Randall L. Gibson to Aaron S. Daggett, June 5, 1884
Mr. Gibson to Mr. Daggett.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this day’s date, in which your excellency informs me that the “gold checks” issued by merchants for customs duties, and indorsed as such by Messrs. Bishop & Co., are obtained for Mexican dollars at equal face value, or for other silver coin or silver certificates, and are paid by the bank to the treasury in the same forms of currency, and repeats there-quest that duties on foreign imports be collected by the Government in United States gold coin or its equivalent.
In reply I have to inform your excellency that this subject is under the consideration of the Legislature, and is likely to receive a prompt solution in accord with the views and wishes expressed in your letter.
I may at the same time remind your excellency that when the reciprocity treaty between this Kingdom and the United States was negotiated the currency law of 1872 was in force, and silver was the only standard here. I do not think that the possibility of the occurrence of the exceptional circumstances of the present day was foreseen on either side at that time, or that when, at a late period, the arrangement as to “gold checks” was made, a probability of its interfering with the protection accorded by the treaty with the United States to the products and manufactures of that country was thought of.
So far as the Government and Messrs. Bishop & Co. are concerned, the forbearance to collect gold when the law called for it has been mutual. If, however, the existing arrangement enables importers of dutiable goods virtually to pay 9 per cent, duties instead of 10 per cent., even though this be temporary, there is a manifest departure from the intention of the treaty—a departure which the Government has no desire to countenance. I trust that I shall be able to communicate to your excellency the decision of the Legislature (at whose express wish the order recently made by the Government has been suspended from operation) in the course of a few days.
I have, &c.,