COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS. COMPEND OF THE TARIFF OF CUBA. THE rates of duties in the following compend of the tariff are those imposed on importations, in vessels other than Spanish, from the United States. The manner of ascertaining the amount to be paid, is as follows: Importations from other than Spanish ports, in Spanish vessels, pay 6 per cent less duty than quoted in this work, on the same valuations. All liquors pay, over and above the duty quoted, 50 cents per pipe, 25 cents per half pipe, and 12 cents per demijohn, or dozen bottles, for the Orphan Asylum. No Spanish vessel under sixty tons, or foreign vessel under eighty tons register burthen, can import goods "in deposit." Foreign products that have paid an import duty can be exported free. All vessels can load with molasses at any of the outports of the island, if they first enter at an open port, the consignee giving a bond that they will return to clear. No allowance will be made on jerked beef, for damage, over and above 6 per cent if from the United States, or 14 per cent if from South America, unless the beef is so much damaged as to be worthless, in which case it must be thrown into the sea, and duty paid on the actual quantity imported. A COMPEND OF THE Tariff of CUBA, WITH TARES AND ALLOWANCES MADE AT HAVANA. Articles. .....dozen Valuation. A COMPEND OF THE TARIFF OF CUBA, WITH TARES AND ALLOWANCES, etc.-Continued. Cider, bottles,................. Tares and Allowances. Breakage, 6 per cent. Rate of duty. 304 Chairs of wood,.. 301 66 of wood in shook, not painted,........ with cane seats, and p'nted and gilded, Mahog'y, with cane seats,.. 66 25 00 304 Figs....... ..quintal 4.00 30 Flour,.......... $10 00 Gin, cask,... .100 gall. 62 50 30 "jugs and bottles,.......dozen ......each 1 50 244 Hams,. ......quintal 10 00 304 Herring,. .......boxes of 100 fish 75 304 Tare on canvassed hams, 2 lbs. each. Hogs, $6.00 Hhds. or casks,... 244 Hoops,.... 24 Horses, geldings,. Lard,.. 301 Tare, 16 per cent. Mackerel,.. 30年 Meal, Indian,.. 304 Nails, copper,. 66 iron,.... 244 Tare, 12 per cent. Oars,...... 244 Oil, sperm and whale,...quintals 8 00 Onions,......... ..100 strings 4.00 243 Paper, writing,. 304 66 wrapping,. 304 Pitch,.. 243 Pork,... 304 "sides, 243 Porter, bbls............... 304 66 bottles,.. 304 Potatoes,...... 24 Rice,........ Salt,.......... Shingles,. .....M. 3 75 244 Shoes,... 30 66 Shooks, box,... hhd., Soap, bar,... Staves........... 244 244 Breakage, 6 per cent. Custom-house allows 11 per cent on tierces, and 2 lbs. on sacks for tare. Purchasers are allowed 70 lbs. per tierce, and nothing on sacks. .... 301 25 00 24 9.00 244 Tar,..................... Tea,.. Tile,... 244 244 .M. 25 00 244 18 00 304 700 244 Tobacco, chewing,.........quintal CUSTOM-HOUSE RULES AND REGULATIONS, FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF ALL VESSELS ARRIVING AT HAVANA. All captains or supercargoes, the moment their vessel comes to anchor, must deliver, immediately upon being visited by the custom-house boat, a manifest declaring his name, that of the vessel, her tonnage, whence she comes, the number of bales, packages, and every other article he has on board, or of which his cargo is composed, with their respective marks, numbers, and consignees. Twelve hours after delivery of the above mani fest, no alteration or addition whatever can be made in the same--the said twelve hours to run from six in the morning until seven in the evening, every day of the year, without exception of festivals. The captain or supercargo is required, before twenty-four hours have elapsed after the delivery of the manifest, to present himself at the custom-house, and there take oath, in presence of the collector and interpreter, declaring that what he has manifested is a true and correct account of his cargo. In case the captain does not present the manifest, and swear within the time abovementioned, he will incur a fine of one thousand dollars. In case the captain or supercargo is unable to make out a manifest, or take oath, this will be the duty of the consignee, or one of his clerks. The twelve hours prescribed in the first regulation having elapsed, all packages which have been omitted in the manifest will be confiscated, and the captain fined in double the value of the same, according to the valuation prescribed by the tariff, well understood that their value does not exceed one thousand dollars. In case their value should exceed the above sum, and belong to the owner of the vessel, the captain, or the supercargo, the vessel, freight, and all other profits, shall be confiscated. Neither before nor after the delivery of the manifest, can anything whatever be discharged from the vessel without the permission of the custom-house. Should anything be discharged, although it be of little value, or free of duty, the captain or supercargo will incur a fine of one thousand dollars, with the confiscation of the goods thus discharged. In case goods of one vessel lying in the harbor are transported on board of another without the permission of the collector, the captain who has received them, and all those who have assisted to transport them, will be fined in treble their value, and the goods themselves will be confiscated, with the vessel or vessels in which they have been found, together with the boats, launches, and all other things which have been employed in the transportation of the same. All goods that have been fraudulently disembarked, and scized by the custom-house officers, will not only be confiscated, and fined according to the sixth rule, but will be immediately appraised by the custom-house appraisee; and if their value, at the highest market price, exceed four hundred dollars, the vessel, with all her appurtenances, shall be included in the penalty of confiscation. If any goods manifested for transit be discharged or introduced fraudulently, they will not only be confiscated, but also the vessel, together with the boats and launches employed in discharging the same. Should a vessel discharge merchandise, be the quantity small or large, at a non-licensed port, said merchandise, as also the vessel and all her appurtenances, shall incur the penalty of confiscation. All stores must be manifested, and if they appear to be disproportionately abundant, such excess shall pay duty. All baggage, likewise, must be manifested; and, should fraud be detected in them, they shall be subject to penalty, and those implicated in such fraud shall pay thrice the value of the article. Permission being obtained, the discharge of the vessel is to begin at dawn of day, at the wharf, or any other place pointed out for that purpose. Goods requiring to be examined, weighed, or measured, shall not be removed to any other wharf or place, without permission from the collector, under pain of confiscation. If, on the conclusion of the discharge, there should be found one or more packages short of the quantity manifested, without an invoice of such packages having been presented, and consequently without their contents being known, and the name of the consignee, it will be understood that the captain or supercargo of the vessel has committed fraud against the custom-house, and shall be fined two hundred dollars for each package missing. In the outward despatch, as soon as the vessel shall have finished loading, she shall be visited and examined; and if merchandise be found on board exceeding the quantity cleared, or fraudulently shipped, and without the knowledge of the custom-house, such merchandise shall be confiscated, and the captain fined in thrice its value. But, should it consist of gold, silver, tobacco, or cigars, of more than the value of four hundred dollars, the vessel and all her apparel shall be confiscated. All goods detected in the act of being fraudulently shipped, shall likewise be confiscated. No consignee shall despatch a vessel outward without her being first visited and examined, under a penalty of one thousand dollars, which shall be exacted in the first instance; and for a second or future infringements, an action shall be brought against him. Should the captain or supercargo not have wherewith to satisfy such fines imposed on him, and costs, the vessel shall be seized for the purpose, unless the consignee comes forward as security. On and after the 1st day of January, 1844, the following regulations will be observed in all the custom-houses of the island of Cuba: 1st. Every box of sugar, exported in a Spanish vessel, shall pay 5 rials, (62 cents ;) and in a foreign vessel 6 riala, (75 cents,) export duty. 2d. Every quintal of coffee, exported in a Spanish vessel, for a Spanish port, shall pay 3 rials, (374 cents;) in a Spanish vessel, for a foreign port, 4 rials, (50 cents ;) and in a foreign vessel, for a foreign port, 4 rials, (564 cents,) export duty. 3d. Molasses and rum shall pay no export duty. 4th. Vessels that take a full cargo of molasses, shall pay no tonnage duty. 5th. Foreign vessels that take more than 1,000 boxes of sugar, shall pay but 6 rials (75 cents) per ton, as tonnage dues. Spanish vessels, but 24 rials, (314 cents.) 6th. The same advantage, as named in the fifth article, shall be enjoyed by vessels that take more than 2,000 bags coffee, or 300 pipes pure rum. This is a very important movement as regards shipping; as it virtually reduces the tonnage duty, formerly $1 50 per ton, to 75 cents per ton, on all vessels carrying more than 1,000 boxes, or on nearly all American shipping that comes to this port. HARBOR REGULATIONS OF THE PORT OF HAVANA. 1. No vessel shall haul from one point to another without first obtaining permission from the captain of the port; and the hauling must be done between sunset and nine o'clock of the next morning, under the penalty of fifty dollars, it being understood that this rule has no reference to vessels arriving, which shall be governed by rule 2, 13, and 14. Neither shall any vessel pass the shoals into the inner part of the harbor without a pilot—if so done, pilotage shall be paid the same as if she took one. 2. As soon as the vessel is anchored, and her sails furled, she shall haul over to the eastern shore, in order to leave the channel free-hauling by the other vessels until she arrives at her anchorage. This rule is more urgent in case the vessel, from scant wind, has anchored in the narrowest part of the channel; in which case, she must be removed at once and any captain who shall not do so upon being ordered, shall pay the pilot and his crew for hauling the vessel to her anchorage. The captain, on landing, must present himself to the captain of the port. 3. The captain of any vessel bringing powder, shall report the amount to the captain of the port for the order of deposit; and any one that shall make any concealment shall pay a fine of eighty dollars-it being observed that some captains, in order to improve opportunities of hauling to the wharf, and others under pretence of having but a small quantity, neglect to do so. Neither shall any one fire cannon, or discharge fire-arms in the port, without the knowledge of the captain of the port, and permission from the commandant-general of the station. 4. All vessels will put out their caboose fires at sunset, be they at the wharf or in the stream. The cabin light may be maintained until gun fire. 5. No vessel shall receive or discharge ballast without written permission from the captain of the port; neither shall any straw, sand, or dirt, be thrown into the water, under penalty of fifty dollars; neither shall any tar, pitch, or other combustible substance, be heated on board any vessel, under penalty of one hundred dollars. 6. All orders communicated to captains of vessels by the pilots must be obeyed, as they emanate from the captain of the port. 7. In case any vessel should break adrift, and be in danger of stranding, or being lost or injured through bad weather, or other accident, it is incumbent upon the masters of all other vessels to render all assistance in their power; and in case of refusal, such master shall pay for all damage caused by his neglect. 8. It is necessary that masters of vessels, on anchoring, should take particular care not to overlay the chains or anchors of another vessel, otherwise he shall be responsible for all damage caused by his carelessness. 9. No vessel shall sail from the port before sunrise, nor after sunset, as it is necessary that they should be visited on departing. 10. In case any vessel requires to be caulked, careened, or smoked, before being done, permission must be obtained from the captain of the port; and in no case must it be done at the wharf, as there are several places proper for these purposes, where vessels can be repaired without prejudice to the port, and the master can select that which best pleases him. 11. No vessel will haul to the wharf without permission from the collector, and in no case will they make fast to those already alongside the wharf, under penalty of fifty dollars, and paying for all damage that may be occasioned by being so fast, especially in case of bad weather or fire, when it may be necessary to haul out from the wharf, and be delayed in consequence of vessels being fast to them. Before hauling to the wharf, all vessels shall strike their top-gallant yards and masts, top the fore and main yards, run in the main and jib booms, and cockbill the anchors, so as to avoid damaging other vessels. Every vessel must be at least a foot and a half from others. With these precautions, vessels will be able to haul out, in case of fire, without those accidents so often noted; and in case of bad weather will not injure one another. 12. No vessel will moor alongside the wharf, but along the shore of Casa Blanca, leaving clear the space from the north corner of Marti's wharf to the northwest angle of the royal stores at Casa Blanca, for the passage to and from the Cabana, avoiding to anchor nearer to the men-of-war than a cable's length. 13. No vessel shall make fast to any of the buoys that are placed on the shoals in the harbor, under penalty of one hundred dollars, and all damages and expenses that may be caused by displacing the buoy. 14. In case of fire on board any vessel in the harbor, all masters are required to repair to the burning vessel with their boats, provided with warps, buckets, and everything that they may judge serviceable, and also water-engines, such as may have them, in order to assist to extinguish the flames. The captain of the port trusts that this article will be faithfully attended to. 15. Should any master of a vessel need a launch, he can procure such as may suit him, but he will advise the captain of the port, in order that she may be examined, as prescribed by law; and any one that shall load a launch without leaving two inches of the wales out of water, shall incur a penalty of twenty dollars. 16. In case of disorder on board any vessel among the seamen, late at night, the master can apply to the guard-ship for assistance until morning, when he will apply to his consul for a written request to the captain of the port, for the imprisonment of the delinquents. No vessel shall discharge a seaman without permission from the consul. |