Silver......... Ruble..

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 1, 1895. The foregoing estimate, by the Director of the Mint, of the values of foreign coins, I hereby proclaim to be the values of such coins in terms of the money of account of the United States, to be followed in estimating the value of all foreign merchandise exported to the United States on or after July 1, 1895, expressed in any of such metallic

currencies.

S. WIKE,

Acting Secretary of the Treasury.

(16233.)

Fees for Entries and Clearances not Abolished.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 1, 1895. SIR: This Department is in receipt of your letter dated the 26th ultimo, submitting a protest by Messrs. F. W. Myers & Co., against your action in assessing fees of 50 cents for entrances and clearances of ressels in your district.

Such fees have heretofore been collected under section 4382 of the Revised Statutes, which prescribes a fee of 50 cents for the entry of a vessel direct from a foreign port, and a similar fee for the clearance of a vessel direct to a foreign port.

These fees were not abolished by the act of June 10, 1890, or by any other act of Congress. They are plainly prescribed by the statute cited, and should be collected as provided for by the Department's instructions embodied in the circular of October 14, 1890.

Respectfully, yours,

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Plattsburg, N. Y.

S. WIKE, Acting Secretary.

(16234.)

Fees-None Collectible for Manifests of small Boats and Vehicles.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 1, 1895.

SIR: This Department is in receipt of your letter dated the 24th ultimo, inquiring whether a fee of 25 cents for manifests of dutiable goods brought into you port by "boats of less than 5 tons, and vehicles" should be collected.

The Board of General Appraisers at New York, under date of the 15th ultimo, held as follows:

"The exactions for receiving manifests have never been known otherwise than as fees, and they are confessedly recognized as a recompense for official services, from the imposition of which Congress intended that merchandise should hereafter be liberated. G. A. 25 (Synopsis 10247) and all similar decisions on fees for receiving manifests are reconsidered and the protest herein is sustained."

The protest in question was against the exaction of fees in the case of manifests of merchandise brought in railway cars from Canada.

The fees to which you refer were authorized in the Department's decision of February 11, 1880, Synopsis 4417, under section 4382, which prescribed the fee for manifests of cars.

The principle applied by the Board to manifests of cars is equally applicable to manifests of boats and other vehicles laden with goods, wares, or merchandise from a foreign contiguous territory, and you are instructed, therefore, to discontinue the collection of fees for receiving such manifests.

Respectfully, yours,

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Cape Vincent, N. Y.

S. WIKE, Acting Secretary.

(16235.)

Drawback on "Degreased" Sheepskins Allowed.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 1, 1895.

SIR: On the exportation of "degreased" sheepskins, manufactured by the United States and Canada Degreasing Company of Brooklyn, N.Y., from imported tanned skins, by the process of cleansing such skins from all natural or other greases and impurities, a drawback will be allowed equal in amount to the duties paid on the imported skins used, less the legal deduction of 1 per cent.

The number of the imported skins so used shall be determined by official inspection and count of the exported "degreased skins." CHARLES S. HAMLIN,

Respectfully, yours,

(8238 g.)

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, New York, N. Y.

Assistant Secretary.

(16236.)

Drawback on Bulk Solder Allowed.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 1, 1895.

SIR: On the exportation of bulk solder manufactured by the R. Tynes Smith Can Company, in part from pig lead imported under the tariff act of August 28, 1894, a drawback will be allowed at the rate of onehalf of 1 cent on each pound of the exported solder, less the legal deduction of 1 per cent, and on the exportation of tin cans soldered with such solder, drawback will be allowed for the solder at the above rate on each thousand inches of the soldered seams, provided that no other than imported lead shall have been used in said manufacture. CHARLES S. HAMLIN,

Respectfully, yours,
(8915 g.)

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Baltimore, Md.

Assistant Secretary.

(16237.)

Disinfection of Hide Cuttings.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 2, 1895.

GENTLEMEN: The Department is in receipt of your letter of the 26th ultimo, in which you complain of the exaction of consular fees for certificates of disinfection of hide cuttings imported by you.

In reply, I inclose herewith a ruling of this Department, dated July 5, 1894 (Synopsis 15085), from which you will see that hide cuttings cured in lime do not require disinfection as a means of preventing the introduction of contagious cattle diseases into this country, and Department's ruling of February 20, 1895 (Synopsis 15648), requires that customs officers shall satisfy themselves that the hide cuttings have been thoroughly treated with freshly burned lime. Consular certificates as to such curing are not absolutely necessary in these cases. If importers can satisfy the officers of the customs at the port of importation, by such evidence as may be procurable, of such curing, entry will be The consular fee of $2.50 was prescribed by the Secretary of State (circular of January 22, 1895) for certificates of disinfection of hides when the consul personally superintends the disinfection, or requires the same by some person upon whom he relies; and the above instructions of this Department do not contemplate the exaction of such consular fee for certificates based upon information acquired by consuls otherwise than by such superintendence.

Respectfully, yours,
(5868 g.)

CHARLES S. HAMLIN,
Assistant Secretary.

Messrs. THOMAS GROOM & Co., Boston, Mass.

(16238.)

Marking of Cutlery.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 3, 1895.

SIR: The Department is in receipt of your letter of the 25th ultimo, reporting upon the application of Messrs. Pauls Brothers for permission to mark, so as to properly indicate the country of origin, under the provisions of section 5 of the act of August 28, 1894, certain pocketknives imported by them per Lahn on the 15th idem.

It appears from an examination of the samples submitted that the large blades are plainly marked with the name of a domestic concern, while the small blades are faintly marked with the word “Germany." The branding of articles of cutlery should be of such a character that it can not be removed unless ground out on a grindstone, and should be quite as legible as the proprietary marks, and so located that there will be no difficulty in seeing it.

In the opinion of the Department this importation is a violation of the section of law referred to, and contrary to the instructions contained in a letter addressed to you on the 11th ultimo; and delivery of the goods can not be made or marking in warehouse permitted. Exportation of the articles should therefore be required. You will be governed accordingly.

Respectfully, yours,
(5631 f.)

CHARLES S. HAMLIN,

Assistant Secretary.

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, New York, N. Y.

(16239.)

Approving Bond of Frederic B. Holder as a common carrier for the Transportation of Dutiable Tin Plate from the port of Boston, Mass.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 5, 1895.

SIR: The Department has received your letter of the 25th ultimo, with which was transmitted the bond, in duplicate, of Frederic B. Holder as a common carrier for the transportation of dutiable tin plate from your port.

The bond is approved hereby, and one copy thereof inclosed herewith, to be placed upon the files of your office.

Under his bond, Frederic B. Holder is authorized to transport imported tin plate from your port to any of the ports of entry or delivery in the State of Maine, in the following manner, viz, in suitable vessels owned or controlled by said Frederic B. Holder, and plying coast wise from the port of Boston, Mass.

Respectfully, yours,

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Boston, Mass.

CHARLES S. HAMLIN,
Assistant Secretary.