Proclamation 462—Cessation of Tariff: Porto Rico

Whereas, by an act of Congress, approved April 12, 1900, entitled "an Act Temporarily to Provide Revenues and a Civil Government for Porto Rico and for other Purposes," it was provided that, "whenever the legislative assembly of Porto Rico shall have enacted and put into operation a system of local taxation to meet the necessities of the government of Porto Rico, by this act established, and shall by resolution duly passed so notify the President, he shall make proclamation thereof, and thereupon all tariff duties on merchandise and articles going into Porto Rico from the United States or coming into the United States from Porto Rico shall cease, and from and after such date all such merchandise and articles shall be entered at the several ports of entry free of duty;" and

Whereas by the same act it was provided, "that as soon as a civil government for Porto Rico shall have been organized in accordance with the provisions of this act, and notice thereof shall have been given to the President, he shall make proclamation thereof, and thereafter all collections of duties and taxes in Porto Rico under the provisions of this act shall be paid into the treasury of Porto Rico, to be expended as required by law for the government and benefit thereof, instead of being paid into the Treasury of the United States;" and

Whereas the legislative assembly of Porto Rico has enacted and put into operation a system of local taxation to meet the necessities of the government of Porto Rico as aforesaid, and has passed and caused to be communicated to me the following resolution:

A Joint Resolution of the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico, notifying the President of the United States that the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico has enacted and put into operation a system of local taxation to meet the necessities of the Government of Porto Rico, established by act of Congress, entitled "An act temporarily to provide revenues and a Civil Government for Porto Rico, and for other purposes," duly approved April 12th, 1900:

Be it Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico:

Whereas: A civil government for Porto Rico has been fully and completely organized in accordance with the provisions of an act of Congress entitled "An act temporarily to provide revenues and a civil government for Porto Rico, and for other purposes," duly approved April 12th, 1900, and:

Whereas: It was provided by the terms of said act of Congress, that whenever the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico shall have enacted and put into operation a system of local taxation to meet the necessities of the Government of Porto Rico, by the aforesaid act established, and shall by resolution duly passed so notify the President, he shall make proclamation thereof, and thereupon all tariff duties on merchandise and articles going into Porto Rico from the United States, or coming into the United States from Porto Rico shall cease, and from and after such date all such merchandise and articles shall be entered at the several ports of entry free of duty:

Now therefore: The Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico in extraordinary session duly called by the Governor and held at San Juan, the Capital, on July 4th, A. D. 1901, acting pursuant to the authority and power in it vested by the provisions of the said act of Congress above referred to, does hereby notify the President of the United States that by virtue of an act of the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico, entitled, "An act to provide revenue for the people of Porto Rico, and for other purposes," duly approved January 31st, A. D. 1901, and of other acts of the Legislative Assembly duly enacted at the first session of the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico, duly held at San Juan, Porto Rico, commencing December 3rd, 1900, and ending January 31st, A. D. 1901, it has enacted and put into operation a system of local taxation to meet the necessities of the Government of Porto Rico, by the aforesaid act of Congress established.

The Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico hereby directs that a copy of this joint resolution be presented to the President of the United States, and hereby requests the Governor of Porto Rico to deliver the same to the President, to the end that proclamation may be made by him according to the provisions of the said act of Congress, and if it shall seem wise and proper to the President, that such proclamation may issue on the 25th day of July, the said day being a legally established holiday in Porto Rico commemorating the anniversary of the coming of the American flag to the Island.

WILLIAM H. HUNT,

President of the Executive Council.

MAN. F. ROSSY,

Speaker of the House of Delegates.

Approved, July 4th, A. D. 1901.

CHAS. H. ALLEN,

Governor.

Now, therefore, I, William McKinley, President of the United States, in pursuance of the provisions of law above quoted, and upon the foregoing due notification, do hereby issue this my proclamation, and do declare and make known that a civil government for Porto Rico has been organized in accordance with the provisions of the said act of Congress;

And I do further declare and make known that the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico has enacted and put into operation a system of local taxation to meet the necessities of the government of Porto Rico.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington this 25th day of July, A. D. 1901, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-sixth.

WILLIAM MCKINLEY

By the President:

DAVID J. HILL,

Acting Secretary of State.