James C. Morton to Walker Blaine, November 7, 1881
No. 259. Mr. Morton to Mr. Blaine.
No. 69.]
Sir: Referring to my dispatch No. 54, of date October 13, 1881, stating that I had called on Mr. B. St. Hilaire to ascertain what action Mr. Tirard, minister of agriculture and commerce, had taken in relation to American pork, I have now the honor to transmit a copy and translation of a dispatch of the French minister of foreign affairs giving the information desired. Mr. Tirard says, through his colleague, that his department has prepared a bill to give the authority of law to certain measures which will render possible the revocation of the decree of prohibition.
I have been unable to procure a copy of the bill, but I am informed that it will not tend to facilitate the importation of salted meats from the United States. One of the largest French importers of American meats, who has had the privilege of glancing over the bill, says that the measures proposed are so vexatious that he would prefer the decree of prohibition to the proposed bill.
It will, I fear, be impossible to secure from the present minister of agriculture and commerce the abrogation or any satisfactory modification of the decree of February 18, 1881.
I have, &c.,