Milwaukee, Benton Harbor and Columbus Rail- Queen and Cresent Route.

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Rail- Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail

Toledo, St. Louis, and Kansas City Railroad.
Union Pacific System.
Valley Railroad.
Vandalia Line.

Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia Air Line.
Washington and Potomac Railroad.

Wabash Railroad.

Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad.
Washington County Railroad.
Western and Atlantic Railroad.
Western Maryland Railroad.

Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad.
West Shore Railroad.

West Virginia and Pittsburg Railroad.
West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway.
West Virginia Northern Railroad.

Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway.
Wheeling Bridge and Terminal Railway.
White Star Line Steamers (Lake Steamers).
Wiggins Ferry Company.

Wilkesbarre and Northern Railroad.
Williamsport and North Branch Railroad.
Wilmington and Northern Railroad.
Winona and Western Railway.
Wisconsin and Michigan Railway.
Wisconsin Central Lines.

Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad.
York River Line.

York Southern Railroad.
Youghiogheny Railroad.

Youghiogheny Central Railway.
Zanesville and Ohio River Railway.

And such other railroads or water routes as may be hereafter specially authorized and designated by the Secretary of the Treasury, provided that in all cases where other railroads or water routes are so authorized and designated the written consent thereto of the sureties on the bonds shall first be filed with said Secretary. In every instance where other cars or vessels than those owned by the said company are used they shall be distinctly marked "St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway Company."

A copy of the bond authorizing the transportation of appraised merchandise is inclosed, to be placed upon the files of your office. You should note the fact and date of the rebonding of the company upon the copy of the bond approved April 6, 1882, for the transportation of appraised merchandise, now in your office, and retain the same without cancellation to meet any liability which may have accrued thereunder.

Copies of the bonds for the transportation of unappraised merchandise will be filed in the offices of the collectors of customs at New Orleans, La., and Galveston, Tex., respectively.

Respectfully,

O. L. SPAULDING, Assistant Secretary.

SURVEYOR OF CUSTOMS, St. Louis, Mo.

(21823.)

Common carrier.

Western Maryland Railroad Company authorized to transport unappraised merchandise corded and sealed.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, December 8, 1899.

SIR: The Department has received your letter of the 5th instant, with which was inclosed an application of the Western Maryland Railroad Company, made in accordance with the provisions of Department Circular No. 38, dated March 14 last, for an extension to said company of the privileges of the act approved February 2, 1899, amending the act approved June 10, 1880, governing the immediate transportation of dutiable merchandise, to which application the American Bonding and Trust Company, surety on the bond of the Western Maryland Railroad

Company, approved July 22, 1896, as a common carrier for the transportation of unappraised merchandise from your port, submits written consent.

You are authorized, in instances where a sufficient quantity of unappraised merchandise in bond is not offered to fill an entire car or compartment thereof, or compartment of a vessel, to allow said company to transport such merchandise provided the packages are corded and sealed as prescribed in the circular referred to. Copy of the application is inclosed, to be filed with the bond of the company in your office. Respectfully, O. L. SPAULDING, Assistant Secretary.

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Baltimore, Md.

(21824.)

Declarations to invoices.

Shipper's declaration executed before chief customs officer may be accepted in lieu of consular certification for American goods returned from Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippine Islands.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, December 8, 1899. SIR: The Department is in receipt of a communication, dated Washington the 7th instant, from Messrs. Thompson & Slater, transmitting a letter from the agent at your port of the Plant Steamship Line, stating that you require a consular invoice, in addition to a bill of lading and shipper's declaration, for the free entry of empty beer kegs returned from Havana to the United States for refilling.

In a letter addressed to the Secretary of State on October 31, 1896 (T. D. 17476), the Department held that in the case of returned domestic goods valued at over $100 the provisions of section 4 of the act of June 10, 1890, will be fully met by the production of the declaration of the foreign exporter executed before a consular officer of the United States, and to which the jurat of such consular officer shall be affixed, and that no other consular certification is required in such cases. In view thereof and of the anomalous conditions in Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippine Islands, you are hereby authorized to accept the declaration of the foreign shipper of American goods exported to any of said islands executed before a chief officer of customs in lieu of the consular certification, provided that the regulations contained in Department Circular No. 125 of 1899 (T. D. 21682) shall be otherwise fully complied with.

Respectfully,
(7704 i.)

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Tampa, Fla.

O. L. SPAULDING,
Assistant Secretary.

(21825.)

Quarantine regulations for domestic ports to prevent the introduction of plague from Santos and Oporto.

[Circular No. 143.]

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE SUPERVISING SURGEON-GENERAL M. H. S.,

Washington, D. C., December 8, 1899.

To United States consular officers, masters and owners of vessels, national, State, and local quarantine officers, and others:

In view of the officially reported prevalence of plague in Santos, Brazil, and Oporto, Portugal, and the local conditions at these ports, the following regulations, relating to vessels arriving therefrom at ports of the United States, are hereby promulgated. This circular will remain in force until thirty days after the official announcement of the cessation of plague in said cities. The regulations for domestic ports regarding plague, promulgated by Department circular of January 18, 1897, are embodied herein in full. Attention is called to the fact that all vessels from Santos and Oporto are to be subjected to the following requirements:

TREATMENT OF VESSELS FROM SANTOS AND OPORTO.

1. Place vessel in quarantine in anchorage sufficiently remote from the nearest land or other vessel to prevent the escape of rats by swimming.

2. Pilots bringing in vessels from these ports, if they go aboard the vessel, will be detained in quarantine a sufficient time to cover the period of incubation of the disease, if in the opinion of the quarantine officer said pilots have been exposed to infection, and their dunnage, if any, disinfected.

3. In inspecting vessels from these ports, the personnel of the vessel shall be inspected after the removal of all clothing which will interfere with a thorough examination of all glandular regions, including axillary, inguinal, and cervical.

4. Remove all passengers from the vessel and all of the crew save those necessary to care for her. Place the sick, if any, in hospital and carefully isolate those specially suspected. Segregate the remainder in small groups. No communication shall be held between these groups. Those believed to be especially capable of conveying infection must not enter the barracks (place of detention) until they are bathed and furnished with sterile clothing; nor shall any material capable of conveying infection be taken into the barracks, especially food that may be contaminated.

5. All occupants of the steerage must be bathed and their clothing disinfected.

6. All baggage, including hand baggage, and effects accompanying steerage passengers and crew, must be disinfected.

7. No article from the vessel shall be admitted to the barracks before the disinfection of said article.

8. Preliminary disinfection.-After removal of the personnel as above, a preliminary disinfection of all accessible parts of the vessel must be performed with sulphur dioxide. This preliminary disinfection should be started in the morning in order that a water guard, in small boats, may be placed around the vessel to detect and destroy any escaping rats. (See Note.) No person with an abrasion or open sore shall be allowed to engage in handling vessel or cargo.

9. The water supply must be changed without delay, the casks or tanks disinfected by steam or 10 per cent solution of potassium permanganate, and, after thorough rinsing, refilled from a source of undoubted purity, or the water supplied must have been recently boiled.

10. Nothing shall be thrown overboard from the vessel, not even deck sweepings. Such material shall be burned in the furnace or in a place specially designated, but not in the galley.

DISINFECTION.

Disinfection of vessels from these ports shall be as follows:

DISINFECTION OF IRON VESSELS.

11. (a) With cargo.-After twelve hours' exposure to sulphur dioxide, 10 per cent per volume strength, generated by an approved furnace, or twenty-four hours' exposure to 5 per cent per volume strength, generated by pots, the upper 4 to 6 foot layer of cargo may be removed and placed on lighters exposed to the sun; this process of disinfection and removal of successive layers to be continued until hold is empty.

12. Where it can be procured in sufficient quantity, liquefied sulphur dioxide may be used in the disinfection of cargoes, holds, and living apartments, it being borne in mind that it will be necessary to employ 2 pounds of this material in lieu of 1 pound of sulphur where indicated in the above regulations.

13. No person shall be allowed on the vessel or around the cargo with bare feet, and the use of gloves in handling the cargo or dead vermin is advised.

14. All merchandise placed on lighters, although covered with tarpaulins at night and during foul weather, should be freely exposed to the sun and air during the day and in good weather for one week.

15. (b) Without cargo.-After mechanical cleansing, the hold must be thoroughly washed with an acid solution of bichloride of mercury, 1 to 800, applied under pressure to all surfaces by means of a hose, followed by sulphur dioxide, 10 per cent per volume strength, for twentyfour hours, or 5 per cent per volume strength for forty-eight hours.

16. The water ballast of a vessel coming from these ports should be