226 TlMEHRI. 
as involving considerable revenue. Several additional 
items were proposed by General Foster, and finally the 
present moderate list of 58 items was agreed to. I found 
great difficulty in tracing many of these articles in the 
existing dutiable or non-dutiable articles enumerated in 
the Blue Book, or to ascertain under what more general 
denominations in the tariff some of the articles mentioned 
in the proposed Free List might possibly be included. 
But after careful consideration, I think my estimate of 
possible loss of revenue under the Free List will be 
found tote ample. I understand however, that the Free 
List, from the point of view of the United States, was 
considered of great importance, apart from the question 
of the amount of duty involved. 
The question of the reduced duties on principal 
American imports led to much discussion. I urged 
that the rates of duty were equal on the articles 
concerned, come from what country they might, and 
I opposed any reduction. General Foster replied 
that the tariffs discriminated against United States 
goods in favour of British goods. The former were 
taxed from 23 to 200 and 300 per cent., instancing flour, 
oils and tobacco as against 7 or 8 per cent, upon English 
linens, cotton and hardware. He wanted the same per- 
centage of duty upon American as upon British or other 
goods. I pointed out that while clothing was essential 
to the people, flour and other imported provisions were 
not, as there were other articles of food grown in the 
colonies themselves. General Foster insisted that no 
such irregularities existed in the tariffs of Cuba and San 
Domingo. He finally asked what I had to suggest. I 
said I considered a 10 per cent, reduction of the present 
