

agricultural machinery---------------------------------------------------------- 9.00

detached parts of agricultural machinery:

(1) of east iron--------------------------------------------------------- 10.00

(2) of other iron or steel----------------------------------------------- 11.00

scientific instruments:

(a) of copper, bronze, brass, or steel:

(1) with spy-glasses or microscopes, or graduated

scales or circles, spy-glasses for use on land,

monocles, binocles, lenses, detached and mounted----------- 30.00

(2) not provided with any optical instrument, nor

with graduated scales or circles------------------------------- 30.00

(b) of all kinds, in the construction of which iron is evidently

predominant----------------------------------------------------------- 30.00

dynamo-electrical machines:

(1) the weight of which exceeds 1000 kilograms--------------------- 16.00

(2) weighing 1000 kilograms or less----------------------------------- 25.00

detached parts of dynamo-electrical machines-------------------------------- 25.00

sewing machines

(1) with stands--------------------------------------------------------- 25.00

(2) without stands----------------------------------------------------- 30.00

varnishes, not containing spirits nor mineral oils------------------------------ 20.00

The following articles shall be admitted free of duty:

Turpentine oil.

Natural fertilizers of all kinds.

Skins, crude, fresh. or dried. not suitable for fur; and far skins.

ARTICLE III.

This agreement is subject to the approval of the Italian Parliament. When such approval shall have been given, and official notification shall have been given to the United States Government of His Majesty's ratification, the President shall publish his proclamation, giving full effect to the provisions contained in Article I of this agreement. From and after the date of such proclamation this agreement shall be in full force and effect, and shall continue in force until the expiration of the year 1903, and if not denounced by either party one year in advance of the expiration of said term shall continue in force until one year from the time when one of the high contracting parties shall have given notice to the other of its intention to arrest the operation thereof.

In witness whereof we, the respective Plenipotentiaries, have signed this agreement, in duplicate, in the English and Italian texts, and have affixed thereunto our respective seals.

Done at Washington, this 8th day of February, A. D. 1900.

JOHN A. KASSON.

FAVA.

And whereas said convention has been duly ratified on the part of His Majesty the King of Italy, official notice whereof has been received by the President,

Now, therefore, be it known that I, William McKinley, President of the United States of America, acting under the authority conferred by said act of Congress, do hereby suspend during the continuance in force of said agreement the imposition and collection of the duties mentioned in the first section of said act and heretofore collected upon the specified articles of Italian origin as described in said agreement, and do declare in place thereof the rates of duty provided in the third section of said act as recited in said agreement to be in full force and effect from and after the date of this Proclamation, of which the officers and citizens of the United States will take due notice.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 18th day of July, A.D. 1900, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and twenty-fifth.

WILLIAM MCKINLEY

By the President:

JOHN HAY,

Secretary of State .