SIR: The military contributions in the form of duties upon imports into
Mexican ports have been levied by the Departments of War and of the Navy
during the last six months under your order of the 31st of March last,
and in view of the experience of the practical operation of the system
I respectfully recommend the following modifications in some of its
details, which will largely augment the revenue:

That the duty on silk, flax, hemp or grass, cotton, wool, worsted or any
manufactures of the same, or of either or mixtures thereof; coffee,
teas, sugar, molasses, tobacco and all manufactures thereof, including
cigars and cigarritos; glass, china, and stoneware, iron and steel and
all manufactures of either not prohibited, be 30 per cent _ad valorem_;
on copper and all manufactures thereof, tallow, tallow candles, soap,
fish, beef, pork, hams, bacon, tongues, butter, lard, cheese, rice,
Indian corn and meal, potatoes, wheat, rye, oats, and all other grain,
rye meal and oat meal, flour, whale and sperm oil, clocks, boots and
shoes, pumps, bootees and slippers, bonnets, hats, caps, beer, ale,
porter, cider, timber, boards, planks, scantling, shingles, laths,
pitch, tar, rosin, turpentine, spirits of turpentine, vinegar, apples,
ship bread, hides, leather and manufactures thereof, and paper of all
kinds, 20 per cent _ad valorem;_ and these reduced rates shall also
apply to all goods on which the duties are not paid remaining not
exceeding ninety days in deposit in the Mexican ports, introduced under
previous regulations enforcing military contributions.

Yours, most respectfully,

R.J. WALKER,
_Secretary of the Treasury_.

NOVEMBER 6, 1847.

The modifications as above recommended by the Secretary of the Treasury
are approved by me, and the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the
Navy will give the proper orders to carry them into effect.

JAMES K. POLK.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, _November 16, 1847_.

The PRESIDENT.

SIR: With a view to augment the military contributions now collected by
the Departments of War and of the Navy under your order of the 31st of
March last, I recommend that the export duty exacted before the war by
the Government of Mexico be now collected at the port of exportation by
the same officers of the Army or Navy of the United States in the
Mexican ports in our possession who are authorized to collect the import
duties, abolishing, however, the prohibition of export established in
cer