WURTS, Secretary of Legation to The Noble Chevalier Visconti Venosta, July 15, 1871

Sir: Referring to my note of July 9, in relation to the duty on petroleum imported into Italy from the United States, I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy of a letter from Granet, Brown & Co., merchants at Genoa, which points out clealy the hardships and loss to which American exporters of the article, who had made shipments before the passage of the law imposing new and higher duties on petroleum could have been known in the United States, are exposed. I am informed that this is not the only-case of this sort which, has occurred at Genoa, and that other cargoes of petroleum, shipped under similar circumstances, are daily expected to arrive at that port.

You will remember that for more than eight years American shippers of petroleum have been encouraged by the construction given by the Italian government to the existing treaty between Italy and France to consider the duty on this product as not subject to change by legislative action until the expiration of that treaty. In reliance upon the stability of this arrangement, large contracts have been made by American dealers for the purchase of supplies of petroleum from the producers, with special reference to the Italian trade. The interests of these dealers cannot but be Injuriously affected by any increase of duties upon a product the duties upon which were understood to be fixed by treaty for several years to come. I do not, however, at this moment, raise the question how far the construction hitherto given to the treaty in this respect by the Italian authorities is binding upon Italy, but I cannot refrain from expressing the confident belief that His Majesty’s government will see the justice of adopting some measure securing bona-fide dealers from the injurious effects of the sudden enforcement of a law which must operate as a surprise upon those who had shipped their goods, not simply without knowledge of the law, but even before its passage.

I avail myself of this occasion to renew to-you the assurance-of my distinguished consideration.