Letter

James C. Morton to Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, April 4, 1883

Author
James C. Morton
Recipient
Frederick T. Frelinghuysen
Date
April 4, 1883
Type
Letter
Language
English

No. 127. Mr. Morton to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Legation of the United States, Paris, April 4, 1883. (Received April 18.)

No. 324.]

Sir: I availed myself of an occasion during a recent personal interview with Mr. Challemel Lacour, the new minister of foreign affairs, to call his attention to the subject of the decree prohibiting the importation into France of American salted meats, and subsequently addressed a, communication to him on the subject, a copy of which I have the honor to transmit herewith.

In relation to this subject I have had different interviews with the representatives of the Chambers of Commerce of Paris, Marseilles, Bordeaux, and Havre, who take a special interest in the importation of American meats, and propose to make joint representations to the minister of commerce and to originate a sytem of petitions among the working classes of France urging the repeal of the decree.

This move, if properly directed, will be, it is hoped, effective. I have been, however, so often disappointed that I will not venture to count upon the success of the present movement, though it is well calculated to reach the end desired. I may add that at the conference for the protection of industrial property, which was presided over by the minister of commerce, and attended by the director of exterior commerce, I insisted with both these gentlemen upon the necessity of the abrogation of the decree.

I have, &c.,

LEVI P. MORTON.
Topics
19th CenturyDiplomacyReconstruction
Sources
FRUS u2014 Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the P View original source ↗
U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian. Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the P.
More from James C. Morton
James C. Morton to [Postscript.] Paris , December 28, 1883 . To comply with the vote of the Chamber it was decided yesterday in cabinet council to prohibit the free importation of American pork until parliamentary action is taken in the matter. In the mean time American pork will be admitted at the ports of Havre, Bordeaux, and Nantes, where an examination of the meat will take place under the control and at the expense of the Chambers of Commerce of those places. This measure is satisfactory to the French importers, but the protectionists will probably oppose it, as many of the members of the Chamber of Commerce are interested in making the inspection as easy as possible. It is to be feared, therefore, that the propriety of this measure will be questioned in the Chamber. The department of commerce contemplates the introduction of a new bill providing for a system of inspection. * * * * * * * The National of last night, speaking of this bill (the one recently introduced into Congress for the purpose of empowering the President to prohibit the importation of articles injurious to public health from countries which on the same ground prohibit American products), says “it was at first directed against Germany only; but that, in consequence of the recent vote of the Chamber postponing the removal of the restriction on American pork, France will now have to take her place by the side, of Germany, and be equally made the victim of these reprisals. Owing to the order of the day of Mr. Paul Bert, French products are going to be driven out from America. It belongs to the Government to take steps as early as possible to prevent an eventuality which would be so damaging to French commerce.” L. P. M, December 26, 1883
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