VENEZUELAN LAWS AS TO TRANSIT TRAFFIC WITH COLOMBIA.

Consul Plumacher sends from Maracaibo a translation of the most recent laws in regard to goods shipped in transit to Colombian ports. The consul adds that if United States merchants are informed of the details of these laws, it will save delay and expense. The substance of the law is as follows:

I. TRANSIT TO COLOMBIA.

Foreign merchandise for Colombia is permitted to pass through Maracaibo to Cucuta. (Merchandise whose importation is prohibited can not be entered in the transit trade.) These goods shall be subject to all the conditions of the customs laws of Venezuela. Merchandise entered for transit shall be sent under separate consular invoices, stating that it is meant for transit; no parcel intended for Venezuela can be included. The transit goods can not be declared by the importer for consumption. The duties thereon'shall be paid in the same way as on those intended for consumption in Venezuela, and also the storage dues (1 per cent of value). A package that, on inspection, is found to be not in conformity with the custom-house laws shall be officially considered as meant for consumption, if it is not confiscated. If this package is accessory to other packages, the Treasury Department can, if requested by the interested parties, declare all of them as meant for consumption, with an addition of 10 per cent to the duties. Merchandise in transit can remain thirty days at the stores of the custom-house. After this period has elapsed and the authorities have given the interested parties three days' notice in which to remove it, the merchandise will be declared as meant for consumption, and a charge of 10 per cent added to the duties. This rule will not apply in case of war or other superior force which might interrupt the transit of goods. This shall be decided by the Executive.

If the importers or their agents wish to take out the goods within the thirty days, they shall present a manifest in triplicate, stating: The name, nationality, class, and captain of the ship in which the goods were imported, and the same details in regard to the vessel which is to convey them to Colombia; the mark, number, contents, and value of each package, according to the manifest presented when imported; and the weight and class of, and amount of duty on, each package, according to the customs valuation.

The custom-house shall compare this manifest with the manifest of introduction. (A book shall be kept to contain copies of the mani

fests, etc.

Copies shall be transmitted to the Treasury, and shall also be given to the importer.) A bond shall be given by the importer for the amount of duties on the goods he wishes to take out, to guarantee that within forty days he will present to the customhouse the landing certificate of the custom-house in Cucuta, certified by the Venezuelan consul at that place. After this bond is deposited,

the goods shall be inspected and marked to indicate that they are for The storekeeper shall keep account of them and deposit them apart from the others. On each copy of the manifest, note shall be made whether the same conforms to what is found on examination. In case anything is missing the matter shall be referred to the proper authorities, without recourse to the pecuniary responsibility of the storekeeper.

The collector of customs will grant a permit for shipment on one of the copies of the manifest, and the chief of the custom-house guards shall write thereon, "Give to chief of guards on wharf;" and the latter shall order the goods embarked, write "Embarked" below the permit, sign it, and return the manifest to the chief of the custom-house guards. This chief shall note the number of packages shipped, specify on the manifest all details of embarkation, and return the manifest to the collector of customs. The captain shall present a manifest, in duplicate, of the cargo to the custom-house, stating: The class, nationality, name, and tonnage of the vessel and the name of the master; the name of each shipper, of the vessel on which the goods were introduced, with their marks, numbers, and classification (whether boxes, bales, trunks, casks, barrels, crates, or other loose pieces), the amount of goods of each shipper and the total amount of goods; the date and the signature of the master. The collector of customs shall compare the manifests, and, if correct, shall return a certified copy to the captain. The manifest returned by the chief of the guard after the goods were embarked shall be kept as a voucher in settling accounts of the custom-house; one copy shall be sent to the Treasury and the other returned to the shipper, stamped. and certified to by the custom-house. A certified copy shall also be sent by the custom-house at Maracaibo to the Venezuelan consul at Cucuta. The consul must be present at examinations in Cucuta, and shall state on the manifest observations made during the same, and shall also notify the custom-house of any discrepancies with the manifest. The Republic of Colombia shall have the same privilege at Maracaibo.

The landing certificate, which the interested party shall present to the custom-house within forty days after giving bond, shall contain all of the statements of the permits and shall be certified by the Cucuta custom-house. A copy of this document shall be presented,

together with the original, to the Venezuelan consul for his certification. The consul shall send to Maracaibo and to the Treasury copies of the manifest.

If the landing certificate is not presented within the forty days, or if it does not comply with the proper formalities, or if there are signs of forgery, the Maracaibo custom-house shall collect the amount of the bond, with a penalty interest of 2 per cent, counting from the day of entrance examination; criminal proceedings shall also be instituted. In case of war or superior force, action will not be taken until the matter is decided by the National Executive.

If the consul notices discrepancies in the number of bales, in weight or contents, or if the goods are of a different class from that represented, the interested party shall pay a fine equal to double the amount of duties, besides being subject to penalties according to law. Difference in weight not exceeding 5 per cent, or the natural shrinkage in provisions and liquors, shall not be included in the above regulation; cases which can be accounted for by superior force shall also not be subject to penalty. Such circumstances must receive certification from the Cucuta custom-house and the Venezuelan consul. The landing certificate, when received at the Mara

caibo custom-house, will serve to cancel the bond.

When goods in transit for Colombia are imported through any custom-house of the Republic except Maracaibo, the same may be examined and the duties thereon paid at the custom-house, and afterwards forwarded coastwise to Maracaibo. They must be shipped to Maracaibo within thirty days, or they will be declared as meant for consumption. The goods must be shipped under one sole permit, which shall be an exact copy of the manifest for importation presented to the custom-house, with the result of the examination noted thereon. The importer shall give bond for the amount of duties as above explained, and this bond shall be canceled if the landing certificate of the Cucuta custom-house is presented within sixty days; otherwise, it shall be forfeit. The Maracaibo custom-house shall examine the goods and state on the permit whether the examination shows any discrepancies or not, and fulfill the same formalities as if they were brought to Maracaibo direct. The first custom-house shall collect per cent of the value of the invoice for storage, and the same charge shall be made at Maracaibo. All custom-houses must comply with the regulations given above for Maracaibo.

II.—IMPORTS TO VENEZUELA.

National produce and manufactures of Colombia can be introauced through the frontier only via San Antonio del Tachira and Maracaibo, which alone are authorized to receive said products.

Imports into San Antonio del Tachira must be made by means of the public road. The interested party shall present to the Venezuelan consul in Cucuta the invoice in triplicate and the permit (together with a copy thereof) granted by the Cucuta custom-house. The consul shall certify the invoice and return to the interested party the original permit, with the statement that it is correct. The interested party shall present the invoice, together with the proper manifest, to the Tachira custom-house; he shall request in writing a permit to introduce the goods, stating the number of packages and depositing bond. The collector of customs shall grant the permit and send it to the chief of guards. The collector will state at the bottom of the two copies of the manifest, the date when it was presented, and also state that the permit was granted. The conveyor of the goods shall present to the guard's office, situated on the Venezuelan side of the River Tachira, a note signed by the shipper, giving the name of the conveyor, the consignee of the goods, and the marks and numbers of the same; also whether they are a part or the whole of the goods to be sent. The chief of the guards shall compare the amount of goods with the note, certify with signature, and deliver the note to the custom-house guard, who will accompany the goods to the custom-house. No packages shall be disposed of on the way. The person in charge of the custom-house shall compare the note with the goods, see that the packing, etc., is correct, and have them stored. He shall state at the bottom of the note the hour when they were received, and give the note to the collector.

As soon as the number of goods described in the permit has been introduced, the chief of the guards on the frontier shall return the permit to the custom-house with the proper indorsement. The permit must be returned on the fifth day, even if all the goods have not passed the frontier. All the goods must reach Tachira before the fifth day. The collector can grant an extension of three days in cases of emergency. Such extension must be stated on the permit.

When the importation is made through the custom-house at Maracaibo, all the formalities prescribed in the custom-house law on imports not proceeding from the Antilles shall be complied with, the permit granted by the Cucuta custom-house and certified by the Venezuelan consul being substituted for the statement of the captain.

Should Colombian manufactures from Cucuta arrive at the frontier without the permit described above, the chief of the guards will hold the goods, the mules and vehicles, and notify the collector of customs. If the manifest is presented later, with the consular invoice, the written request for the permit, and the shipper's note describing the goods, as above required, the permit shall then be granted. If the note is presented without the other documents, or

if the documents are presented without the note, the importer shall pay double the amount of duties; if all papers are missing, the importer shall be fined the same amount and all goods, together with mules and vehicles, shall be confiscated.

Colombian manufactures imported by any other route than the one prescribed shall be confiscated; as well as imports before 6 a. m. and after 4.30 p. m., unless the collector has granted special license. In all of these cases, the transgressor shall be fined double the amount of duties on the confiscated goods.

Colombian fruits and natural products shall be admitted free as long as the same privilege is accorded products of Venezuela. Manufactures of natural products shall pay duties according to the class as established by law. Colombian natural products which can not be confounded with those of other countries will not require invoices or consular certifications, but only a permit issued by the Cucuta custom-house. To introduce fruits and natural products not manufactured, the interested party need only present a written statement as to the nature of the goods at the custom-houses of Maracaibo or Tachira. This statement is not required when the goods are in small quantity, sufficient for one family. The articles just described can not be admitted when included in a package with dutiable goods. In this case the entire package shall be subject to the duty applying to the article therein of the highest class.

Violation of the law in regard to importation of Colombian manufactures shall be punished according to the law governing coastwise trade, when the manufactures are not dutiable; when dutiable, by the law on imports.

The voucher for every importation must comprise: The certified invoice transmitted by the consul; the importer's manifest, with its invoice; the original permit of the Cucuta custom-house; the permit to import; the letters of the consul in regard to the goods; copies of the notices to the proper judges to prosecute in cases of necessity; the receipt which the importer gives for the copy of the statement that he has paid; the said copy returned by him, according to the law on imports. At the Tachira custom-house, the notes of the conveyors of goods shall be joined to the permits.

III. EXPORTS.

As long as transit duties are collected at Maracaibo on dutiable fruits and products meant for export to Colombia via Cucuta, the same shall be subject to no charge at Tachira. The interested party shall present at Tachira a manifest in duplicate, stating the number of packages, with their marks, numbers, gross weight, and prices. The custom-house shall examine said goods, return a copy of the