Alphabetical list of the principal goods enumerated in the tariff-Continued.

SUPPLEMENT TO MEXICAN TARIFF OF JULY, 1898.

DECREE OF JUNE 6, 1898, GRANTING FREE ENTRY TO CERTAIN GOODS IMPORTED

FOR ACCOUNT OF THE FEDERAL OR STATE GOVERNMENTS.

ART. 2. The Federal Executive may only exempt from the payment of import duties the following articles:

1. Arms and munitions of war destined to the national army and navy or to the States of the Federation, provided that, for the latter, the respective governors

request free admission thereof after having been duly authorized by the legislative bodies of the States they represent.

II. Wire for the Federal telegraph lines.

III. Rolling stock and material for the construction, working, and repair of the National Tehuantepec railway, provided it concerns similar articles specially enumerated as duty-free in the railway concessions granted to private enterprises. ART. 3. According to the stipulations of the foregoing article 2, in case articles not specified in above paragraphs are imported for account of the Federal or State Governments, they shall be subject to the duties leviable thereon, unless specially exempted by act of Congress, and said articles shall be liable to the same formalities as goods belonging to trade or private persons.

The present decree shall enter into force on July 1, 1898. It shall apply to goods shipped by vessels which entered into port on the 30th instant after midnight, even should they have called at any other Mexican port prior to that date, and likewise to goods imported across the frontiers and entered in the custom-houses on the above-mentioned date and hour.

CENTRAL AMERICA.

BRITISH HONDURAS.

Replying to tariff circular, I have to report that there are no export duties levied on the trade of this colony or bounties paid on its products. The tariff may be said to be for revenue only, and is levied on the merchandise of all countries alike.

I send, under separate cover, copies of the tariff now in force, and a copy of chapter 17 of the Consolidated Laws of the Colony relating to the customs.

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proof thereof, be liable to be dismissed from his office;

shall take or receive any fee, perquisite, or gratuity or reward, whether pecuniary 4. If any officer, clerk, or person acting in any office in or belonging to the customs or otherwise, directly or indirectly, from any person (not being a person duly as he shall receive by permission of the governor, every such officer, clerk, or other be done by him, or in any way relating to his said office or employment, except such appointed to some office in the customs) on account of anything done or omitted to reward, such person shall, for every offense, forfeit a sum not exceeding $500. and if any person shall give, offer, or promise to give any such fee, perquisite or the truth of the facts relative to the customs of the conduct of officers or persons appointed by the governor to make such examinations and inquiries for ascertaining 8. Upon examinations and inquiries made by the collector or other person employed therein, any person examined before him or them shall deliver testimony on oath or affirmation to be administered by such collector, or other person as shall examine such person, and every person so examined, or who shall make oath or victed of making a false oath or affirmation touching any of the facts so testified on affirmation under and in pursuance of the last preceding section, who shall be conoath or affirmation, or of giving false evidence on oath before such collector or other person in conformity to the directions of this chapter, shall be deemed guilty of perjury and shall be liable to the pains and penalties thereof. ship in any part of the colony, and the master of every ship on board which an officer is so stationed shall provide every such officer sufficient room under the deck for his 10. It shall be lawful for the collector to station an officer or officers on board any bed or hammock, and with suitable board, and in case of neglect or refusal so to do, every such master shall forfeit a sum not exceeding $100. this colony, whether laden or in ballast, shall within twenty-four hours after such 11. The master of every ship arriving from parts beyond the seas at any port in arrival personally appear at the custom-house at such port, and there make a report and manifest in writing in the form Schedule A hereto annexed containing the several particulars indicated in or required thereby, or in such form as the collector shall from time to time prescribe, and shall make and subscribe a declaration to the truth

thereof before the collector or other proper officer; and the master shall further answer all such questions concerning the ship and the cargo and the passengers, crew, and the voyage as shall be required of him by such officer, and if he refuses to answer, or does not answer truly, the questions required of him, or shall fail to make due report, or if the particulars or any of them contained in such report be false, he shall forfeit a sum not exceeding $500; and all goods not duly reported may be detained by any officer of customs until so reported, or the omission explained to the satisfaction of the collector, and may in the meantime be removed to the Queen's warehouse. 12. The master of every ship required to have a manifest on board shall produce such manifest to any officer of customs who shall come on board such ship, after her arrival within the limits of any port of the said colony, and who shall demand the same for inspection; and such master shall also deliver to any officer of customs a true copy of such manifest signed by the master if required so to do, and if such master shall not in any case produce such manifest, or shall not deliver such copy, he shall forfeit and pay for every uch offense a sum not exceeding $300.

13. When any ship shall arrive within the limits of any port in the colony and shall not bring to on being approached and hailed or otherwise signaled by any boat belonging to Her Majesty's customs hoisting and carrying the custom-house flag, the master of such ship shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding $500.

14. It shall be lawful for any officer of customs to board any ship arriving in the colony and freely to stay on board until all goods laden therein shall have been duly delivered therefrom or until her departure, and such officer shall have free access to every part of such ship, with power to search, rummage, fasten down hatchways and other places, and to mark any goods before landing, and to lock up, seal, mark, or otherwise secure any goods on board such ship; and if any place, box, or chest on board of such ship shall be locked and the keys be withheld, such officer may open or cause to be opened any such place, box, or chest; and if any goods liable to duty be found concealed on board such ship, they shall be forfeited; and if the officer shall place any lock, mark, or seal upon any place or goods on board, and such lock, mark, or seal be willfully opened, altered, or broken before due delivery of such goods, or if any such goods be unlawfully conveyed away, or if the hatchways, or any other place, after having been fastened down by the officer be opened, the master of such ship shall forfeit for each such offense a sum not exceeding $500.

15. If any dispute shall arise as to the proper rate of duty payable on any goods entered for home consumption, the importer or consignee or his agent shall deposit in the hands of the collector the duty demanded by such collector, which shall be deemed and taken to be the proper duty payable, unless an action or suit shall be commenced by the importer within one month after such deposit in the supreme court against such collector to ascertain whether any and what duty is payable on such goods and on payment of such deposit and on the passing of a proper entry of such goods by the importer, consignee, or agent, such collector shall cause delivery thereof.

REGULATIONS INWARD.

16. No goods, except ice, live stock, bullion, or coin, shall be unladen from any ship arriving from parts beyond the seas at any port or place in the colony, nor bulk be broken after the arrival of such ship without the sanction of the collector, before the due report of such ship and due entry of such goods shall have been made and warrant granted in manner hereinafter directed, and no goods shall be so unladen except at such times and places and in such manner and by such persons and under the care of such officers as are herein directed; and all goods not duly reported, or which shall be unladen contrary hereto, shall be forfeited; and if bulk be broken contrary hereto, the master of such ship shall forfeit a sum not exceeding $500. All gunpowder and other goods specially dangerous in cargo shall be landed before any other goods, except live stock, ice, bullion, or coin.

17. Every person entering any goods inward, whether for payment of duty upon the first perfect entry or for payment of duty upon the taking out of the warehouse, or whether such goods be free of duty, shall deliver to the collector a bill in duplicate of the entry of such goods according to one of the forms in Schedule B to this chapter, or such other form as the collector shall prescribe from time to time, containing the several particulars indicated or required thereby; and shall pay any duty which may be payable upon the goods mentioned in such entry; and such entry being duly signed by the collector or other proper officer shall be the warrant for the landing and delivery of such goods: Provided, That if the duty on any one entry shall exceed in amount the sum of $500, then, and in every such case, the person making the entry may be allowed thirty days for the payment of the said duty thereon, upon security being given for the payment of the same to the satisfaction of the collector.

18. If the goods in any entry be charged to pay duty according to the number, measure, or weight thereof, such number, measure, or weight shall be stated in the

entry; and if the goods in such entry be charged to pay duty according to the value thereof, such value shall be stated and shall be ascertained by the production of the invoice of the goods referred to in such entry, and by the declaration of the importer of such goods or his known agent, which declaration shall be written on the bill of entry of such goods and shall be subscribed with the hand of the importer thereof or his known agent, in the presence of the collector or other proper officer, at the port of importation: Provided also, That if it shall appear to the collector that such goods have been invoiced below the real and true value thereof at the place from whence the same were imported, the goods may in such case be examined by two competent persons, to be nominated and appointed by the collector, and such persons shall declare on oath, if required, before the collector what is the true and real value of such goods; and the value so declared shall be deemed to be true and real value, upon which the duties due thereon shall be charged and paid.

19. If the importer of such goods shall refuse or neglect to pay the duties imposed thereon, together with the charges that shall have been occasioned by such examination, it shall and may be lawful for the collector, and he is hereby required, to take and secure the same with the packages thereof, and to cause the same to be publicly sold by auction within the space of twenty days at the most after such refusal or neglect made, and at such time and place as such collector shall, by four or more days' public notice, appoint for that purpose, which goods shall be sold to the best bidder or at the best price, and the money arising from the sale thereof shall be applied in the first place in payment to the importer of the amount in respect of which he was willing to pay duty upon such goods, and in the next place in payment of the said duties, together with the charges that shall have been occasioned by the said sale and examination, and the overplus, if any, shall be carried to account as duties of customs.

20. If, notwithstanding what is hereby provided, upon the examination of any goods entered for duty, which are chargeable with duty upon the value thereof, it shall appear to the collector that such goods are not valued according to the true value thereof, or that they are properly chargeable with a higher rate or amount of duty than that to which they would be subject according to the value thereof, as described in the entry, and after such goods shall have been examined by two competent persons, to be nominated or appointed by the collector as aforesaid, and declared by them on oath, if required, to be invoiced below the real and true value thereof, it shall be lawful for such officer to detain the same, in which case he shall forthwith give notice in writing to the person entering the same of the detention of such goods, and the collector shall within seven days after the detention of such goods determine either to deliver such goods on the entry of such person or to retain the same for the use of the Crown, in which latter case he or they shall cause the value at which the goods were so entered and the duties already paid on such entry to be paid to the person entering the same, in full satisfaction for such goods, or may permit such person, on his application for that purpose, to amend such entry at such value and upon such terms as he may direct, and if the collector shall retain such goods he shall and may dispose of them by sale or otherwise for the benefit of the Crown, and if the proceeds arising therefrom in case of sale shall exceed the sum so paid, and all charges incurred by the Crown, they shall be carried to account as duties of customs.

21. The importer of any goods intended to be warehoused without payment of duty on the first entry thereof, or his agent, shall deliver to the collector a bill of entry in duplicate of such goods, in the form No. 2 in Schedule B hereto, and containing the particulars therein, or in such other form as the collector may direct; and such bill of entry, when signed by the collector or other proper officer, shall be transmitted to the proper officer of customs, and be the warrant for the due ware. housing of such goods.

22. The importer. owner, or consignee of any ice, live stock, or any bullion or coin not being small parcels, forming part of the baggage of passengers, shall, within four days after the landing thereof, deliver to the collector a full and true account thereof, including its value, and in default he shall, for every such neglect or omission, be liable to a penalty of $50.

23. If the importer of any goods or his known agent shall make or subscribe a declaration before the collector or other proper officer that he can not, for want of full information, make perfect entry thereof, it shall be lawful for the collector or other proper officer to receive an entry by bill of sight in such form as the collector may from time to time prescribe for the packages of such goods, by the best description which can be given. Such entry, being signed by the collector or other proper officer, shall be the warrant for provisionally landing such goods to be examined by such importer in the presence of the proper officer, and within three days after the goods shall have been so landed, or within such further time as the collector shall see fit after the landing thereof, the importer shall make a perfect entry thereof.

24. Where an entry for the landing and examination of goods for delivery on payment of duty shall be made by bill of sight, such goods shall not be delivered