an expression of my views in the matter, a copy of a dispatch from the United States consul at Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, relative to the "consolidation of invoices" of reimported domestic goods.

The consul submits a copy of a certain "declaration of foreign exporter" (Form 129) of returned American goods, purporting to show five consignments to as many different consignees, which contain the numbers, quantity, description, and values of the several lots of merchandise, the same being used in such cases, in lieu of the certified invoice required in respect of ordinary importations. The consul desires to be informed if, in the future, acceptance of similar declarations showing two or more consignees should not be refused.

I will state for the information of the consul that the question of whether or not a separate declaration should be required for each consignment depends upon the number of final entries to be made upon the importation of the goods, so that if only one consignee is named in the bill of lading, even though it is shown that the different lots are to be distributed, after due entry, among several persons, then the declaration specifying two or more alleged consignees may be accepted; otherwise, it should not.

The law only recognizes as consignee either the person named as such in the bill of lading or the holder of any bill of lading consigned to order and indorsed by the consignor.

Respectfully, yours,
(5480 i.)

The SECRETARY OF STATE.

(21414.)

Certified statements.

L. J. GAGE,

Secretary.

Certified statements for refund of duty may be forwarded to Department in certain cases without awaiting specific authority.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 21, 1899.

SIR: The Department is in receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, requesting authority to forward certified statements for the refund of duties in various cases wherein protests filed were recently decided by the Board of General Appraisers in favor of the importers.

In reply, I invite your attention to Department's instruction of November 15, 1890 (S. 10369), and those of August 3, 1891 (S. 11608), containing full particulars in the matter of refunds on decisions of the Board of General Apprisers where no appeal has been directed within thirty days after the date thereof. I desire to state, furthermore, that certified statements for refunds in such cases may be prepared and forwarded without awaiting specific authority in each case.

Respectfully, yours,
(5951 i.)

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Buffalo, N. Y.

O. L. SPAULDING,
Assistant Secretary.

(21415.)

Importations under Hawaiian reciprocity treaty.

Consular certificate prescribed in article 363, customs regulations, 1892, required to be produced at time of entry of merchandise imported from Hawaii, under the Hawaiian reciprocity treaty, or if failure to so produce the certificate is shown to be due to some unavoidable cause beyond the control of the importer, a bond may be accepted for the production thereof within a reasonable time thereafter.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 22, 1899.

SIR: The Department is in receipt of your letter of the 13th instant, further reporting upon the application of the American Mercantile Company for refund of $4. 25, amount of duty exacted on a certain shipment of sweet potatoes imported from Hawaii and entered at your port under the Hawaiian reciprocity treaty, embraced in consumption entry No. 2604.

It appears that the importers failed to produce with the entry the consular certificate required by article 363, customs regulations, 1892, and that the merchandise was delivered to the importers as being free from duty, but subsequently they were advised that it would be necessary to pay the duty as a "special deposit," which sum would be returned to them upon the delivery of the said certificate, which had been sent for by the importers. In the meantime, however, and before the certificate was finally produced, the entry was liquidated.

Inasmuch as no timely written protest was filed by the importers, in accordance with section 14, act of June 10, 1890, the application must be denied.

In connection with the foregoing, I have to inform you that the consular certificate prescribed in article 363 of said regulations should be required to be produced at the time of entry. If, however, the failure to so produce the certificate shall be shown to your satisfaction to be due to some unavoidable cause or causes beyond the control of the importer, a bond may be accepted for the production thereof within a reasonable time thereafter, and article 363, customs regulations, 1892, is hereby modified accordingly.

In the event that there is no consular officer at or near the port of shipment, entry may be made upon compliance with the provisions of article 364 of said regulations.

Respectfully, yours,

(5178 i.)

O. L. SPAULDING,

Assistant Secretary.

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Port Townsend, Wash.

(21416.)

Rules and regulations fixing salaries of inspectors of steam vessels under act of Congress approved March 1, 1895, concerning the regulation of steam vessels.

[Circular No. 98.]

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 24, 1899.

To supervising and local inspectors of steam vessels:

Under the provisions of section 4414 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, as amended by the act of Congress approved March 1, 1895, it is provided that the salaries of the local inspectors of steam vessels shall be regulated in proportion to the number of steamers inspected in each of the various districts, as follows:

In districts inspecting 100 steamers and less, to a salary of $1,200 per year each.

In districts inspecting over 100 and less than 150 steamers, to a salary of $1,500 per year each.

In districts inspecting 150 and less than 200 steamers, to a salary of $1,800 per year each.

In districts inspecting 200 and less than 300 steamers, to a salary of $2,000 per year each.

In districts inspecting 300 and less than 500 steamers, to a salary of $2,250 per year each.

In districts inspecting 500 steamers and upward, to a salary of $2,500 per year each.

The act further provides that the basis of salaries from the date of approval of the act March 1, 1895, shall be on the report of inspections for the preceding year, and thereafter according to the number of steamers reported inspected at the end of each fiscal year, which shall regulate the salaries for the following year, for each local board, as reported by the Supervising Inspector-General.

Therefore, in accordance with the report of that officer for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1899, the salaries of local inspectors of hulls and local inspectors of boilers from July 1, 1899, to June 30, 1900, inclusive, are hereby established, as follows:

For the districts of Evansville, Ind.; Louisville, Ky.; Memphis, Tenn.; Nashville, Tenn.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Gallipolis, Ohio; Wheeling, W. Va.; Burlington, Vt.; Bangor, Me.; Galveston, Tex., and Apalachicola, Fla., at the rate of $1,200 per year for each local inspector.

For the districts of New Haven, Conn.; Savannah, Ga.; Charleston, S. C.; Dubuque, Iowa; Superior (Marquette, Mich.); Mobile, Ala., and Jacksonville, Fla., at the rate of $1,500 per year for each local inspector.

For the districts of Portland, Oreg.; St. Louis, Mo.; Oswego, N. Y.; New London, Conn.; Portland, Me.; Detroit, Mich.; Pittsburg, Pa.;

Alaska (Juneau); Port Huron, Mich., and Providence, R. I., at the rate of $1,800 per year for each local inspector.

For the districts of Puget Sound (Seattle, Wash.); Albany, N. Y.; Grand Haven, Mich.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Chicago, Ill.; Duluth, Minn., and Norfolk, Va., at the rate of $2,000 per year for each local inspector.

For the districts of Philadelphia, Pa.; Boston, Mass.; Baltimore, Md.; Buffalo, N. Y.; New Orleans, La.; Cleveland, Ohio, and San Francisco, Cal., at the rate of $2,250 per year for each local inspector.

For the district of New York, N. Y., at the rate of $2,500 per year for each local inspector.

L. J. GAGE, Secretary.

(21417.)

Common carrier.

Rebonding of Baltimore Steam Packet Company as common carrier of unappraised merchandise.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 25, 1899.

SIR: The Department has received your letter of the 18th instant, with which was transmitted the bond, in duplicate, of the Baltimore Steam Packet Company as a common carrier for the transportation of unappraised merchandise from your port, said bond being in lieu of that of the company named, approved March 12, 1896, copy of which is on file in your office. The bond is hereby approved, and one copy thereof inclosed, to be placed upon the files of your office.

Under its bond, said company is authorized to transport unappraised merchandise from the port of Baltimore, Md., to the ports of

Portland, Oreg.
Port Townsend, Wash.
Providence, R. I.
Richmond, Va.
Rochester, N. Y.
St. Joseph, Mo.
St. Louis, Mo.
St. Paul, Minn.
San Antonio, Tex.
San Diego, Cal.
Sandusky, Ohio.
San Francisco, Cal.
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Savannah, Ga.
Seattle, Wash.
Sioux City, Iowa.
Springfield, Mass.
Tacoma, Wash.
Tampa, Fla.
Toledo, Ohio.

Washington, D. C.
Wilmington, Del.
Wilmington, N. C.

And to such other ports as are now, or may be hereafter, authorized and designated as places to which such merchandise may be transported in the following manner, viz, in suitable cars or vessels owned

or controlled by said company and running over any or all of the following-named lines of railroad and water routes, viz:

Birmingham, Selma and New Orleans Railway. Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railway.

Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Rail- Clyde's New York, Wilmington, N. C., and

ton and Florida Line.

Colorado and Northwestern Railway.

and Colorado Midland Railway.

Columbus, Lancaster and Wellston Railway.
Columbus, Sandusky and Hocking Railway.
Crystal Railway.

Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad.

Cumberland Valley Railroad.

Danville and Western Railway.

Dayton, Lebanon and Cincinnati Railroad.