The several acts to levy customs duties imposed also tonnage duties, and entrance, clearance and other port fees. These were reported by collectors along with customs receipts, and commissions, when they were the method of compensation, were allowed upon their amount. The bases for port charges were until 1840 such as were paid in the ports of the United States for the same service,1 but the act of February 5, 1840, prescribed a schedule of new charges.2

By the act of December 20, 1836, a tonnage duty of 25 cents a ton was levied upon all vessels of the burden of 10 tons and upward from a foreign port.3 This was raised to $1.00 by the act of June 12, 1837.4 In order to encourage steam navigation, steam packets were exempted from tonnage dues in 1837, but this was repealed in 1839.5 In 1841 it was provided that all vessels built in Texas and sailing under its flag should be free of tonnage duty,6 but the act of January 27, 1842, prescribed dues of 60 cents a ton. for merchant vessels and 30 cents for steamboats,7 and in 1844 it was provided that vessels of those powers with which Texas had no treaty, should pay $1.00.8 In 1845 Texas vessels and vessels of powers having a commercial treaty with Texas paid 62 1/2 cents a ton, and the vessels of other countries $1.00.9 Reciprocal treatment in regard to tonnage dues and port charges were provided for in the commercial treaties with France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands, but, as in the case of customs duties, the effect upon receipts was negligible, because the direct trade was insignificant.

1 Act of June 12, 1837, section 5; Gammel, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 1317.

2 Entrance and clearance of ships of less than 100 tons, $1.50; of more than 100 tons, $2.50; every port entry, $2.00; permits to land or load goods, 20 cents; bills of health and other documents, 20 cents. Ibid., vol 2, p. 209.

3 Ibid., vol. 1, p. 1286.

4 Ibid., p. 1317.

5 Act of December 18, 1837; ibid., p. 1428. Act of January 10, 1839; ibid., vol 2, p. 40.

6 Act of January 4, 1841; ibid., p. 480.

7 Ibid., p. 737.

8 Act of February 5, 1844; ibid., p. 107.

9 Act of February 1, 1845; ibid., p. 1109.

There are no statistics showing- the receipts from these sources, except for the year 1844, when tonnage dues amounted to $15,446, and fees of office and blanks, $2.390; and for the fifteen months ending January 1, 1846, when the amount derived from all items of this character was $25,433.1