IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^^ >.^^, 1.0 I.I 1.25 1 ■- IIIM tUUl. IIIIIM U ill 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST lAAIN STRUT V»:.5fM,N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4S03 # ■1>^ 1 V iV <> 4 ^ '^>. 6^ %> CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibiiographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. □ Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ D D D D Couverture endommagto Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurie at/ou pelliculAe □ Cover title missing/ Letit D titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes giographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Reili avec d'autres documents ry[ Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serrAe peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion l« long da la marg* intirieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouties lors d'une restauration apparaissant dans le texts, mais, lorsque cela Atait possible, ces pages n'ont pas it* filmtes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmentaires; L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a iti possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-itre uniques du point ue vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mithode normals de filmage sont indiquto ci-dessous. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur □ Pages damaged/ Pages endommagies |~~1 Pages restored and/or laminated/ D Pages restauries et/ou pelliculies Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcotories. tacheties ou piqu^es Pages detached/ Pages ditachies Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Qualiti inigale de {'impression Includes supplementary materii Comprend du materiel supplimentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible I I Pages detached/ r~7] Showthrough/ r~~| Quality of print varies/ r~n Includes supplementary material/ pn Only edition available/ d c b rl r( n Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc.. have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Lee pages totalement ou partieilement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pHure. etc.. ont M filmies A nouveau de fa^on d obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film* au taux de reduction indiqu* ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X MX 30X J itx 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X Th« copy fllmad h«r« hat been reproduc«d thanks to the ganarosity of: Library of tha Public Archivas of Canada L'axampiaira film* f ut raproduit grica A la gAntroaitA da: La bibliothAqua das Archivas publiquas du Canada Tha imagas appaaring hara ara tha baat quality poaaibia considaring tha condition and lagibility of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha filming contract spacif ications. Original copiaa in printad papar covara ara fllmad baglnning with tha front covar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impras- sion, or tha back covar whan approprlata. All othar original copiaa ara filmad baginning on tha first paga with a printad or llluatratad impras- sion, and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impraaaion. Las imagas sulvantas ont AtA raproduites avac ia plus grand soin, compta tanu da la condition at da la nattatA da l'axampiaira fiimA, at an conformity avac las conditions du contrat da filmaga. Laa axamplairas originaux dont la couvertura en papiar ast ImprimAa sont filmte an commandant par la pramlar plat at an tarminant soit par ia darnlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraasion ou d'illustration. soit par la sacond plat, salon ia cas. Tous las autras axamplairas originaux sont filmAs an commandant par la pramlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraasion ou d'illustration at an tarminant par ia darnlAra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Tha last racordad frama on aach microficha shall contain tha symbol -^> (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol V (moaning "END"), whichavar appiias. Un daa symbo!as sulvants apparaftra sur ia darnlAra imaga da chaqua microficha, salon la caa: la symbols -^ signifia "A SUIVRE", la aymbola ▼ signifia "FIN". Maps, platas, charts, ate, may ba fllmad at diffarant reduction ratios. Thosa too iarga to ba entirely included in one expoeure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right end top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diegrams illustrate the method: Lea cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs A dee teux de rMuctlon diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul ciichA, il est filmA A pertir de I'engle supArieur gauche, da gauche A droite. et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'Imeges nAcesseire. Les disgrammas sulvants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 yp s < I ; w it To \ (I.. REPORT FROM THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE ■, . ■ EfEGISLJlTIFE CO imCIL : . *^ . * . - ^ ' OF THE MBl ,-*ru-.M-'P RO V I N C E : . '■ ■', k ii.itall LOWER-CANADA, > To whom the Petition from several Merchants and Ship^ Owners of the Port of Quebec, was referred, with in- struction to the said Committee, to enquire into the means of extending and securing the Coasting Trade of this Province ; also, the Trade carried on between this Province and the other possessions of His Majesty in North- America. *^' ' / . . i:-} ' *:Si» *ti : ..:■ ^ Reported by the Honorable William B. Felton, 5th March, 1824. !in ©ttrtec: PRINTED BY ORDER OP THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, BT P. E. DESBARATB, LAW PRINTER TO THE KING's M08T EXCELLENT MAJESTY. wtM V: I i.r f»? \\ "1 ^l»- -WW- ^- ■MTii. v^-- •"ST - VV(M\ ^■":;\ '!"¥•, -X'?Ty\^'\ \ LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Saturday^ (Sth March^ 1824, Ordered. That one hundred copies extra ot the Report of ^^■^ .the said Committee^ "with all the Papers, Evidenee» "'f^*' and Documents accompanying; (he same, be printed Sid? m both lanfijuages. ,■,, ;r .[ ,^:. . wmv, q" "^ "' "■■■••■"■ (Attest)"'""^ ' '-■'■'«■>"• -;-;Vu/i • (Signed) Wm. SMITH. , C. L. C. 4>Svii ,f >»*i.' J. 'i ..'? fij^i (.,;, /^ 1 f ; ^ ■*• . «^, ■M* '' , ,.''■".,■. M . v^s\nies are British Dcket or and ex- , by the )tember, he Cus- in their ;n to re- e rigged ce ; but Beers at ting the ;imating sof Spe- !rence to ts parti- at Que- isting of I Outwards. General clearance, Report, Warrant to load. Certificate of report. Bill of stores. List of men. Foreign topsail vessels, • £0 18 11 2 6 2 4 2 2 9 6 6 6 6 £2 2 5 Add, Inwards, 3 9 ■'i > £5 3 2sterl. The Commissioners, in their letter dated London.. 7th Oc- tober, 1814, acknowledging the abovesaid letter of 10th Au- gust, 1813, state, that the fees in the Plantations being still under consideration, they are to govern themselves by the Halifax docket in the mean time. This the principal officers of the Customs at Quebec construed into a confirmation of the fees, as stated in their said letter of 10th August, 1813; but nothing being said by the Commissioners as to the fees so stated, or the particular application thereof, the question still remained undecided, as to what the Halifax docket justi- fied in respect to such application. • ' * The Committee then proceeded to examine evidence to as- certain the facts whereon the matters of complaint rested. Persons, therefore, the most likely to afford the needful in-, formation upon the actual practice, were called before them and interrogated. The questions put to them, and their answers, were minut- ed in writing, and the whole submitted to the perusal of the Collector, and some questions thereon framed, in order that he might be enabled, if he saw fit, to reply thereto, and to afi'ord to the Committee the means of forming a correct opi- nion upon the subject matter of reference. It was his wish that questions should be pat to him in writing, instead of having the general testimony to reply to. - . - ' ., A representation to His Excellency the Governor, by tlic| Collector Mid Comptroller^ upon the eoin|>laiiKts of the pe- titioners, was submitted to the Committee by the Cdllector^ and also copies of a correspondence betweet ike late Comp- troller ijod the Commissioners of tbe Customs, iritfa the Col< lector's remarks thereon. Upon perusal thereof, r.nd of his answers to the abovesaid I questions, and after mature deliberation npoa the whole of the allegations in the said petition of the Merchants and Ship owners, with their testimony in support thereof, and the do- cumentff^ remarks and answers, produced by the Collector in support of the right to the fees exacted and received, — the Comnaittee came to the following conclusions : That many difficulties and disputes originate and continue from the neglect of defining with accuracy, the meaning of | words whereon contendiiig parties support thoir infe rentes . This, finf^rtanately, has eepeciaUy been the case in the mat- ters referred to the Committee. The coBstroctioa pat u^or tbe Halifax docket by the Custom-house officers and by the merciiants, essentially diiflfer, and irn sever a! cases are directly coutradietefy. The Halifax docket is worded with such a want of precision, as to leave room for great latitude of con- itructien, and particularly in its application to the Port of Quebec, in relation to the neigthbouring Provinces. The Merchants contend, tbat the additional fee for ''foreign top- sail vessels/' cannot apply to othfsrthan sqnare-rigged vesscb c€Hning from beyond sea; wb^easthe Officers of the Customs include thei'eifi vessels of aJ^l descriptions, carrying topsaik, even scfaoonets of forty tons, coimiog from a port out of this Proiiince. In the apprehension of the Committee, a foreign topsail vessel, to come under the feir construction of the spirit c^f the docket, although doubt^^ by its letter, (fotr foreign is higli- ly incorrect as applied to Britmsh vessels) can only at most be n. vessel coming from beyoind sea, as for instance, from amy ^opt in Europe or the West Indies. For even admittifng thesfe Bcbooners and sloops carrying topsails, coming from or going io those ports, sho^kl be cottsidered to he foreign topaail ves- sels, yet such, coming Sson or .^ing to th« porte of the Bcighliouring^ Proviiiees and Newfoundland^^nd being sp^ketk of bv seamen as topsail sehooners or sloofs, ought not to be liable to the " foreign topsail vessel" fee. Another material difference of constFuciion, respects reffis* ters. The Merchants contend, that no fee is legally exigible thereon, unless for a new register, or for endorsing an old one, where there is a change of the Master or Owner. The Officers of the Customs exact a fee of 17s. 4d. sterling, in the case of vessels of all descriptions, for each Yoyage, even to the extent of four voyages in a season, for a schooner, to Nova-Scotia ; considering themselves justified therein by their statement of fees to the Commissioners, of the lOth Au- gust, 1813, where one of the items is called, '^ Recording Registers.*' The Committee think this is manifestly erroneous. It was net explained to the Commissioners what was meant by recording registers ; and consequently, that Board could only suppose it related to registers under the Halifax docket. Now, that docket expressly mentions 3b. 4d. sterling as the fee for " en* dorsing a register/' and I7s. 4d. for a "new register, and rv- cording the same ;" which clearly establishes the distinction between a new and an old register ; the endorsation having re- ference to the latt&Tj and the fee thereon exigible only when the case arises ; and the Iirge fee is not exigible at all, unless for a new register ^ registration whereof is essential to its com- pletion, and forms a part that cannot be separated therefrom. There is also a difference of construction in what respects the anchorage fee of 6s. sterling, which includes 2s. for Sur- veyor and Searcher. This, the Merchants insist, is only due on vessels which anchor and proceed without landing their cargoes, or after landing part of their cargoes, at Quebec. Whereas it is taken whether such be the case or not, under the idea that they cannot know the ulterior intention as to landing ; but as it is never in any case returned, and the far greater number of vessels do land their entire cargoes at Que- bec, the fair meaning o^ the docket does not appear io justify the practice respecting this fee. A question arises on the sabjeet of fees on vessels which preeeed and land their cargoes at Montreal^ and there load i 8 their return cargoes, — Whether the whole Custom-house fees thereon, at Quebec or Montreal, together should exceed the legal fees exigible for entrance and clearance of vessels which unload and load at Quebec, adding thereto the anchorage fee. The Committee think that this is a fair construction ; but the Officers of the Customs at Quebec consider them- selves not only entitled to the whole of the Quebec fees on all such vessels, but 17s. 3d. currency, in addition thereto, with- out allowing for or abating any part thereof, for those paid at Montreal. On this point the docket contains nothing ex- planatory. It appears that the Searcher and Waiter, since they collect- ed their own fees in 1816, have gone according to the con- struction of the Halifax docket by the Collector and Comp- troller varying the amount in particular cases, according to the rates of the Collector and Comptroller's charges. These are the most material points whereon differences of construction have continued to exist, and thereby furnished a fertile field for discontent and complaint, exclusive of some of minor import, all of which might have long ago been set at rest, had they been fairly and unequivocally stated to the board of Customs, whilst a general reference, without speci- fication of the application to particular cases, leads to mis- conception, i Discontent and complaint might also have been done away, or a foundation laid therefor, if the Officers of the Customs had given to each person clearing a vessel the par* ticulars included in the amount of fees demanded. Refer- ence to a docket or table as an explanation, can afford no satisfaction, unless the items are given, whereby a com parison with the table can be made. A refusal or neglect to do so, furnishes reasonable cause for suspicion, whether there be good ground for it or not, and such neglect is liable to abuse. The Committee find that no particulars have been given when explanations of the fees on clearing out, have been asked for. Every p'^rson paying money has a right to an ac- count of the particulars for which it is exacted. ,. Custom House fees are granted as a remuneration for the service? of the Officers, and not as taxes, for their benefit. house rees|\\^hen too high, etert 'When legal, they injure fair trade and sceed the I Navigation, and tend to destroy the source whence the means lels which I of their piiyment is derived I But vho can say whether any mchorage I piif t be illegal, if only stated in the gross ? h » truction ; | \^ respects the future, the Committee are of opinion that dor them- 1 vessels from and to Euntpe or the West Indies, on clearing fees on all I ^u^ at Quebec, could bear to pay according to the fair mean* eto, ^ith-l idg of the Halifax docket, excepting that no " foreign top- those paid I gall vessel" fee should be charged for schooners or sloops ; and )thing ex- 1 they have to observe that as the Halifax docket of fees was I framed before the independence of the United States, the jy collect-! ^ofds thereof ought not literally to be construed as precisely > the con- 1 of the same import^ as then. Therefore in the opinion of the id Comp- 1 Committee, the words of that docket Bay of Fundi;, Louis- wording to! [,j^y.g ^^d Canso, should be equitably considered in respect to ■^' I Quebec, as analogous to Nova Scotiaj New Brunswick and ferences of! Newfoundland^ and the fees on vessels trading thereto which furnished! exceed 60 tons burthen to be chargeable at one half the rate ^e of some! of vessels from or to Europe or the West Indies, without aeen set at! ^ny allowance therein for " foreign top-sail vessels." That ted to the! on vessels which dd not exceed 60 tons the charge should be out speci- only one half of what would be so chargeable for such vessels ds to mis- above 60 tons. And that the fee on small vessels or craft 'When employed in the fishing or Oyster trade to or from any place within the Gulf of Sti Lawrence, should be the same as is now paid on coasters within the Province. The Committecj in thus giving their opinion upon the Custom-house fees, beg leave to add thereto, that the Legis- lature of this Province is incompetent to alter or to amend the rates thereof) established under the authority of the Im- perial Parliament! ' , 'wnetnei 'j'ljg hours of business at the Custom-house being from ten have been (een done rs of the I the par- Refer- an afford )y a corn- neglect whether to two o'clock, are certainly too short, under the peculiar -■ circumstances of our navigatiouj and an extension thereof to ave been fo^j o'clock is desirable. The Committee feel it their duty to an ac-l to state, that there is no complaint of refusal io do business ^ , ■ out of the office hours, or on holydays, when special cases \^h fii ^®^"^''® **• ^" ^^^ contrary, all the Merchants acknowledge ^r benebt tb^i \^ that > aspect; every facility and accommodation by the r " Id Officef •« witfe^Q nhd ^t of door«« are rttdily afforded^ f an abolition of feesy as to the Ofll^ aers themselves, and for a tonnage duty in tie^ thereof, as a fund for the payment of fixed salaries. Of the benefit to the trade^ that would result from such al change, the Committee strongly dotibt ;- and under a consi* deration of the shortness of mir season of navigation, they are inclined to think that moderate fees, elearly defined, aceordf ing to the rates stated by them, as abovesaid, cofipled with a note Or account of their detail,, to be f«rni^d at each pay* ment thereof, would practically be preferable. Sueh a liote br account wou^ld prevent abuse, mistake and complaint, and occasion no additionnil trouble ; as, by having blank forms printed^ containing separately in detail each legal charge uB'^ der its proper denomination, the sum applicable to the au* thorised charge, for what may have been done, could, at the clearance of the vessel, be carried out> and when paid, the Offieer receiving the raooeyy should sign and deliver it to the person paying the same. The Naval Officer originally had ten shillings for square- rigged vessels, and five shillings on others coming to and going from the Province ; but for some years past, he has cdjcaoted and reteived twenty shillings, and ten shillings, cur- rency, vi^hicb he Justifies by the Scale of the Provincial Table of Fees, in the Ordinance 20th Geo.' III. ehap B>, although it is expired. He states, that the smaller rate was taken un- der what he afterwards considered to be a'mi9Concep%i4>n of the construction of the Ordinance. That Table admits of two constructions as to his fees;* ofeie whereof would bear him out in the ebargc ;: but the Ordi- Bance being expired, it introduces doirbt as to his right of exaction by that Scale. He, however, is entitled to fees> and those paid prior to his exaction of the increased rate would !>« j been unobjee- tionable. As an officer of the ProvineifU G^vemmeBt, the •• k • 1 CQmptroUer J ptrticipi^ Tested t]feir to the Om- titereofj as • rrom siifch ai ider a eoDsi" on, they ar^ ledy aceordf pled with a it each pay* Sueh a hotf nplaint, and tilank fornu i charge un<' e t^ the all" ouldj at thf n paid> the rer it iof the for square- ling to and past, he hM ilUn^, eur- nciai Table i, although ts taken un- ncepiion 9i is feet, Okie t the brdi- liis right of id prior to ;n unobjee- MneBt^ the II Legi«hitur« of that day, included his fees in the CreHeM Table. » i The Trinity dues consist ef a duty on ▼esseki> liid (^mior wards defraying the eicpences of the Light Ho"iAi oit Griien Island, and of placing buoys to facilitate the satigation (xf the riTer. These dues, although inadequate to c^vtr theism expences, are considered by the trade as bigh« and je<|uirin|^ some reduction. ; ,v)i(|;ij.r The rates of Pilotage are mdre especially eompWited •!;% all Masters of Tessels, as too high and as 'beidgi susoept^^ihs of reduction, so as still to leaTo an adequate rerouneratioll to the Pileis for their services. A higher rate of pitotage for vessels navigating before the first of May, and ailer the ii$t of November, tlwn for those navigating between those ib£^- tveen thoee periods, is not only unobjectionable, but djipa- dient, as a premium to pilots to exert themselves , .^t, thoiB seasonsof greater risk. ^ :u/.rif >il^ Upon mature consideration of the matters contained in ^ Petition referred to them, the Committee have to state as their opinion, that there has been an irregularity ill thof^Ql- leetion of fees ; and that some fees have been exacted and paid at the Custom-house of Quebec, which iare not saactioil^ ed by the Halifax docket. SECTION SECOND. .A Your CommHtee now proceed to the subject matter Of the reference respecting the coasting trade, and the trade carried on with the ports of the other British Provinces of North America^ '^Jib 1st. It is necessary to premise this part of the report hy noticing that the distinctive term of "coasters" has been U- mited by the Custom-House, and applied as it affects the ftes authorized by the Halifax docket, only to vessels employed within the limits of tb^s Province, and on this description of vessel, your Committee has no remark to offer. %A. The vessels employed in the conveyance of flour and other provision^, from Quebec to Halifax and Newfoundland, rary in burthen from ^ to 90 tons ; it appears that vessels m !'■* K*.' ^f tlie smaller dimensions, viz. from 30 to 60 tons/ atef those which usually are engaged in this trade, and they are of a size whieh can conveniently be employed ifi the fishery business! ^hen freights cannot be obtained for the out^ports ; many of these vessels are owned by residents in the District of Gaspe, And others by persons residing in the small ports of the nci$h- iyouriQg Provinces. m '.av The proprietors are generally men of very limited capital,! who not only construct but fit out these vessels with little 'other manual 'assistance than what their own families afford. ' These vessels are built of the ch'^^ipest materials, and; are equipped with the most minute attention to economy, and 4he crew is supported in the most parsimonious manner .-«- The concurrent testimony of all the persons who have given evidence before the Committee on the subject of the coasting trade, proves, that notwithstanding the utmost economy in the management of t|ie small craft, they ar>e unable to convey produce from Quebec to Halifax on equal terms with thej vessels which are engaged in the carrying trade between Ha- lifkx and the ports of the United States. This is attributed in I a great measure to the heavy exactions of the Customs, the I Naval Office, and the Trinity dues ; and it does appear to ' the Committee, that the fees and dues levied on these vessels, bear too large a proportion to the freight usually paid, being about 20 per cent. On a vessel of 40 tons ; and much exceed the dues exacted in the United States on American vessels employed in the coasting trade of the said States, which are limited to six cents a ton per annum, and a dollar and a half for each vessel, for entry and clearance. Some part of the difference of expence is, however, attributable to the cir- cumstance of the vessels seldom obtaining return cargoes, and to the short period of the navigation, which rarely aUows of more than four voyages in the course of one season, andl compels the vessel, owner and crew, to lie unemployed for half the year, during which time they must depend for sup- port on the profits of the preceding summer. Your Com- mittee have reason to believe, that the intercourse between I Quebec and the ports in neighbouring Provinces, has greatly' increased, since the Act of the Imperial Parliament^ impos-' Id Hg tke protective duty of 5s. sterling per barrel on flour, ha« ome into operation, the number of small vessels cleared out eing 42 in 1811, and 101 in 18^3. Tbat this rapid improvement could have taken place under he injurious exactions complained of, affords rational rounds for the expectation, that when a more equitable ta- riff of fees shall be established, the commerce with the sister Provinces will become more important, and will open a less precarious and more extensive market to our agricultural pro- ductions. Your Committee is of opinion, that the peculiar circumstances of this country render it expedient to afford all possible assistance to the transport of our produce to the port of Halifax, which appears to stand in the relation to this Province of a commercial entrepot ; and as the smaller des- criptions of vessels can be navigated with least expence, and are applicable to other useful purposes, it is desirable to r^- lieve them, as far as practicable, from all unnecessary charges and impositions. With this view, your Committee recom- mend, that the Naval Officers' fees, on vessels belonging to the North American Provinces, employed in the trade be- tween Quebec and thoge Provinces, be established on the footing of the fees now exacted for coasting vessels ; and that they be entirely exempted from the Trinity dues. Your Com- mittee believe that these arrangements, with the modification of the docket of fees recommended in the preceding section of this Report, will afford effectual relief to the important inte- rests connected with the coasting trade of these Provinces^ i The \y^hole, nevertheless, respectfully submitted. (Signed,) Committee Chamber, 4th INIarch, 1824. W. B. FELTON, Chairman. The following Resolutions accompanied the foregoing Re- port, and were agreed to by the House, on the 6lh JVTarch, 1824:— Resolved, That it is the opinion of this House, that there has been irregularity in the exaction and reception of fees -4 ■■■■i I \ htfO .1 ! i ^4 fit th« Cifstotn-hoase of Quebi^e, on the ontratic« m clearance of vessels, i/vhicb irregalarity has been promoi ed by the ambiguous manner in which thd Halifax dock is worded» and thereby admitting of g;reat latitude of con itruction. ^iMf^ts0, That it is the opinion of this House^ that the has been an essential difference of construction npoi i the words, '* foreign, topfaU vessels,** '* new registers ' recording the same/* and "^fpchorage," flesoLTED, That it is the opinion of this Hoase^ (hat th«| words '^ foreign topsail vessels'* cannot properly appl^ to topsail schooners or. sloops, coming from beyond sei,! and much lera to vessels of that descriptioiii arriving fronl or going to the Provinces of NovaScotia and New Bruni'l wick, or from or to Newfoundland. EcsoLVED, That it is the opinion of this Houso, that thel words, '* new registers and recording the same,'* can cipply| only to actual new registers given and recorded at Qu# bee, and to none other ; and that recording is a oompo< nent part of such registers, and being inseparable there from, cannot form an item for a distinct fee/' Resolved, That it is the opinion of this House, that the fee of anchorage can only be claimable on a vessel ancho^ Ing at Quebec, and proceeding therefrom with the whole or a part of thie cargo % and that the ship-stores can in no »* case be considered as part of her carso. RjBSOLVED, That it is the opinion of this House, that ves- seis anchoring at Quebec, but proceeding and unloading and loading the whole of their cargoes at Montreal, are not, by the Halifax docket, chargeable, nor ought to be chargeable, when clearing out at Quebec, with more, as (o the whole entrance and clearance, than the like fees as arc legally chargeable for like vessels unloading and load* ing at Quebec, adding thereto anchorage, but deducting (herefrom the legal tees payable at Montreal on such vessels. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this House, that there have been exacted and received at Quebec^ fees that ar^ not authorised by the Halifax docket. '1'/ '•J ('Va 'V'-l«' ^Kt v.uii 7 / /i ssotVED^ Tiiat it is the opinion of (his House, that ^heri an explanation, or particulars of the items composing the fees exacted for entrance and clearance of ves and that all vessels trading between those ports and Quebec, should be exempted from (he charge on '* foreign topsaU teasels f and that on vessela under 60 tons burthen, the fees should be i^educed^ one half. Resolved, That h is the opinion of this Honse, (hat all craft employed in the fisheries^ or the oyster trade, withim the Gulf of St. Lawrence, should be plaeed,as to fees, oft the same footing as " Coasters/* within this Province. ^Resolved, Tha jn humble address be presented to His Ex-* cellency the Governor in Chief, to pray His Excellency that he will be pieased to transmit to His Majesty's prin- cipal Secretary of State for the Colonial department, the the above Resolutions, with the respectful entreaty of the Legislative Covncil, that the same may be laid before the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, rn order that such relief may be had in the premises, by reduction of fees, regulations to prevent abuses therein, and for promoting the trade and navigation of this Province, as a part of the Britiib Empire^ as shall seem just and expe- dient. ill \ I 1^ Appendix (A.) Ui n- ^0 the Honorable the Legislative Council bf the t'ro^ ProviiiceofLower-Cauada^ in Provincial Parliament| assembled* ft ^he petition of the Merchants and Ship^Ovrners of lhePoH| bf Quebec^ sheweth,-^ I paid the |t|on9| ragii land medi| I ricani lLow< isels amoul nevol duty and 4» Thai in the year dne thousand seven hundred and sixty* nincj the Comrnissioners of l-lis iMajesty's Customs in America,! acting under the authority of the Imperial Actuf ParlidmentJ 6th Geo. III. Cap. 45, ordered the Officers of the Port of QueJ bee, to re(^uiate their fees by those received at Halifax, an(l| transmitted a copy of the Halifax docket, certified by their Se< cretary, Mr. Reeves, of which your Petitioners annex a copy! for immediate referfence. That the fees now exacted, of whichl a statement is subjoined, do not correspond with that docket;] that explanations to the parties paying, are refused by the Otfi* cers of the Customs ; that the fees have been increased at va-j rious times, and material augmentations made since the de*| partment became under the direction of the present Collector,! without apparent necessity, and by no law, to the knowledge! of your Petitioners. That the fees, now levied, are unneces* sarily and oppressively high) have long been a sahject of dis- satisfaction to the trade, and a complaint from British Shipj owners ; that they fall particularly heavy on small vessels em* ployed in the fishing and coasting trade, between this and thel Sister Provinces of New-Brunswick, Nova-Scotia, Labrador,! &c. &c. which make several voyages during the season, audi are yet subjected, on each entry and clearance, to the samel fees as vessels to distant ports ; such fees amounting, on mostl occasions, to a seventh of their gross freight, and with the feesl 17 // [paid at the lower ports^ to more than a fifth of the freight on tb^ voyage out and home. That such disproportionate exac* I tfons on coasting and small ve'^'^els, are destructive to the coast- { iHgirade, ruijDous to the proprietors of small craft, and discou- raging to the enterprise and industry of Provincial navigators, I and in the humble opinion of your Petitioners, call for the im- mediate interference of your Honorable House. That Ame- rican vessels are able and do carry from their ports tp the Lower Provioces^ at much lower rates of freight than the ves- sels of this port can, partly on account of the difference in the amount of their Custom-house charges ; and that thus the be- nevolent intention of His Majesty's Government, in laying a duty on American produce, for the encouragement of the trade and agriculture of these Provinces, is materially counteract- ed. That the amounts of fees exacted on some occasions, have been greater than on others, on vessels of the same class, loaded with the same description of cargoes, and in all respects under the same circumstances ; by which it would appear that the exaction of fees is arbitrary with the officers. That by the number and Variety of fees at present demanded, officers have temptatioiiS and opportunities of imposing on individuals; and, the department not acknowledging superior authority over it in the Province, immediate means of redress are not attainable ; that, therefore, the abolition of all minor fees, and the payment of one general fee or duty to Government, accord- ing to the tonnage of vessels and distance of voyage, and the payment of officers by salary, as lately adopted in Great-Bri- tain, would preclude such encroachments, and be most satisfac- tory to the trader And your Petitioners take the present opportunity of representing, that, notwithstanding the liberal fees paid by the trade, and the splendid revenues enjoyed therefrom by the officers, that the time given by them for at- tendance to the public business, viz. — from ten until twelve, to receive papers for the clearance of v'essels, and from ten until two for general business, has been much too circumscrib- led for the convenience of the public, during the busy periods lof our limited season — the Spring and Fall. That your Peti- Itioners, in the statement subjoined of fees paid, have included |the Trinity-House dues and fees levied by the Naval Officer, H W ' 1^ that your HoRorable House tubj be infoftn^ of Ihe'tottl amoont of fees paid by the trade in clearing veaaels ; Ihftt tins fee exacted by the Natal Officer is considered very high^ mtiii that your Petitioners can find no authority by^iHiieh h&etLU de- mand it. And yorUr Petitioners horabty pMrfj Ikftt y^iMr 11^ norable House will take the premises into eoniAd^nifibft^ imi ailbrd such relief, as, in your wisdom, may seOOi fit. Querbec, 3d February, 18^. [Signed by TS Merchants and Ship-OwiMlik]'^ ^J'' STATEMENT of Fees paid in 16^ and I8@S^ on tuaefhtg and tlearing Vessdn. Referred ta ^ the ab&6t JFetitimL EXAMPLES. lS2t. Jooe 96 f Barque Sally, ^13 torn. Sntrjr ontwards, £0 7 4 CoU. and Compt. 6 3 9 Waiter & Searchers, 2 7 4 7 17 10 Nav«l Officer, His fee, igl O Harboar Mr. 7 6 Oh^nity-liease -dw», 4 8 4,5 10 to II I ii« I ■ ^1^ 8 8 18^* J«ie 17, Ship Moiarcii, 375 tens, £Btr]r •otwardf), ^74 Coll. ^ Compt. 5 13 2 Waiter and Searchers,^ 8 6 « i Nwwil Oflicer, Bh(»e^ 1^1 Harbour Mr. 7 Trintt^-hoose - &net, 5 4 », 6 W O '> ■••w !|i i-kJ ^**«-J>wlU.*.-, ,,•:-.. i&15 1 3 1833. Sept* 4S, Bmiw Mly^ Ji4 iNiif Coll. and Compt* 4 13 Waliter & Seardiert, 2 9 MkaM***** 9 4 4 JNaval Offi«?r4 His fee, ^1 Hai1[)onr Mr. 7 U T!^inily<4KKi8e diW) 4 8 '^ 6 liO to «Mf« J&12 1« 4 ■^p— • 18f3. OctDker 18, fliip HelM, 4fi tm. Entrjr ootvardf f J^ 7 4 Coll. and Com(/t. 4 12 Waiter ftlSearcher, 3 7 11 r r a Nt»val Ofioerj His fee, ^i Haifboqr Mr. 7 U TrlfiAtjr^e>Me 4u«n^ I O C, B O ^■|l|l| III ■nil II I " }» i July 10, Brig Fenchette, 345 toUy Sept. 5, Barque Mint, 460 tons. ^, Entry (Miftwar^f. ^74 Entry ovtwards, £074 Cbll. «od Conpl, 5 19 CoU. & Conpt. Waiter wdSffti^r, 3 9 1 j 6 10 $ NaTalO0icer, His fee». jgt HarlKMifMiv Trinity-bouse dneSf 4 1& (V< ^^ <^ Gearance,jg4 IQ U 2certificatea0 8 4 17 7 Waiters & Slearcher, Clearance, 2 S ScertificateaO 2 4,2 7 4 Jnly 8, Brig Lustre, 297 tons. Eatiytiitiww^ ^74 CoU. aod Gtmpl* 5 8 9 Waiter vidSeanber,^ 5 I m ill ■■ ! ■ ! Natal Offices. I His fee, ifl Harbour Mr. 7 6 Trinity^bonse i dues, 4 1 »» 5 g 3 7^ S: . d^l3l0 4 Joftiv Sbip Harrisons, 706 tons, to Liverpool. EiUij^wtwards, ^74 Coll. and Cemplii 5 8 9 |Waiter«nd8eaKber,2 7 4 8 15 I Naval Officer, His fee^ j^l HarboofMp.O 7 6 Trinity-bouse dues, 5 17 9^7 4 8 £l& 8 1 7 12 » jSl4 S 8. Naval Officer, ■ His fee, £l Harbour Mr. 7 6 Trinity-house dues, 5 18 6,7 6 JP14 18 3 Octr. Sloop Intermediate, 58 tons, to Bermuda. Snky eiltwurdsy £0 7 4 Do. inwards, 8 3 Coll. aud Cognipt« Clearance, £& 8 8 Hpitl. iw>ncy,l 0, 6 8^ 8 Waiter and Seascber, 2 9 4 3 Naval Officer, His fee, £10 Harbour Mr. 7 6 Trinity «bouBC dues, 3 3 4,4 10 10 £13 15 1 20 1822. May. Brig Southampton, 188 tons, to the West Indies. Entry inwards, d^ 9 Do. outwards, 7 4 Coll. and Ck>inpt. 6 14 4 Waiter and Searcher, 2 10 10 1 3 Na?al Officer, His fee, £l Harbour Mr. 7 6 Trinity-house dues, 4 6 0,5 13 6 1823. May. Brig Southampton, 188 tons, to the West Indies Entry inwards, ^ 10 Do. outwards, 7 4 Coll. and Compt 7 4 4 Waiter and Searcher, 2 10 Na? al Officer, His fee, £l Harbour Mr,0 Trinity-honse dues, 4 10 11 8 7 8 15 3,6 2 9 £15 14 8 j§16 14 5 May. Ship Princess Royal, 194 tons. Entry inwards, £0 9 6 Do. outwards, 7 4 Coll. and Compt. 6 18 9 Waiterand Searcher, 2 10 Navai Officer, His fee, £l Harbour Mr.O Trinity-hofse 10 5 7 7 6 dueS| 4 10 3, 5 17 9 d§16 3 4 June. Ship Princess Royal^ 194 tons. Entry inwards, ^94 Do. outwards, 7 4 Coll. and Compt. 6 3 8 Waiter and Searcher, 2 10 Naval Officer, His fee, £l Marbour Mr.O Trinity-honse dues, 4 9 10 4 7 6 13 8,6 1 2 d^l5 11 6 Sept. Brig Southampton, 188 tons. Entry inwards, £0 6 6 Do. outwards, 7 4 Coll. and Compt. 6 17 7 WaiterandSearcher, 2 10 10 1 5 Naval Officer, His fee, £10 Harbour Mr. 7 6 Trinity-house dues, 4 4 2, 5 11 8 £15 13 1 Sept. Brig Southampton, 188 tons. Entry inwards, £0 9 Do. outwards, 7 4 Coll. and Compt. 6 9 3 WaiterandSearcher, 2 10 Certificates, 3 4 9 18 11 Naval Officer, His fee, £10 Harbour Mr. 7 6 Trinicyhouse dues, 4 6 2,5 13 8 i.u-. £15 12 7 J •* fA. 194 tons. 9 4 7 4 3 8 n, 188 tons. ) ' 4 ) 3 ) i 4 81 1822. /* Maf. BrfgSopeib, WUmi.'^ Entry inwards, J^ 9 6 Do. outwards, 7 4 Coll. and Compt. 5 13 i Waiter and Searcher, 3 10 9 Pfayal Officer. Bis fee, ^10 Harboor Mr. 7 Trinity-hoase dues, 3 8 0,4 IS 6 1823. May. Brig Pegasns, 103 tons. Entry inwards, ^89 Do. outwards, 7 4 Coll. and Compt. 4 16 4 Waiter and Searcher,2 10 £19 13 8 7 19 5 Naral Officer, His fee, ^10 HarbonrMr. 7 8 '^'"^ f^ ^^l^« Trloity-honse dues, 3 4 4,4 11 10 J^IS 11 3 fane 22, Schr. Providence, 70 tons, Jane. Schooner Charlotte, 80 tons, to to Halifax, N. S. Satry ontwards, £0 7 4 ~»11. and Compt. 5 3 2 Waiter & Searcher, 118 3 7 8 9 faval Officer, lis fee, d^ 10 larbonrMr.O 7 8 rrinity-honse dues, 2 1 9,2 19 3 d^lO 8 Newfd. after arriving in balUit* Entry outwards, £o 7 4 ^ Coll. and Compt. Clearance, 4 12 Certificate, 3 4,4 15 4 W^ter &; Searcher, Clearance, 1 10 , Certificates, 1 3,1 11 2 8 13 10 Naval Officer, His fee, 10 Harbour Mr.O 7 6 Trinity-house dues, 2 11 9, 3 9 3 July, Ditto to Halifax, J^IO 3 1 11 2 11 fuly 1, Schodner William, 80 tons, to Halifax, ilntry outwards, £0 7 4 i^oU. and Compt. 5 3 2 Taiter and Searcher, 1 17 Sept Ditto to Newfoundland, 112 3 Not. Ditto to Newfoundland, 10 9 8 July 16, Schr. Marie Catherine, 69 tons, to Halifax* Entry outwards, ^74 Coll. and Compt. 5 24 Waiter and Searcher, 15 7 7 6 6 14 8 if ' 9 II 1822* f;>9^ Bm^ofVf £7 7 6 Naval Officer, His fee, 10 ]IarboorMr«0 7 6 Trinity^uM duesy 12 8, 1 10 Sept, 3, Schoonet Wiflrum^ 80ioaif toHatifaxr Entry . j^iiif May K, Sloop Rewatd, Q% tvaa, ta Mingan and Labrador. KMtiy wrtwavds, ^74 CWk »mI Compt 6 14 5 Waiter and Seanher, 18 £8 7 9 Naval Offica, No fees or dues exacted. May 15, Sloop Reward, 92 tons, fori Mingan and Labrador.| Entry outwards, ^74 CoU. and Cookpt 4 14 W»(ier and Searcher, 1 5 Salt bond, 8 4 Cocket> 12 „.:._^' ' iff n el En Co A] Tri Naval Office, No fees or dues exactedl k 8 IS 9 ftS JaaelS, Ditto, Ditto. Entry outwardsi 0) 7 4 Ck>U. and Compt. 6 13 8 V^uter and Searcher^ 1 "& £8 6 lets. Jane 13, Xm^t 0*^< Eotry outvtrdi, ^74. Coll. and Compt. 3 18 8 MTattaraiidSeareher, \ *0 Salt bond, 8 4 Cocket, 12 ^0 9 )|NaTal Office, No fees or does exacted. '^ i Third. 5fl » Miraudckl 7 4 11 % 4 6 10 "^1 14 61 ui 03; . *:>! r.'rA ^0 4 'ate f,toBti1l» 7 4 « 8 5 5 L9 3 ^43 f> kagt8. Ditto, Ditto. itiyOutwvids, jpO 7 4 .M4C«npt. 5 17 1 ^Vaiter and Searcher, 16 ♦ r jP7idir NaTaKMkb,/ : i No fees or does exacted. Aagt. 8, Ditto, Ditto, Entry outwards, J^O 7 4 Coll. and Compt. 3 18 fl Waiter and Searcher, 15 Salt %Mld| 8 4 Cocket, 1 »| »'*i[(ntf|Mio*> !»nr. '^r )ctr. 7, Ditto, DitLo. itiy outwards, ^74 ill. and Compt. 4 8 2 ITaiter and Searcher, 160 ' ^6 1 8 •> >f V 'fh\ ^0 4 1)1 (:«f^ ept. 20, Ditto, Ditto, Entry outwards, jgO 7 4 Coll. and Compt. 3 18 4 WaittraMlSMrtlMit, I SO Salt boMli 8 4 Cocket, 12 ie 0« 02 tons, fori d Labrador.! 7 4 |14 5 84 1 2 ues exacted>| Prior to the years about 1812 a 1814, the following were ^he Feei piuid on ik^ fintraAce ami Ckftrittioe of Yewels : — EXAMPLGSL Brig Esther, 226 toM, from imd to Britaiii. Entry outwards, £0 2 9 Collector and Comptroller, 5 5 A gratuitous fee to tiie Waiter ami Searcher, © 5 Na^l Officer, his fee, £0 10 Trinity House dues, 2 16 £5 12 9 ^360 £S 18 9 •^' H M m ::i IH i I: •:i ••»A; 24 Ship Zephyr, 392 tons, from and to Britain. .^; » Entry outwards, "^ .»»»(» £0 2 9* « Naval Officer, his fee, £0 5 j ii::;!: »^ A Trinity House dues, 1 19 9 ..!.«,.;< ^ 3 4 9 £5 12 6 u t • ■ ( »: '.► i! In the year 1814, the fee of entry outwards, paid by every shipper^ was increased from 2s. 9d. to 7s. 4d. Byt registe fees, tc of wha registe All which to con On^ the J01 lanuai he Go luthor he fol )le Bo ax, % n. V • •«■»■ 3 l»p. i-Jlr £9 12 6 L. ■ - ' ? ■'..i-: .lit ?4 17 6 •d. 25 In the Merchants' books, to which reference has been had, between the^ears 1810 and 1814, the Custom House charges are entered m the total sum ; and therefore particulars can- not be given to show where and when the increase took place. In 1818, the fees paid on the Schooner Arabella, 58 tons, each voyage to Halifax^ Labrador, Miramichi, and St. Johns^ were-"" ,: lyu, .y^j ii ._ ^ Entry outwards, r,r», ,;,, £0 7 4 GoUector and Comptroller, iMi>.,( .-., j\ Inwards, Outwards, t..! Waiter and Searcher, Inwards, Outwards^ Naval Officer, £3 17 2 11 7 5 13 2 ....... .;;"C /!> £0 17 6 1 5 ^-''U'-^^-^.Aij 2 2 6 8 3 ^i ^ f ; 1 rt 2 13 9 £10 16 9 By this last instance it is seen, that a Schooner of 58 tons register, to a neighbouring Port, has been made to pay fees, to the Custom House Officers, to an amount within 5a. of what they exacted from the Ship Harrisons, of 706 tons register, and 1000 tons burthen. All these fees are exacted under the same Docket, and which the Officers declare themselves to be ordered strictly to conform to. On the !2th February, 1821, the Collector, as appears by he Journals of ihe House of Assembly, Appendix (I), 8th llanuary, 1822, in obedience to the orders of His Excellency £5 12 6 the Governor in Chief, handed the annexed Docket as the mthority and table by which he exacted fees ; and added he following extract of a letter received from the Honora- l by every )le Board of Commissioners of Special Revenue, dated Hali- ■"ax, 22d September, 1812. D m !l I. " I have to inform you that it is the opinion of the Board, that the Halifax Docket of Fees, laid before them with your returns, and signed by the Collector and Comptrol- ler of that Port, is the only Docket under which yoii or any Officer under your survey, can legally demand or receive fees ; and you, and the Officers under your ' ' survey, are in future strictly to conform thereto, wuich order you are to make known to those Officers respcc tively, wherever stationed." By that Docket the following should be, as appears to the Petitioners, the fees charged in the entrance and clear ance of vessels : — BY THE COLLECTOR AND COMPTROLLER. BY THE WAITERS AND SEARCHERS. ! On Vessels from the Colonies. Their general entrance, fis. and 4s. 6d. ^0 13 6 Their general clearance, 9s. and 4s. 6d. 13 6 Entry outwards, under the head of warrants to load or unload, bonds, &c. Is. 6d. and 6d. 2 Cockets, certificates of Re- ports, and certificates to caaccl bonds, 3s. and Is. 3 Sterling, 1 12 1.9th, 3 7 Halifax currency, 1 15 7 4s. 6d. andlld. ^ 5 i\ 49. 6d. itnd lid. O 5 i| ( r;,-',t ',,• 5 • '•:■., ;. , 1 ( ' ' Sterling, £0 '*^ l-»th, \*l Halifax camncy, £0 13 1 On Foreign Topsail Vessels. The above, £l 12 £!D 13 1 1 i ! ; i 1 i And additional for their en- trances & clearance).; 4s. 6d. aud 2s. 3d. ' 6 •'• Sterling, 1 18 i . 1.9th, 4 9 4 ds. 3d. and tfd. 9 Sterling, 15 l-9th, 1 1 Halifax currency, £i 3 1 Halifax currency, ^ 10 ¥■ the Bdard. them witn Comptrol-lEotries, l3« 6d. and fid. 2 rhich yoilJCieaniocei, 1», 6d. and 6d. 2 tly demand inder your 5to, Wttich ers respec'l Halifax currency, ^0 4 6 ippears tol and clear- ; 3? On Coasters from the neighbouring Ports. Sterling, 4 l'9thf 6 6d. and l|d. 7f ad. andl|d.O 7| Sterling, 13 l-Otb, 2 Halifax currency, £0 is .;:V^ RS AND Hi!)* ) 'VS^ d.^ 5 il d. O 5 j| lH 1 g, jgO 12 )tli, 1 7, £0 IS 6d. 3 Bg, 16 )th, 1 fy£0 1« » '*>': 4 ,"♦ #, h » . ••{ '/, . !;• T f i*?V.t ^* .1 i f'ti •J*, f 28 Appendix (B.) b\^< K i COPY of the Table of Fees taken hy the Officers of the Customs at the Port of Halifax, in Mva-Scotia, referred to in the foregoing Petition. iv . ,.:r,,,: - i* I ' M 'I DIFFERENT PAYMENTS. CO u O of Vessels from the Colonies, their gene. ral clearances Do. their general entries , Vessels of Bay of Fundy, Louis bourg and Canso ..., Do. their clearances Coasters from the neighbouring Ports Do. their clearances Warrants to load and unload, Bonds, Reports, List of men and Bill of Stores Cockets, Certificates of Report and Certificates to cancel Bonds..... Endorsing a Register New Register, and recording the same Bill of Health ... For cancelling Bonds g'ven here.. Here, Anchorage taken on ve8>el3 that do not land the whole of their cargoes. Foreign Topssail Vessels besides the above for tlieir general entrance, and clearances , d. n ft* u e o 6 s. d. ^ « w O «9 V U Vi s.\d. 4 6 4 6 10 4 6 0'4| 2 2 o. *3 .gu. II 11 li li & £ J. d. 10 lOj lOi (Signed) HENllY NKWTON, Coll. JAMES BURROW, Cor pt. The above is a Copy of the Table of Fees transmitted lo| the Board by the Officers of the Customs at Halifax. Attest, (Signed) RICHd. reeve, Secy. A true Copy from that ceriified by Mr. Secretary Reeve. (Signed) T. A. YOUNG. May le Customs ',d to in the 3 o H 11 11 Si n 2 7i 18 18 9 9 •a a <^ 3 o c.S Si; & a « • O £ J 4 S 17 10 1 6 6 lOi 8 9 10 N, Coll. Cor.pt. ismitted (ol 1, Secy. 29 ,)*•'»,';. 'jr*t ^;i Appendix (C.) CUSTOM HOUSE, ) ' -vf- •I I..'. iMV .'i;. Quebec, 13th February, 1824. May it please Your Excellency, -';;r * tor »;■ tMi;^ The undersigned have had the honor to re- ceive, from your Civil Secretary, a letter enclosing the me- morial and other papers presented to your Excellency by certain merchants of Quebec, complaining of the fees exact- ed at the Custom House, and in obedience to your directions, they have the honor to submit to your Excellency the fol- lowing observations upon the several allegations contained therein : — The memorialists are perfectly correct in stating that a change -wsls made in the mode of transacting the public busi- ness, and in that respecting the fees soon after the present Collector had charge of the Department. That the change under the first head was necessary and imperative, it is be- lieved no one will dispute, nor could it be denied that if out of his own mere motion he had unwarrantably changed the existing system, for the purpose of obtaining unauthorised emolument, that every imputation with which he has been assailed would most justly have been merited. A simple statement of facts of public notoriety and well known to most of these memorialists, and to the merchants at large, will test the truth of the alleg;ations in question. For a period long antecedent to his arrival, it was the established practice, (whether originating in any arrange- ment with the merchants, or in any other cause, cannot now be ascertained, as the records of the oiHce do not afford in- formation,) to pay a fee of £5 5s. upon the entering and clearing of every ship, whether the documents she might require were many or few, and no complaint or difficulty seems to have existed then, or down to the time when the Commissioners of Special Revenue Enquiry visited the port in the year 1812. Soon after the arrival of the Commission- 30 tc (C tc €C ers at Halifax^ a letter was received from them^ about the close of the navigation in that year^ of which the following Is an extract : " I have further to inform you^ that it is the j " opinion of the Board that the Halifax Docket of Fees^ laid " before them with your returns^ and signed by the CoUec- " tor and Comptroller of that port, is the only Docket un- '' der which you, and every Officer under your survey, can legally demand and receive fees, and you, and the Officers under your survey, are in future strictly to conform there- to, which order you are to make known io those Officers respectively, wherever stationed/' In consequence of that order it became necessary to discontinue receiving the above general fee, which was tnus stated to be illegal, and to make the charge upon entering and clearing vessels strictly con- fomable to the Docket, with reference to the documents which each vessel might require. | This new system, as directed, went into operation at the opening of the navigation in the year 1813, but in order to obviate every possible doubt or difficulty, which might and probably would be stated upon this charge, the Collector submitted the propriety of the course which he had thus been ordered to adopt, together with the items of all the charges made, in a letter to the Honorable Commissioners of | His Majesty's Customs, dated 10th August, 1813, which, together with the reply of the Board thereto, are given at length, from their important bearing upon the malversations now alleged against the Collector of unauthorisedly aug- meuting the fees, without the sanction of law or necessity, CUSTOM HOUSE, ! Quebec, 10th August, 1813. Honorable Sirs, We received a letter from the Secretary io the Commissioners of Special Revenue Enquiry, dated Hali- IX, 22d September, 1812, in which it is stated, '^l have *' further to inform you, that it is the opinion of the Board, ''that the Halifax t)ocket of Fees, laid before them with "your returns, and signed by the Collector and Comptroller "of that port, is the only Docket nndcr which you, and the 31 ' Officers under your survey, can legally demand and receive ' fees, and you, and the Officers under your survey, are in ' future strictly to comply thereto, which order you are to ' make known to those Officers respectively, wherever sta- ^tioned." In consequence of the directions contained in this letter, the fees ^/hich have been collected since the opening of the navigation, have been in strict conformity io the Halifax Docket. As there is a small difference betwixt those fees and what were formerly charged, we think it proper to state that difference to your Honors ; and we are the more in- duced io do so, as the order we have received is merely a general reference to the Halifax Table, without giving any directions as to its particular application. The amount of fees formerly charged upon the entrance and clearance of a vessel was £4 15 0, sterling, but the particulars from which this sum is formed are not exactly known. -„? ,^v':r ,,-• i\v....... . :r/\. The amount now charged, as taken from the Docket, is |jC5 3 % sterling, the different items are as follow : ^ INWARDS. General Entry, Report, Warrant to unload. Certificate of Report, Anchorage, Recording Registers, Foreign topsail vessels. ' .'■ -, , .- ". " ... ' ••' £0 18 11 2 6 2 6 4 6 17 4 9 6 '■■■ •■■•'!• ' •" ^ •',■;.-■ £3 9 ^ m \4. If I ji; I* J rt,i> 32 4j !^' 7*»r^Jl,^ OUTWARDS. General Clearance^ Report, Warrant to load, ,j(v -^^ Certificate of Report, *, , \ ,: ^ Bill of Stores, ^^.;i , List of Men, n :»•' •(■>*:?< r Foreign topsail vessels. 18 11 ; 2 6 ^ 2 6 4 2 6 ' 2 6 9 6 r. Ol'.if* -^(11 OIJC '!»/ .!;• ■: .. ; .^j Add, Inwards, \« ; ,? ;iiii» 2 2 5,, 3 9 ^ ^ £5 3 2 a'n< 5 ":r:'t ■Kii! iii The amount charged formerly having been £4 15 ster- ling, the additional charge made in conformity to the Doc- ket is 8s. 2d. sterling, upon the entry and clearance of every vessel ; the merchant pays for the entries, and such cockets, bonds and certificates as are necessary, and those are like- wise charged according to the Halifax Docket. If the meaning and application of this Docket had been perfectly clear and obvious, the undersigned would not have felt themselves called upon to report this alteration ; but feeling as they do, they hope they will be excused for stating the application ^vhich they have made of the orders which they have received ; and they beg leave at the same time to mention, that they shall continue to regulate themselves ac- cordingly, unless they shall receive contrary directions. (No. G?i « H report West in use that b clear a questii planta vern y missioi on the ri. \'-t ,f We have the honor to be, &c. (Signed,) M. H. PERCEVAL, Coll. W. SCOTT, Comptr. 33 (No. 11.) 4..^] iti-^i4- '\u^ l.iA.f'di 'so ,1 'H> 'J' '- T' cy^TpjVj-upusE, ^"' LoNDoi?, ^th October, 1614. A A. '/■i " Haying read your letter dated 19th August, 1813, No. 10,' reporting that you were directed by the Commissioners of West India Revenue Inquiry, to conform to the table of fees in use at the Port of Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia, that by so doing, you receive a greater fee on the en^try and clearance af every vessel, than v^as formerly charged, and re- questing our directions. ^ '". . • * f "*^"^: '*•' " We acquaint you that the general subject of fees in the plantations, being still under consideration, you are to go- Ivern yourselves according to the directions of the said Coro- missioners, until you receive further orders from this Beard on the subject. s\ '»«f ly K?n J:tft*i'i.v*^-«Vt». if. tt t. it 1/ :<: •> (Signed,) R. B. DEAN, W. BOOTHBY, /»«^ 8. BARNE, r r^ . T. S. RICHMOND.^ These official documents will at once shew to your Excel- |eacy how entirely uiifouiided, is the accusatioin on that head. The only AAignientatieiB which has been made to the fees [ince that time, has been in consequence of an order of the immissioners of the Customs, directing a fee of two dollars be charged upon the granting of every general certificate iihe landing of a cargo, a^d a fee of one dollar upon every ertificate granted for the purpose o£ cancelling bonds. A bpy of the oxdekr is subjoined. .? >'j i' *i> The allegation ]that the fees vary on vessels of the same [lass, under simillajr circumstances, and with similar cargoes, incorrect. Thece can he no alteration in the amount of aes, unless under different circumstances, and when, as may ^appen by the addition of a few articles of export, the car- tes are so /changed as to require a greater or less number of tcuments ; inprioof of which, it will only be necessary to [ompare the Ifees charged in 1822 and 1823, as shown by the Utoment of the jDeoLorialdsts, when it will be found that the E ' ■ •■ . li' 11 hi , 34 fees of the principal Officers are Us. 2d. less in 1823,. in con- sequence of the non-enumerated and lumber bonds being no longer required. Since the passing of the Act 3d Geo. IV. cap. 45; the fees charged on these bonds, and the certificates thereof, having been discontinued ; the Officers of the Customs haying thus sacrificed the amount of 148< 6d. on the clearing of ships^ -without being ordered to do so by tlieir superiors ; although it may be deemed a fair legal question, whether^ un- der the Acts of Parliament authorising fees^ they are not just- ly entitled to still receive them. To refute the assertion^ that all explanation is refused by the Officers they need only quote the following para- graphs of a letter addressed to His Excellency Sir J. C. Sher- brookCj in the year 1817^ upon a similar representation against the Custom-house at that time^ to show the groundlessness of this charge: " As the undersigned are aware that the propriety of this correspondence on their part, writh a committee of merchants, may be questioned, they trust, that before they proceed to execute your Excellency's com* mands, in reporting upon that representation, they may be permitted to state the grounds v^hich induced them to enter upon it. " The necessity of affording information io an individual, and of listening to a complaint arising out of business actu- ally transacting in the office^ is what cannot admit of a doubt But how far a public officer can be justified in entering into a correspondence with a committee appointed to inquire into the irregularities and abuses of a public office, is a point into which it is hoped your Excellency will not at present in- quire. Had the object of this committee related solely to the mode of transacting the public business, the undersigned must have declined to answer their first letter ; but as the fees and emoluments of the office were challenged, the un dersigned felt anxious to avoid the imputation of withhold ingany information on that subject j and, on the other hand, situated as they are, at a distance from those io whom they are responsible for the proper discharge of their duty, they felt extremely desirous to ascertain what the alleged griev- ances were, of which, until that period, they were entirely ignorant. .i I, ill con- being no Geo. IV. jrtificates ; Customs 3 clearing uperiors ; ether, un- ! not just- efused by ng para- . C. Sher- ;sentation show the igned are their part, they trust, ley's corn- by may be to enter rtdividna], ness actu- f a doubt ering into |uire into point into ) resent in- lely to the idersigned but as the d, the un- withhoid- ther handy horn they luty, they ed griev- :e entirely " Although the propriety pf communicating with this com- niittee may he. <|uestiptii£d> yet, the undersigned feel confident that youi; Excellency will not disapprove of the motivea >¥hich have dtcts^ted the coivse they have pursued." The undersigned have only in addition to observe, that ais in the correspondence above alluded to, the committee of merchapts were furnished with copies of the letters which passed between the Con^missioners of the Customs and the iin« dersigned, on the subject of the fees, and also with a memd< l-andum in detail ef the items charged at the Collector and Con^ptrpller's icsik. ; and the clerks were even permitted to attend this committee, to answer every question, or give any necessary e;i^ pi anation that might be required, — it is submit- ted^ how far it can in justice oe said, that all explanation is lefused. The real fact is, that explanation has never been denied ; although the purport of the inquiry, it is believed^ has often been not, with the view of acquiring information.,^ Upon the second head of complaint, the undersigned as- sert, that the fees are levied according to the tariff, as by law established ; a^fe charged for services performed, and docu- n»ents granted by the Officers of the Customs ; and not on vessels of a particular size, or engaged in a particular trade, eitl^er to Gyeat Britain, to ports in Europe, or to the Colo- nies, without regard to the probable length of the voyage, or the rate of freight. And for the correctness of this, they can confidently refer to tl^e fee-book, in which each fee for every document or service, is regularly entered, and kept un- der the same regular system of check as the other cash-books of the department. Xf it can be considered a hardship on the one side, that a sjnall vessel should pay as much as one of much larger tonnage ; sp it may be considered, on the other hand, as eqy.ally disadvantageoqs to the Custom-l^ouse officers, whose fees do not increase with the size of the ship, and who will not receive a greater fee in clearing the vessels now building here, apd whicl^ are said to be calculated to carry away thirty or forty cargoes to Great Britain, tlian upon a ^mail vessel bound to a neighbouring port. It appears diffi- cult to conceive, why the shortness or facility with which a voyage is made tp the neighbouring Provinces, the consc-. /;t|. i' !|i:i m ' 56 qlieniUAikpenCdkii^ it, kftd thif ebrtiyatiiiVe ^^ick- riess of the return df ^ny txpetted coniitlerciar adyknihgei td the shippers at Quebec, shdUld be held to operate a,i a reason for calling for a reduction of the Cu^tom-faoUse fees. It might as well be said, that it \(routd be disadvailtd<^eous to th^ mer- cantile speculation of this dountfy, if the Island «f Gr«at-Bri< tain \^ere as closely tipptoiiimAitd id the shores of Canada^ and that it would oecom^ necessdry, in (idnseqaence, to dittiu nish those fees. 't'''- ' 'v'' ' it is attempted i6 be slieti^, tfiat the sm^Tl Vessels trading id the neighbouring Pfovintes are oppressed by Custdm-hous^ fees ; but it may be fairly inferred from the contents of th« memorial itself, that the real cause proceeds from the lownes^ of the freight given to the owners of these siftiall Vessels, who have bejBn driven out of the river trade by the steam-boats'; they have in consequence little more thart Sufficient to defray the expences of their voV&^e, of whieh the actual Custofti- house fees are only a small part, ard which, in the statement of fees paid at the Custom-hou^e, anne^^ed io the petition, are overrated. In that Statement, the memorialists have in some instances very incorrectly added the fees on merchants* entries and certificates, and the Greenwich Hospital duty td the charges against the ship ; they have stated in every case the fees paid on entries outwards, and cockets, and in many cases the fees on their entries inwards, all which have no re- ference whatever to the ship's expences. In the statement of the memorialists raarked (4) it is said that in the year I8l4, the fees on an entry outwards paid by every shipper was raised from 2s. 9d. to 7s. 4d. This must evidently be a misapprehension ; the sum in reality including the fee allowed by the tariff, of 4s. 6d. for a eocket, which must accompany the goods Of each shipper, and withotti which they would be liable to seizure at the port of importa- tion. The undersigned are thus minute upon this particular head, as it is the only speclflt charge of an unwarrantable in- crease of the fees. The undersigned are glad, however, that a detail has at last been furnished in these statements, which separates to a certain extent the various charges which hatd hitherto been denominated Custom-hOUse fees ; and that the 37 ' - ' II . N ^aval Offie^r, Harbour Master and Triniiy House dues are shewn^ as.it affords the opportunity of its being seen^ that the iLctnal amount paid at the Cuitom-liouse on the entering And clearing Of a vessel trhich is now correctly noted by the un- dersigned on the statement of the memorialists in red ink^ do not ftmount to more than one half the sum which has hereto- fore been called Onstom-'bouse charges. The heaviest charges on vessels at Quebec will be found in the wharfage and the pilotage. Afr a proof of this^ it may be mentioned, that the master of the American htig '* Jones/^ the only foreign vessel that came to Quebec since th^ trade ^9.9 opened, particularly complained of these *i|d other charges, while he admitted that the Custom-bouse fees were oderate und reasonable. This acknowledgment of a stran* r, in the habit of trading to other countries and to other orts, may be very properly brought forward in opposition the statements of the present representation ; but although t might be proved that the trade to the neighbouring Pro^ inces, in small vessels, is overburtheu^d or oppre86ed> yet it s presumed that every circumstance would be considered in ving relief, and that the public officers wil: not be required sacrifice without compensation, their just and legal rights, or the advantage of individual and private interests ; more articularly when it is stated, that the officers of the Cus* oms, whenever any representation was made, that the cir- umstances of the parties required relief, not only have given p half their fees, but in many instances the entire fees have een remitted. Indeed, during the last two years, half the ees have been remitted upon these vessels generally, with the xce|)tion of those in the employment of the North-West Company, that body having made no representations of hard- hip to the undersigned j while the officers of the Customs ave thus been giving up their emoluments in favour of the fade in question, and subjecting themselves in consequence have it asserted, that their exaction of fees is arbitrary, it believed that the full amount of wharfage and other har^es have been exacted at the same time that the lowest ossible freight has been given ; and this has even been re- uted in consequence of *ho remission of the Custom-house j.lif 38 fees, if the asijertioii qC sQjm^ pf t\\^ masters pf these vessels be correct. ->.-- ......;.i' ::;:%,. .v..., k.. ,,. ..^ ,, il .i. ,,,^... ^: __^ • frr; -^jt ICusto U pon the third he^d of complaint^ in the comparison whicl^ piausi is drawn between the advantages enjoyed by American ves- msini sels over vessels frpni Quebec^ trading to the neighbouring «vhen Provinces^ it is di^cult to imagine upon what grounds t))e )eliev statement is founded, It is well known that American ves' nake sels pay Custom-house tees in their own ports equal to, if pot my otl exceeding those charged at Quebec. But admitting thai the fees in the American ports Tere even less than those payable here, how could that difference counterbalance in s^uy way the advantage giv^n to the shipper pf Canadian fiour to the lower ports, over the American exporter, The vessels gene, rally employed in this trade carry 400 barrels flour^ which, ifl laden at Quebec, and accompanied with a certificate of iti Canadian origin, can be landed in any of the neighbouring ProvinQes free of di^ty ; whereas Ihe American flour woulaiclosed ^ay a duty of 5s. sterling per barrel, making upon 400 barrels Aeen pi a turn of <£100 sterling. It would therefore seem e^traordiAf the$ nary, that a trifling diff"erence of £\ or J^2 in the amount ofBnents 1 Custom-house fees upon a whole cargo, should be stated ajlthe sev counteracting the benevolent intentions of His IVIajesty's go ||isc to vernmcnt in laying a duty on American produce, for the enj couragement of agriculture in thesie Provinces, \Yhen in fact this particular trade has nearly tripled itself in the last three years, as is shewn by the annexed document. . ii,nH!Tfi Upon the fourth head of complaint, relative to the heirs of' attendance at the Custom-house, the undersigned beg leaviAroller, to quote the following paragraphs from u letter add^ressed tol " It His Excellency Sir J. C. Sherbrooke, in 1817, in answer toBclerks similar charges made by the cpmmittee of merchants already Bnents alluded to. '' Upon this subject the undersigned remark, that the clearing and entering of vessels has never b 'ication tq that effect, has been made ; and, at the close of the navigation, or ini deed whenever a press of business seemed to render it neces- sary, the hours of attendance have been prolonged withoutBhedel any fori^al application ; and they have further to state, t)vat,lrhe p with the exception of what is here alleged, no complaint basHice foi ever been made by any individual on this subject. inues 1 must h ance s roceei ing'K hen ii een n learin ontin iewt< ; vessels be isonwhicl^ ;rican ves- ^hbouring i^isels gene ', which, if| cate of iti ghbouring [our would 3d '' To those who arc unacquainted Y«^ith the business of i\\& ustoms, this complaint is stated in a form which appearsr plausible ; but though plausible, it is incorrect^ inasmuch a§ )usiness has not been refused to be transacted at this office^ whenever it was applied for or thought necessary ; and it i» rcunds t|je )elieved that the out-door officers at this Port occasionally srican v^s* nake exei tioD)^ which are neither req»-ired nor executed at 1 to, if potlny other Custom-house. They never scruple to attend from ig that thsftua-rise to sun-set ; and towards the close of the navigation, ise payablelthey frequently attend the vessels they have in charge fof in ^ny wayfciany hours after it is dark, when the inclemency of the sea- our to thefton serves only to stimulate their exertions in accelerating the ork that has yet to be performed^ ' To those who are at all conversant in Custom-house bu- iness, it must appear obvious, that the duty of the principal fficers does not terminate when the doors of the office are losed. Upwards of one hundred entries have frequently rOO barreUMeen passed at this office in one day, for dutiable goods ; many e^traordi-nf these entries requiring a variety of calculations and pay- I amount ofRnents to a large amount, together with bonds in security for >e stated a^Hhe severuk Crown and Provincial enactments. All this gives ijesty's goMisc to a great deal of work after hours, which frequently con- for the en'Btinues till a late hour in the evening, but which necessarily ust be done before the books ca) < be compared, and the ba- ance struck, which in this office is done every day, and the roceeds of the whole lodged according to regulation, in the ingK cheot, under the joint locks of the Collector and Comp- oller. d^-essed tal " It is only on such occasions, that merchants or their answer tolclerks Lave not been immediately furnished with the docu- ments they have applied for at the Custom-house, and even hen it was only entries, warrants or certificates, which have een momentarily delayed ; for the business of entering and learing vessels (as has been already stated) has always been ontinued when applied for, or thought necessary, and with a iew to prevent as much as possible, any inconvenience from withoutB^e delay of issuing regular warrants lor the landing of goods, ate, tUat,Brhe principal officers have frequently remained in the of- ce for the sole purpose of granting special suiFerances for the neces- f I* 40 Undivkg of good*, which niay h^ye been «o sii^ied, w ip pte- Tent the ualoAdin^ of oi\wr»^ for yrhicb warjr^its ha4 l>e«B graated : in so doiiig> they htva incurrfid » h^Tj r€«p9iii}' bilitj, in permittifl^ ^oods to }ie broag^t OA sbof e |;>f fofis % dutit^i were paid or ee«iir>ed. U is ». diyty for wbicb tb^ |^ji* cipal officers receive no eoioliimenitj j^id in iJl« eK^^uiioii.iil wbich the inferior officers bave seld,fter hours ; but tbe under^igfied have oe^ver befll* taited to afford that, aeconamodatiioa jto ithe trjbde^ ult^KKj^li they hav^ uniformly de^lij^ied to receive luiy reiniio^^atm forr"" ■""■■/' ■'. The principal officers bave in a lew e«fles .availed tbeiyselfW of the fth aud 8th W lliaoi III. cap. 7^ mc* 44 ; andbai^e per mitted the castors of vesseil^i to pay ta tbe ovt-dtAor ftffirejai^ a iveasofiable allowance for what finch masters luclmoiiiiedgQi to be extra troxible. The waiters Mid searchers were An iim practice of ibeing paid in Ihoae cases wiithout tbe,«aiieAioiB of the principal ofllcere,; butas seon as the practice'wafchia'lkeffg'' edj Oft v^s ck»riif •f vessels until a la^e hour in ibe evening. The imdersiigned rcanno^t brit express to yofH EKoeilentf ^eir entire acquieacence ia ftiho opiaion e«D Mote ikb icipial 0$ licl tQitbeir rer e An ^ iiving any nierocNRit* ^4 ^af tijS 41 Who will haveto |>a^Custoin-l]^ouse fee9> that tliece is noisome imposition practised upon them. Indeed the memorial suf- ficiently shows this, h^ representing the extravagant amount of the fees mt the termination of a year, when, in consequei^ce of thci n^H'^nuDierated and liiinber bonds being no longer ne- ceisary, they have become less in! atppunt than 9,t any period, since i^he esjtabMiibmeni of the.table^of 1769, when the value of; money was tso much beyond what it is -at present. It is ob- ?iouSiK(|that to officers possessing '«ay feeling or character, it must A^ qi source of great satisfaction to be relieved from the paiiifp) necessity ^f experiencing the cavil or misapprehen- sions, i of persons with whom they must transact business ; ajitlxov^h the tradje o|f Quebec must, under the present ameli- /al % and under those in contemplation, necessarily ex- |i'' J e intentions of any individual to submit mat- ter of cOtrpi : .t igainst him, until he heard that this petition was presented .. your Excellency and to the Legislature, as he was of its contents, until he was called upon by your Ex- cellency foi the observations he might have to offer respect- ing it. The undersigned having, in obedience to your Excellen- cy's commands, now submitted their observations upon the several aPiii^ations contained in this memorial, they trust they will havi 5>^tisfactorily shown to your Excellency, that the Collector lius not, without law or necessity, unwarrantably ncreased the fees of the department ; that no additional fee as been established without sufficient authority ; that the ees do not vary on vessels under similar circumstances, and ■ F ■i: 4* ■ . •■ . ^ith simitar eftrgee», untesd ifi4k^ti ihe'CMllj^^r^^f tile Cti^tddM have Toluntarily remitteiL a ^rt^,' or the Wliivt^ of thcHli^Ms'j' that every facility ha^ beon af(>r«le4l Id kiqlilry; «iutomii*hii^ affrays readily given relM'r i^hat the diilepeHce liis^fd^i to exist betiveen the fees paid i^ Quebec; ^nd kttht Atikprie^^ fortti, eannot p'-.ssibly h'^ held! t6 <:o«ii}terttet ihfe beBeWMf intentions of His Maje^ uov^rninetit hi hiyin^ a ^^ty j;^' American produee^ for tht^ ecmragemeiit of ag^neufi^^ these Pfovinces ; and^ finally^ that every a^ehUiM^ hajsbeeilt paid to the despatch of business,^ which thef peeullar eiretDritt^i stances of the Port rendered necessary^ and that^xtrli attetfd^' ance has never been i^efused^ on every occasion of paHi^ilK^ urgency^ even on Sundays or H^«l^day^, although the fyrtiifcf''' pa) officers have constantly declined reeeiiving any exitrafee. The undersigned have the honor to remain, with the utiriHist'; respect,. > Your Excellency*s most obedient,^ humblQ servant?,. (Signed,) M. H. PERC!^rAt, ColP. It"/ ■ -f, >*. t iIm<1 hi3t*jr) G. A. GQBJS. CQWllt ==»? ... L'li'' AppENmx (D,) %mi CUSTOMHOUSE Quimsa, ^ M»r«^ UB^ I .. ,,.f In reply to your totter of yestewfey, 1 li»ve the honor to transimt, for the information of the Committee- of the Legislative Council, of which you are dWipfmin, eopie* ol^^hree tetters received by me from the HottoraWfe CiMniiiis- MfpVOSClv B0eVdM|l Ilttfl DCCn [fera fee. 1 i&rxf <5fit •(I ■0 V:; 'hI'I lafve' the 45 lion^ of Hts MaJcAty'ft CtJdtonis^ eocl^iine bertain re|ire^jU atioatlidtifceMed i^ the Boar^ by tht kte AcUog Gomptroikr of this Port, together with co.^s.of myh^|>Iie8 tlket^O, Midi 9.oo|^ofii;letter^ifli whicR I was honiMroil by Hk E«xcell^n- cfjfi ^Shs- Chnrcfiior^ ' iw' Chiefs li> w4o81b ins^eetioA I hiid nibn litHe^ ^u tbrxresfioiMlenibe piwvMmi lo my transmitting it ia Ehffliiidv The Coidnnttee will petfcetve by the hist letter of tkeilr Uoborl/ iieartB^ date the ^h of 6e|Hember; ISSli, that tiie oofychaoge diKr^tcd by the Board of CustdmB^ iq consequence of the representations of the Acting Compt^DUar)^ was with respe4}t tdfih^ mpdt #C gf atiiiA^ the General Certi-r ficates, which have beep discontinued iti every instance wh^qafihAy iMild Sir, Your most obedient, humble servant, I. '. (Sifiied,) ,t)oui.i-nF K' M.H.PERCEVAL, /? Collector of His Minesty's CustoimK To the Honble. W. B. Felton, ^ ^ . J-^t.': d' m^, |(Copy.) M'j tio. Lrn-' 'r<\o V^iitMCViTOM HOUSE, J QuBBEc, 13th November, 1830, ^' ' Tlie tindteiii^ed ber'IdNiveto sttite, that ititthd b^Ad]\i«« f&t teagcH bdt^ftd to Motttreal, to eom^ to ftfi i^nchof III at Quebec V and thereto enter and pay part ehargeaf ; tvhich appears to be contrary to the osder of your Honorable Board, dated 23d June, 1815, No. 33. C/ ../ » u. ..>'. .iio*: jt The undersig^od. prays your Honors farther inttiuctions^ as well as to a system to be pursued with respect to» auob vessels, n,i the method of levying and collecting His Majesty^s duties at Montreali and Recounting for the same, shonU your Honors deem it expedient to relieve the trade of thai place from the impediments to which it is at present sub* jccted. qasoDliiUit )A jiliJloaaoihiu. : ij ifiii iQ'>)i>6iJfi'*f•)?!; With great respect, &c. &c^m ^r {.)■.. diiiiy^niif irj'>-i ■■,y/a ■.'■ <. n ,■ ;i-7ii i;ak*iit»^ T, A/ YOUNG, Cbntpt*'^ v\{Vtuii^ it'Ji .; r. CUSTOM HOUSB^>«;.;' -*%'l'* w*%i'Hfq To the Honble. Commissioners of His Majesty's Customs, London. f)fft London, 10th February, 1821, To the Collector of Quebec, to whom this letter ought to have been delivered in the first instance, for his observt* tions. By order of the Commissioners, K ./ ,:;, .; -^i (Signed,) H.MACLEAN. (Copy.) .. ,j*jlq CUSTOM HOUSE, ,,;, m k> ,:||'; f on Quibbc, 1 1 th May, 18«1 . Honorable Sirs, The undersigned, in obedience to your Honors' r«f ..^^^ ference of the 10th February last, on a letter from Acting I 5th. Comptroller Young, of the 13th t^jToyeiniber, rejecting tl^honds 1st. goods 2d. is, to Provii 3d. the C far pel Monti connei other 1 4tli. Quebe to cor anothe the tw( cargQ nor, ai nd tl Office ngpecl r; which luctions^ to* Mioh MaJMtf'i &, ihonU e of thit went 8uh* Gondii r iHf ■ ^ •■- ought to' obser?>« [LEAN. ionora' rer »in Acting lectuigjtb^ eDtering here of vessels bound to Montreal, and the diffi- culties imposed on the Montreal trade, hat the honor to report^ that the entering and clearaiice of all TesseU coming into the River St/ fjawmce/ the whole -extent of which is established as the Port of Qdebec, having from time imme-* morial boen < madi3 only at: the City of Quebec, where ikt Colieotor and Coihpti'oller arte required to reside, ami where the necessary docuiineiits foil entry ! and elearanoe can al^one be given, the undersigned is not awat'e of any order! of ydur Honorable Boaxd, that ikrecludes him from receivingfthe regulated feefor the duiy sk> necessarily performed by him. He is as littlJe aware of the existence of the impediments alluded to by 'Mr. Young, as affecting the Mentceal trade ; but he is, on the contrary, able to state the foliiDwing facta; ilestroying both those pretexts of complaint ; \ ,{i.n..[j;i,. ) ^^\ bJifp*!* Mfc.|?olt mMftn*') "i^nft^f^"."' n ,i'isi!in,f«n)riiMrl t um>i> 4th. That even if ttiere were no Custom House existing at Quebec, a vessel proceeding to Montreal would be obliged to come to anchor here to discharge her Pilot, and take [another licenced for that branch of the navigation between two ^^laces ; to make report, and leave a manifest of her argQ at the 7<)'aval Office, for the informatioQ of the Gover- lor, and to pay the Port charges connected with that Office, n4 the Trinity House ; to deliver her letters at the Post ffice ; and she would also have to submit to the visit and nspection of the Health Officer. 5th. That, in truth, the King's duties are colle^tedj onds taken for the Provincial duties, and the whole business 1 :•■;/ . i 4$ tJiihe CusUnB House is iDBuokoates compleied».^liile tlM ddtaakfijboTd enutnemtcd ire jicfffii^rnied at tile otjbcr offiiic^ «ndi g9ii iM deliy^red tb the firft Gmtoai Mottiig €llfi(i;e> the undere^ed iie$t|pf aeeB an^ h*rdslHp on the Montreal merchaiit itt the prtfsimi coiirte, ti»r ho# any alteration ean be mide; Of the t^^sMh that arrive at Quebec with cat^es^ not one lb twenty gbtji to Montreal ; and ii wlH icareefy be maintiiiniiA that) fdMil small an object^ a separate Custom House should be establish^ edy thire. But, et^a if this were done^ the Montreal ^aki- chant would be obliged to have an Agent at QUebe«j, flf other p^rposds oonne«ted with his trade ; And it k %y h&ch agents thsi^ the Qt^wtk du^s on Montreal goods are pu^ and the Provincial duties secured. The cirtilMsku^dd dle^ tailed ttbove sufficiently show^ that iio delay^ kic^nt^ni^nee, orhat^dthip^ is iiitpasedj bsy the Custom House^ on thetrtil^ ti> Montreal ; ancl that those iiiconiii^ieiibet that it tiMv suiRsr> aHse from t^irciifnstanees notto be doiitroul^d, ot^igjf- natihg in the situation ofMonti«ai> as an inland tow^^ ilttd from the seat of Government beiug at Quebec. 1)3^ The undersi^bed Withe honor U rabbin/ vi^tb f^ltiHi H>li$4,i...:,, respect, >f ■^r,^- '>H '-\ -"-"' "'■ - !5»voi Vour Honors most ob^dt. aiid most hutnbl^ serVt* ko^l^^rli u *vyn (Signed,) M. H. PMOBVAL/Cyi:i bni.-;!'- ' . ■.. mil rfain. bii/ov/jWiiinii ', ''i'jiip'f To the Honblc. Oommissionefs f ftl l^^iwt'r rfi'^ ' of H. M. Customs, Londem. i r#ii/oi*i sdl loVtttiJrt nhn <| ■xwMnn .M«iMHw ^'Hw 4r ei^tfaB ill ,)if>viv establish^ tlr^al met- »% i^ch tanked- 'dle^ It^ni^ttce, It it tiMV I.. (Copy ^'^^i-'*^^^ xiTtili'H 'hIi oi •-£j;]3Hrv.>jj hy/x'ja' I ar Lcsio^t 'v' CUSTOM-HOUSE, .-r-r Praying reference to Mr. S6cre<;j^,,j^altc§[f%. ji^f^,^ lated Halifax, 926. September 1812, and t&ihe letter of your tatement of fees receive^, l|y. th^ Cf ji^i^tor. j w4 Colfip^^Uerr, ipon all yessels (except coasters) entering and clearing at ^l f ;; ! qerti«civtpof Kep9ct;0 ^: t, •, IMIB ;;^i;:m:,fi':£(iiiija;';: 4th grdii '.viijofi h| ft //)"»' ' iLi/, "=cw». fi/.^.'-qafs itwfurd^—Gcneral clearance^ 0,13 6 ^#. 6 9-, " '1 iRenort^ (its o: ' t^ I.' « 1 ^*^¥- 1 ilt r) rft'^ Warrant to load, Q I S,^^ ,, Certificate of Report,. 2 0' ll I Cooket, 2 a KoA-emtmeratedbondf I 6r Certificate of do.-* *0 3 Lumber bond. Ci^rti&cati&o^do, Bill of stores. List of men. I 6 a » 1 6 6 16 1 r 1 ■. ■ H a 6 6 * r ,^l.n J.n-i iW 10 ^ ifiO tS 9 •J ■>!■ m A -!--g-i nil; J 1 1 48 When an additional bond or .«tcrtiiicate is required; the fee thereon is received according to the Halifax docket.. Upon referring to the dpck^t^ it appears that a fee of 17s. 4d. sterling is attowed to tire Collector and Comptroller for anew re^ister^ and recording the sai^e; fnd^ jafee 4s. sterling tor anchorage of. yessels that do not Una ithe whdleoflSeiircar^e^'^^Vr^;^^- ''\ ■'■'"'!':?,.-'*';*'•":, , The jhei-cl^n^/^ wJMf? ^ he i^ W^^^^ htftii^y pays the ^ej^ttlkr fee for, a warrant to unload, wftich ig als6 included fti%e vessels* in'v^ard fees.' , " ,; ^ A warrant to' 4oad is grart^cd pr eviousto awy j^oods bein^ shipped,* and fbY^ thid, ks m^^II as for the coeket; thfe mer- chant pays the regular fees/ 'Hiese are afterwards j^eiceifed a second timei upon the viessel clearing out There are no ccrtij^c^tes of report grante^.ji i The docket allows an, additional feie of 4s. 6d. sterling to the Collector, aud ^^. 3d. sterling to the hi 3d. The same necessity existing for two sorts of warrant' 'othe ofH i! riber of- uffice for e charges ef these e a more on ihese ers : each »ok at the her clear- her entry he charge )r anchor- oes, is ex- mifestly a \e of their port with a portion lere a ves- it difficul- ner. ch is cott- the war- the Mas- obtains a ulk. Thfc necessary in that the I, havesc- ve paid or n their re- lis purpose lividual to g to him ; both sorts authorises ter, in the wai 51 load^ namely^ to the master and to the merchant^ although these also are confounded by Mr. Young, and the same prac- tice prevailing^ it is humbly conceived^ that it is fully justi- fied by the same reasons as are urged in the preceding para- graph respecting warrants for unloading. 4th. Certificates of report are manifestly intended to pro- tect yessels from any molestation by the inferior ofiicers^ on the eround of their not being reported ; such a certificate ou^ht regularly to be taken by every master on his reporting, and may at any time be demanded, and would be ^iven. if the masters do not usually take them up ; if, as is the case witb the 'Warrants to unload, they are left in the office, it is because the masters chuse to trust for their protection from molestation on this ground, to that immediate knowledge, which on the small scale of the establishment here, every Officer has of the fact of a report being being ma^'e, and the pr' cipal Officers would at any time bo justified in requiring i xferior officers to demand snch a certificate, as evidence 01 that fact. 5tM. The fee on foreign topsail Tcssels is charged on all square-rigeed vessels, and topsail schooners, not owned at this port ; but it is not charged on those registered and belonging here. This is believed to be the invariable practice at all the ports in the Colonies ; the term foreign being considered as applying not exclusively to ships of countries foreign to British dominion^ but to ships foreign to the port, or coun- try where the charge is made. With these observations the undersigned leaves the subject with your honors, in the full persuasion, that he will on these points be borne out in the practice, which after much consideration and discussion was adopted by him and his late lamented colleague Mr. Scott, and was submitted then to your Honorable Board. With great respect the undersigned has the honor to be, Honble. Sirs, your most obedt. humble, servt. (Signed,) M. H. PERCEVAL, Coll. the Honble. Commissioners ►f His Majesty's Customs, London. : 5 M m 52 Copy.) '^^ ^^" ">• • No. y,"' '.'I? '>!:':• 01^ .• ''}rrf?,a-\.''.i»Al (No. ^.) ■>*^iK[ •'^L^ '^' bin ^i^ 2tlORiv^l ^)Ulii«l Jrl -Hi I ' .:r London^ dlBtJfinnary^ 1821, •c Gentlemen, \^,^'ii^u:t :>■•?; jiiitpi'iQ s^s^iiirntJi .r Hi^yinff re^d a fietter ffom the CofpptrpUe^ of yguf porjt, 4^ted jiStn NoyeiD]!)er l^st, enclosing forms of gene;:^ certificates, >^iiic)i it is the practice to grf^nt fqr ^y^^y T^^l arriving at and leaving Quebec, whether with ^ cargp, or || ballast, provided t^e merchapt does i^qt object ^l^^retp : anf submitting whether the same are not contrt^ry to our genera order of the Uth July, 181't, No. }3.-^ ,^j^ ^.^. ,:,, ; ^ -►(-•(.^.j We acquaint you, that un4er the geper^) o^der referred to, no certificate was requisite in the qase of a ship arriving in ballast; and with i esT^cct to the certific^ite i^ta^cd to be issueq as to the landing of cargoes, that the same is defective in t^^ essential point, namely, in not specifying the seyejral pac!',a^e8^ and their contents landed in the way in whi^h they are jp^ serted in the coc^ets, provided the pacHsiges f :^rrespq^4 ther(;: with. ..,.1 '■■■'■■ ^ k ■ ■ ' And we acquaint the Acting Comptrollei;, th^t he ou^hti previously to transmitting his letter tq the Boa,rd, to hay^ called upon the Collector to have joine(]l therein ; or tQJ have assigned at the foot thereof, his ret^sons, for i^ot dpinff so, pursuant to the 7th article of your irvstruptions, whjc9| wc enjoin the Acting Comptroller to observe in ^ture, (Signed) S. BARNE, v G. STEWARTi T. S RICHMONl;, G. ^ILSON. ti To the Collector and Comptroller, Quebec. ii, ; .';•«-.."/"(.' •»i trt".,* a/ (Cppy.) 4^3 1 No. yi. I \.;v r.mrv CVSlOUMQVm •:';';tr '■)"^'v,T;if.->.;ir-^'" '■ ,,.,-.-. - -oof: rmun^r^ va^-oLja rr"; y V^EBEC, UthMaj, 1821, i n>>,i»ff5 ('.vt'i '>f! t ni tut ,, •#•. _iM-ji^.^ Thf vndj^rsigned has received tbe letter of your Honorable Board of the 31st January last, hi answer to fi letter af the Acting Com ptrolier^ of the ISth November^ Eespecting the forms of general certificates to vessels arriving %t, and leaving Quebec ; and be has the honor to state, that« in consequence of your general order on this sqbject, of tho 17th July^ 1817, No, 13^ tbe i^oilce relative to these cer- tificates, which was transmitted by your Honors, w«« siis-^ {tended in the CusiomThouse, for the information of tbe public ; but it was) at all times^ and still is, left entirelv to the opttiMi of the parties interested, to take, or let^ve,. these certificates as they please ; afid it is presumed, that it is no4 o&r Honors^ wish that they should be withheld in atiy case, wkere the parties expre^fsly apply for them. r iPhe underscgntd was perfectly aware, these certificates tare defective, as< pointed ouit by your Honors, in not spe- cifying the several packages, with theif contents landed,^ in the \^ay they are inserted in tbe cockets, when they eoff-< |res;/Ond thecewiili. But, on this head, he begf leave to itate, that your Honors' ordicr not having pointed oujttb^ 'orm of the'cetrtiitcates that should be used, or the pai^ti- ulacs it should coDtaJii, thi& became a subject for coaside- [lation with the Collector and the then Com{^troller, thq lateMr. Scott ; and it appeaxedito them, that, Ukider the icircumstajices. q£ the. department, if would be aexttoira-* ossible to adopt any other than a general form, as it would ave required the united labour of the several persons em- loyed in the depaktaient, and an entire abandonment, for time, of *he other important duties of the office, to pre- aresuchct fificates, with a specification of packages* li as therefore deemed best, to prepare these geae2^al oertifi- ates in the form of which a copy ia transmitted ; and it was '«ft tQ the party, in case any difticulty should occur, as to "y^l ' if !li if, 11 54 the landing of a particular packet^ to apply at the Custom' house for a special certificate respecting it. This practice has, accordingly^ in many cases^ been resorted to^ andj it ii believed; with much less inconvenience to those concerned^ than would arise from the delay, detention and expence, nC' cessary for perfecting in the first instance, a certificate, with a particular specification of all the packages contained in all the coekets of the ship. It is therefore humbly submitted, whether the practice that has been adopted on these grounds shall be changed, or whether the undersigned shall continue to, regulate nimself on this point as heretofore. if;r>ft^(!' ^on/ '}<» . uitn>f»v»3««*» i "** Before concluding this letter, the undersigned hopes he may be permitted to advert to the circumstances which hate given rise to the several references from your Honors, upon Acting Comptroller Young's representations of the 13th, 15th and 18th of last November, which he has answered in his several letters under this date. The Acting Comptroller entered on the duties of his sta- tion in January, 1820 ; from that time until the present pe- rioiJ, he has had free and unrestricted access to every source and sort of information respecting the department at lar^e, and he had ample time and means to inform himself of every thing before the opening of the navigation after his appoint mcnt, of which Mr. Young's abilities and talents, both na- tural and acquired, would preclude the doubt of his not having amply availed himself ; but whether in the course of this period, nor at any other time, did he ever intimate to the undersigned, that he had discovered the pretended errors pointed out by him to your Honors. He never attempted to obtain the correction of them by discussing them with the undersigned ; he allowed them to pass unnoticed, and at the fame time availed himself of the advantages and emolument« arising under thcni, until the navigation was closing, and then, without any communication with the undersigned, be addressed your Honors, on the subject. t*7ii.7Jff)T'T ri h; The undersigned is perfectly aware, that the situation of Comptroller is intended as a check on the Collector, and he here refers to their joint letter to your Honors of the 33d e Custom* s practice , andj it it concerned^ :peiicej oe- icate, with le practice iianecd) or d botes' he i^hieh hate nors, upon the IStk, mswered in s of his sta- Ipresent pe< ery source nt at lar^e, elf of everj lis appoint s, bothna of his not Novcmb^f; No. 31 ; A copy of which is herewith tran»naitted, to show the> views he has always entertained upon the sub- ject ; but he is persuaded that this salutary arrangenient was never meant to sanction any departure from that fairness aod candour^ and honorable dealings which are as necessary to the conduct of public business^ as they are natural to most lined in all menl who have tfaemsdves upright views. He is persuaded^ that it never was meant as an authority to one officer to be- tray another, or misrepresent his conduct ; end as it is evi* deiit from other communications to your Honors> that the ateliimself Aicting Comptroller was informed of your instruction^ re- quiring that one officer should be apprized by the other of wrhat was about tobe done^ the undersigned feels himself jus-* ified in imputing to the Comptroller any motives^ but such IS he could avow ) and he hopes, that he may be protected in uture from a course of proceeding, which has in this in- tance been inconsistent with propriety and fairness, and must in all cases be injurious to the public service, j, t .-t^ip With great respect^ the undersigned has the honor io ■remain, siilw r^rtr dtci* *»frt Ho I'^ffnl kV??*?? Your Honors' most obedt. and most humble servt. To the Honble. Commissioners '.'"' ""'m' ;'*- ^"'( '.' His Majesty's Customs, London.?^''^^ '"'^[f ''^"^ V^ '''''. -a ; 'mi of ► #» *!-*!>» B course of ntimate tol hint. moV* ts.ivt ,h.m ^ .t'»?fts»'iJtiri oiif^vr.il ided errors! » • t<'t,;fg^,;.^,,.M 'Mf^ ilw? No. VII,/V^/ o^*«nvH<5rtl f^M at tempted ■[Copy.) k^ ^'^ y q)!i»lb'ii>tl'j;f/6T'.fv '!^'-*«»»»i« f^***"^ T i*f m with the J 'ni>^i!fttt':Aiym^-ptU{ri iirt Quebec, 15th May, 3821 andatthel Dear Sir, r-i IJviD -jiH; ^«i Iv molumentsl li »Htu it>(r!:4 ;; osing, andl I have perused the papers you put into my hands signed, be Bind returned herewith, respecting the letters of Mr. Young, ■he Acting Comptroller. As your justification to the C'om- tuation ofBnissioners appears to me complete, I see no call for any or, and heBnterference on my part, in the present state of the matter. I of the ^(tpbink it right, however^ to enclose to you for perusal, and in l^ i! 1 5d order to be put into^ Mr. Yoittig's^ hattds by yi5*K Touvs, my dear Sir, t^Vf MthftfMy.y ' (Signed,); DALHOUSI^Bj^ Crovertier. The Hoiible. M^ H'. Perceval,) Em^, €oU; H. M; Customs, Quebec. (Copy.) iivmni n't CUSTOM tibUSE, Qvtsec, 17th MajTi 18!W>. 'f.tl ti Lilian (Copj Sir, Was tr HisE: bandii cessar^ you ui vernor upon t kctg, My Lord, r have the honor to ac^cnd^Ied^e thHE?'reeeip*^of your Lordship's letter of the 15th inst. which only refieh. sv3i.> Ml H? PERiCBVALj Mh pari of (Copy, HoNORj \fy sn e«^ )\efaev, ilv, r' (Copy,) ,_.,..... '■ ••■ ■ y^ujiof ,'ial .r4 • : .)A v^awuii CUSTOM-HOUSE,,!/; u. J..w) i u t*j«i>moa V (jt iii * * « ' 'i I* J* Quebec, 18th May, 1831 . ? Sir, M,i i4 .1) )'z{n£i"','> . Yoiir most obedt. hi»mble Servt. . ^ .)(!• 5 181M. feceipil/of lly T^fithtfA Lpefrs your our hands, ed to give cation ad- 18, oil iU oiler, and ship's let- this, and istances of idouff ^iU mmunica- ary to the uthorised fficer, ac- id, Servt. ,.rn>j{h * vVi (Signed,) i^ M.H. PilRCEVAL, Coll. *<«; Ua'i) iu i:i'.id' Li .t, li 1 £ ' 'Ml ;,. -.) '( i<' ' IJ.iv,'. i^» Quebec, 19th May, 1821. )!i ninfToT. A. Young, Esq. *^' Actg. Comptr. of His Majesty's Ci jtoms (Copy.) ' ^>'»-« '^■'» «^»-'' ; ajiiw.--4_ ».•; h'.j CUSTOM-HOUSE, HoNORABLii Sms, ^ *'' ' ^^ In answering the several references from your onors, on thci representations of the Acting Comptroller, of he 13th, 15th, and 18th November last, the undersigned eels it his duty to state, that, under the particular circum- tances in whicii Mr. Young was placed at the Custom- ouse, as an officer put in by the Provincial Government, ntil the vacancy should be filled by the King's Govern- lent, either by the appointment of Mr. Young, or some ther person, to the Comptrollercy, the undersigned felt it ncumbent on him to transmit to the Governor in Chief, the (irl of Dalhousie^ the accusations preferred against the un- H ii m: II t ,1 1 I, dersigned^ without his knowledge, by the Acting Comptrol- ler, together with the report made by the undersigned on each of Mr. Young's letters, conformably lo the orders of your Honors. These documents were submitted to the Go- Ternor under a blank coyer, and without any communication from the undersigned ; and this course appeared to be re- quired by the peculiar difficulty of his position, as, on the one hand, the officer whose province it is to assist the under- signed with his advice, and guard him from error, had not only become his secret accuser to your Honors, but had re- cently addressed communications to the Government, tending to impute misconduct to the undersigned in the duties of the department ; and on the other hand, if any strictures had been submitted to the Governor with these papers, it might have been attributed to a desire upon the part of the under- signed, in attempting to bring the influence of Government against the Acting Comptroller, to free himself from the con- tinuance of that scrutiny, which, whether secret or open, he feels no cause to fear. The papers thus submitted to the Governor have just been returned to the undersigned, with a letter from His Excel- lency, of which a copy is herewith transmitted, together with a letter addressed to Mr. Young, which was purposely left open for the perusal of the undersigned, and which he was directed by the Governor to put afterwards into Mr. Young's possession. The undersigned, from motives to which he trusts a just construction will be given, declined perusing this letter, and gave it to that officer unopened. The undersigned, however, thinks it proper that your Ho- nors should be made acquainted with all the circumstances attending the communication thus given by him to the Pro- vincial Government, and has therefore entered into these se- veral details. The undersigned has the honor to remain, with the utmost respect, ., f Your Honors' most obedt. and most humble Servt. ,: H *r b- (Signed,) M. H. PERCEVAL, UH. To the Honble. Commissioners , ,,0 >j n , '|j^/', His Majesty's Customs, London. !ortiptrol- iigned on orders of [) the Go- unication to be re- 8; on the he under- had not it had re- t^ tending ties of the tures had it might he under- vernment 1 the con- ' open, he ; 1 ■fd I just been lis Excel- together 3urposely which he into Mr. lotives to , declined iQopened. ^our Ho- jni stances the Pro- these se- le utnM)8^ Servt. UM. .M-, .? f. 59 No. XL • CT^STOM-HOUSE, London^ 29th September, 18^1, f (Copy.) (No. 23.) Genti^meNj Having read the Collector's Report of the 11th of May, in return to our order, upon a letter from the Acting Comptroller, relative to the general certificates granted at your Port in pursuance of the order of the Lords of the Treasury, of the 27th June, 1817, in respect to the due landing of goods there — We acquaint you, that when such certificates are required by the parties, the same must express the particulars required by our order af the 3 1st Janmirylast, No. 4, upon this subject, (Signed,) J. BULLER, J, WILLIAMS, T.S.RICHMOND, G.WILSON. The Collector and Comptroller of Customs, Quebec. t. -:»t -*f (Copy.) (No. 13.) Gentlemen, H » fill I I* No.xn. CUSTOM-HOUSE, Mi London, 17th July, 1817. i The Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Trea- sury having, by Mr. Lushington's letter of the 27th ult. di- rected that the Officers of this Revenue, in the British Colonies and Plantations, shall not require from the Cap- tain of any ship, more than one general certificate of the landing of a cargo ; and that in the cases of certificates, required by individuals, to cancel bonds, given in this coun^ try, the same shall include all the goods enumerMed in one ik 1'; V: cocket^ although differently marked and numbered ; and their Lordships having been also pleased to allow the officers to receive certain fees for such certificates, — Inclosed^ you will receive a copy of the said letter ; and we direct you to take care that the commands therein contained be duly and strictly obeyed, so far as you are concerned. You will receive also, herewith, form of a notice, which has been prepared by our orders, relative to such fees ; and we direct you to cause the same to be published three times in the public Gazette, and to be affixed up in the several offir ces and in the most public parts of the Custom-house at your Port, as well as the out-bays, for the information of all parties interested therein. And you to acknowledge the receipt of these directions by the first packet. (Signed,) G.WILSON, J.WILLIAMS, ,, J. FULLER, J.S.RICHMOND. Y CUSTOM-HOUSE, Quebec, 17th July, 1817, NOTICE. *'■'■)',,, ' ' - , '■ ■ The Commissioners of His Majesty's Customs, in pursu- ance of directions received from the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, hereby give notice, that in future no more than one general certificate of the landing of any car- go, shall be required from the Captain of any ship ; and in case of certificates required by individuals to cancel bonds^ given in Great-Britain, all the goods enumerated in one coc- ket be included therein, although difl^erently marked and numbered, and that for such documents the following fees be allowed upon the same, viz. For a general certificate of the landing of each ship, ' 2 dollars. For a certificate required by individuals to cancel bonds given in this country, 1 dollar. The said fees ta be divided between theCoUecto!' and Comp- troller, in the proportion of two-thirds to the former^ and one-third to the latter officer. Pv order of the Commissioners, rihi (Signed,) G. DELEV AND, Secretary. ; itrij ■{ (Copy.) (No. 6.) Gentlemen, No. XIII. CUSTOM-HOUSE, i T f I r London, I2th February, 1823. Having read your letter of the 24th October [last. No. 14, stating the seizure of the ship Union, and her cargo of lumber, &c. in consequence of the Master having omitted to enter into the non-enumerated i ud lumber bonds ; but as you were convinced no fraud was intended, either by the Shipper or the Master, you had delivered the vessel and cargo, on security for the appraised value of the vessel, and double the appraised value of the cargo,~- We direct you to cancel the bonds given in this case, on I payment of any expences incurred ; and we acquaint you in consequence of the Acts of the 3d Geo. IV. cap. 44 and 45^ the non-enumerated and lumber bonds in question are no longer necessary, and we direct you to govern yourselves ac- cordingly. ^*« ^' • :i rs ■'• . \jj» . l( r I u i' (Signed,) R. B. DEAN, G.WILSON, S. BARNE, I. S. RICHMOND. I Collector and Comptroller, Quebec. ■».'*;. u t I I *>}\ V 1. »:• ii ■A> ♦j: '^ytjri ' i * Ui .-^iv;.--. ? .< ' i]'t '1 »''tu. The Committee of the Legislative Council^ to whom has been referred the petition of the Merchants of Quebec, re- lating to the fees of the Gustom-House, request you will afford them such information us you may think fit on the following points. The Committee being desirous of making up their report, request your answers may be communicated to them by Tuesday next. 1st What are the items or particulars composing the total sums paid to the Collector and Comptroller respectively for the entrance and cleairaace at the CustomrHouse of Quebec of the following vessels : (/» 1818, [ 24th June, Brig Henry, 329 tons. y v 17th July, Brig Transit, 290 do. t ' - 1822» 19th August, Brig Neptune, 227 do. 11th November, Brig Utility, 229 do 1823 23d June, Ship Brilliant, 330 do. 18th October, Brig Cftsar, 272 do. 8th September, Bark Sally, 313 do. 8th September, Bark Mint, 469 do. ..t sm? rt^trf^ 5th May, Schooner Charllotte, 89 do. 1st voyage. '7th June, do. ; ly. do. 2d, do. 23d July, do. .; do. i,, » 3d do. > j 27th Sepr. do. do. »»Ht(* 4th do. u%% 18th Novr. do. do. 5th do. Schooner Marie Catherine, 1st voyage Mi ramichi. Ditto Ditto, 2d do. Halifax. * Ditto Ditto, vi-l.f 3d do. Newfoundland. Ditto Ditto, ' 4th do. Halifax. 10th November, Bark Crown, Joseph Bftnks, 336 tons. Ditto, Ship Barbadoes, Thos. Lee, 322 tons. 2o. How is the fee in the Halifax Cocket for anchorage applied as to vessels arriving at Quebec, that is to say ; Is it charged upon those only which afterwards proceed to Mopt*. ,»•:;.}. /'It I ?■' tit fe -tiJ- -'^ eal w or wh fexac return vessels 3rd unloa( the sar unloac 4th bee on 1818- 1819- 820— -*^>.tj«';^-t./f^i* isl 822—: 823--] 5th. aid at vhom has II m real without unloading any* part of t1i«i# ei^^oes at Quebet,^ or which unload part^ and proceed with the remainder^ and if exacted in the first instance upon any vessel^ has it been returned when known by the eyent^ not to apply to particular lebeCj re-lyesseU ? /trill afford! 3rd Have vessels, proceeding to Montreal which do not' following lunload or load any part of their cargoes at Quebec, to bear' r up their |the same Custom-House fees at the latter port, as if they had d to them lunloaded and loaded there ? > ui^f ^^ur, 4th Give the particulars composing the fees paid at Que- • the total Ibec on the following vessels to and from Montreal : tively for II8I8— Brig Flora, 147 tons, >f Quebec! Clearance to Montreal,- £S l^ 5 Clearance outwards. Collector .^ ui^t and Comptroller, , 2 14 11 ** **'*** if/dTi . t ^ 6 7 4 819— Brig Pilot, 114 tons, ^ >; .^srw^ni ;/ Clearance to Montreal, V q^ £S 8 10 \ Ditto outwards. Collector :; :; and Comptroller, f^) J o ;». ^r* ^820— Brig Patriot, 199 tons'. Clearance to Montreal, Ditto outwards, C<>lkctor and Comptroller, 822--Brig Thistle, 133 tons. Clearance to Montreal, Ditto outwards. Collector _ and Comptroller, ' michi. " IX. undland, |823— Brig Dew Drop, 203 tons. Clearance to Montreal, Ditto outwards. Collector and Comptroller, i- U ■> ^f' 9 5 r '^ i^y . 3 5 3 3 14 II 6 S 9 6 14 8 3 8 10 4 6 7 9 4 3 15 7 36 tons. 12 tons, mchorage 1 7 say ; Is it ■ 5th. What are the particulars of the Custom-house fees to Mo^t'.laid at Quebec upon granting a register io lEinew vessel built Ill: irf -I lii: 64 there. And are any fi^es exacted or paid for registers in liny other respects than for new vessels so built ? If so^ state the same^ and give the items of such charge. .U ni b 6th. What is meant by recording a register ? v Iw. 7th. Have the fees exacted by the Collector and Comptrol ler been diminished since the Searcher and Waiter have been directed to collect their own fees ? run nif»»i iw jy Committee Room, Legislative Council^ t-i«ffi«#U ^^ih; Saturday, 28th February, 1824. 'WQ ... (Signed,) W. B. FELTONi Chairman. \9il ,..i mo. : ^— r^r ^-•mi- ANSWER TO QUESTION FIRST. 1818, 24th June, Brig Henry, , i.jilo*> mmo > huv. Items. "> ' V Inwards. General Entrance, ,. i^O 13 6 Report, * - 2 Warrant to unload, 2 Certificate of Report, 3 Anchorage, 4 Recording Register, 17 4 Foreign Topsail Vessels, 6 9 Outwards. General Clearance, £0 Repcirt^ .0 Warrant to load, un m M'> Sterl. £2 8 7 t {,> Certificate df Report, h n ♦! Bill of Stores, Cocket on ditto, . f ^j,. List of Men, ^'\f] O Non-endmerated fiond,' ' Certificate of ditto, Lumber Bond, imn Certificate of ditto, Enumerated Certificate, Foreign Topsail Vessels, 13 6 2 2 3 2 i» nth 823, ;' A & These ^rtilirati Hired sin g of the V.cap.4 3 i 2 3 2 3 3 6 9 ■) V: ittJ J : rnit^ ' ! 5?< • ■ ifsi i ' 2 7 3 Add, Inwards, J J jjtf^a 2 8 7 t . A' \ < / Sum paid, Sterl. ^4 1-gth, 15 10 10 8 6 61 bl Hi 18th < 6th Se ■-*- -, r. 1 7th July, Brig Transit, same as above, j£5 6 6 |5thSc J . Add enumerated Bond, 2 3 Cury. , ^ . Sum paid, - . ; i, ,.« £5 8 9 I! erd in any , state the Comptrol- lit^r have m, ^^% '♦Kr-f -xjo Lftirr rnXj:l-'}:.?^i 19th Au^. Brig Neptune^ same as aboye^ £b 6 6 i : Deduct ennmerated Certiiicato^ 3 4. d, ri^i' ^» ^i 4 Sumpaid/ZAT. .r >,m/,?-'«i £5 3 g [.^^^ ^V'^'"'' H 4 lairman. '.}i0 '< > [ - > * 5. • 01;: ^ 13 (J 2 »' 2 (lii 3 2 .>'. 3 -' i '' ■ 2 ^ 3 ... 2 3 3 , 6 9 11th November, Brig Utility, same as >^ >4rrrnr<,*r. » ritt^ per Transit in 1818, £5 8 9 823,"^ Si* .■■-5.'*-»'vV hf.i?fpv j-rriv^^oi irjV-:> 23d June, Ship Brilliant, as detailed per Henry, in 1818, £5 6 6 "'/^ dm \f K! ■' * ^^ Deduct. These Bonds and /Non enumerated Bond, £0 2 3 ^rtificates are not re- XCertificate of do. mred since the pass- Tc*fjtrn3rf»n 3 4 dT hnl? 5 '■\a Sumpaidyi'?!'-;^*!) fiiW vb ;'l —^^t-jfUr owtr £4 12 O-^ 5th September, Bark Mint> same as above, £4 17 7u 3d May, Schooner Charlotte, same as per Sally > £4 12 - i 1 Hi 6' n 3' t'f it [i' i u V ■ 66 1823 — Sum paid^ one half, ...^ lu./-^ )ti'-r. ■■■■'■■J^^ 5 0. ■' ---'•^•-^nvr'7.iif[ .' , I * .11. ; I . ^ 7th June^ Schooner Charlotte^ as abOTe> !;lf|--}\ £4 12 23d July, Schooner Charlotte, as above, jiRq ffv.jj£4 12 27th September, Schooner Chiirlotte, as abote^ £4 12 18th November, Schooner Charlotte, as aboVe, £4 12 Deduct for foreign topsail vessels, 13 6 n v^l. ' il81 .a/V '£3 18 6 Schooner Marie Catherine, as above> Sum paid, one half. Schooner Marie Catherine, as above^ £4 12 £2 6 £4 12 Schooner Marie Catherine, as above. Deduct for foreign topsail vessels >Ui{{i' Schooner Marie Catherine, as above, 6th Septr. Bark Crown, same as per Briltianty £4 12 13 6 6 £3 18 £3 »8 6 3, £4 17 £4 17 Ditto, Ship Barbadoes, same as above> 2nd The fee for anchorage is charged upon all vessels enter- ing inwards at Quebec, whether they proceed to Montreal or not. Ist because when they enter the Custom-House, it cannot be known whether they will discharge all or part of their cargoes. 2nd because vessels seldom or never discharge i *he whole of their cargoes, in as much as the stores are not| anded, part of which is in most cases retained from the cargo, and which the Waiter and Searchers state to remain on board I when they jerque the vessel, previous to her entering out- 11 ^ 6 -i — ■■'■ i ' ">» 24 12 24 \2 £4 12 £4 12 13 6 £3 18 6 £4 12 £2 6 £4 12 £4 12 13 6 £S 18 6 £3 \S 6 £4 17 7 £4 17 7 ssels enter- Montreal House, it' or part of I discharge res are not the cargo, In on board I ering out- er wtrds. No application has ever been made to have the fee returned. 3rd Yes, Montreal being only a member of the Port of Quebec. 4th According to the established usage of the Custom- House, it is the practice when vessels proceed to Montreal to charge half the fees only, and the other half when the vessel filially clears from Quebec for sea. A detail of the fees is here given, amounting to £5 3 2 currency, and the mode df charging half on clearing for Montreal, and half on clear- i«i^ for sea will appear on each particular case stated by the Coinmiltee. Inwards. General fjitraace, Report, Wurraiit to utiIomS, Certiticate of Report, Anchorage, Recording Regisfter, ' .1} ^'oiieigii Topsail Vesselfi, •n- — »-v :i Outwards. General Clearance, Report, Warrant to load, Certificate of Report) Bill of Stores, Cocket on ditto, oH List of Men, ■ Non-enumerated Bond) ^87 Certificate of ditto, ^SSiSmmmSSm Lumber Bond, ' Certiticate of ditto. Foreign Topsail Vessels, £0 IS i 2 3 4 17 lO 6 6 4 9 t i: 0. , £0 13 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 3 2 3 6 6 9 '^ I ^i Add, Inwards, .■*■'■ 2 2 4 8 3 7 ■ *••) *«. mZ^^ , ^ l^\ ^J: ■ / 1 « - , 1 J /' *-i Sterl. 4 12 10 1.9th, 10 4 M7- ff " il.O-f C- yjr £5 3 2 1818, ^;*'>f♦ ii^iiii't^i k'\ii nth June^ Brig Flora, clearing to Montreal^ .., „ ..M'wv.ri Half of £5 3 % \% £,% W 7 ! . /, n Coast dispatch to Montreal, 10 , ,,i ^ I . Certificate with abstract of cockets, 3 4 .,.;;$ — A clerical error appears to have been ^ ••», , made in the Montreal vessels of^ 3 11 Sum paid on clearing for Montreal, £3 ^ 10 ili ml : : f ;«8 i 1818— ^ •.;d Brought forward, £S' 8 10 Charged on clearing for sea, half of J)oni»»J9i io Jio^l 'jwi'io lauuiijui j; 7h £5 3 2, is £2 11 7" ■• Add enumerated certificate, 3 4 ^: ' s* -rnoten') -rtU Ju .^*iij.'^;j i#.,> ^^ i»d»>kj »/»/ jVi ^ ' ' ■ 2^ 14 11 [-),??*>¥ ijrfk ' Sum paid, ;o ni> biijj //Ido i?s>a'i jJ* 'ti, JE6 3 '9 f'1819 — Brig Pilot, to Montreal as above, ioinji ji£3 8 10 -u/.ij On clearing for sea as above, Ifoil^:' 2 14 11 .i £6 3 9 1820— Brig Patriot, to Montreal as above, £3 8 10 ^ ' On clearing for sea as above, £2 14 11 '( '"''' Add general certificate iinder ,.,,.,.,3f"M . ;ijfm. ,1 - i the order of the Honorable .i ?/ y. n Board, dated 17th July, 1817, 10 I. i'. .} '. •;'/" .i ' ..!' ■»' ' l; " ',1 ,'•'"' -^f! : •' ..>,;■»! •.;■ ;■;«'» fH^-. .i^kAA^Aw^ 1822 — Brig Thistle, same as above. Clearing for sea as above. Add enumerated Bond, '^ t. 14 2 — ^- %f T 11 t £6 13 9 £2 £3 8 10 11 3 -^ 2 17 7 ... "~"^ All 1 ,■ . ',4».i*'i^' *<..i'-J.»J' '.vimidliMi £2 6 1 1. The fee of 10s. for a coast despatch to Montreal is charged according to immemorial usage on all foreign topsail vessels clearing coastwise to Montreal, i*. ,:>., .,.;, » ,^»; .*;^;. , .,^ H mittf whic thef mucl ment theC ward ofCa docui impoj mand secun what( Itr by th to the exami King' ral bu detaib takes diflicu items I been s Comm portio tigatic 5th. anew is madi The pa '- 1 ' ] ( 6th. ers grj £3 8 10 7 ... 4 ■Hl;M.;'i,l -2 14 11 £6 3 9 £3 8 101 2 14 111 £6 3 9 £3 1 8 10 - 3 4 11 £6 13 9 £3 8 10 I 3 -2 17 7 £6 6 5 £3 s e '1 8 10 £2 6 0] is cha Having furnished the Tarious detail required by the Com- mittee, it may be here necessary to remark that the practice which i^ems to be general with the merchants of charging the fees payable by themselves against the vessel, tends very much to augment the apparent amount of the ship's disburse- ments, as will appear by the various statements now before the Committee, the entries inwards and bonds, entries out- wards and eockets, certificates for lumber and other articles of Canadian produce, and certificates to cancel bonds are documents which ought in every case to be paid for by the importing or exporting merchant, and which he either de- mands voluntarily, or which the law obliges him to take to secure his property from seizure, and they have no reference whatever to the ships' expences. It may be also proper to observe that the fees are collected by the Collector's Clerk, who has at the same time to attend to the entering and clearing of vessels, the receiving and examining of entries inwards, and the calculation of the King's duties to be paid or secured, add to the mass of gene- ral business daily transacting at the Custom-house, and the detailed nature of the docket to be applied to each case, mis- takes may probably occur. Under these circumstances, it is difficult at a subsequent period to ascertain the particular items of any individual case or payment ; and although it has been successfully done in the various cases referred to by the Committee, embracing a period of 6 years, a considerable portion of time has been consumed in the research and inves- tigation of them. " li^«i^..w* '«* . »r5 ' /u • .*rvv.,--. 5th. The fee paid at Quebec upon granting a register to anew vessel built there is £1 6 1 currency, and the charge is made upon all vessels obtaining a new register at Quebec. The particulars are : — New Register and recording the same^ £3 19 4 Bonds, 2 3 Certificate on oath of Registry, 3 4 iJ- u sail vesseUl 6th. Recording in the Custom-house books all new regis- ters granted, ana all registers presented at the Custom-house ;» v'"4 f if i 70 upon vessels entering inwards or clearing outwards, althougl the charge for recording is but once made, vr^in n .^jjJliiri ;^'' 7th. The Collector and Comptroller's fees continue as the; were, and could neither be added to or diminished by th Waiters and Searchers receiving their own fees. They ar those allotted to each of them respectively, in the Ist am list - 2d columns of the Halifax docket, without reference to th Searcher's fees ; and they will be found to agree with thede tailed statements now furnished to the Committee in th«iiiave answers. The Waiters and Searchers receive the fees allotte( ipp to them in the 3d and 4th columns of that docket, ViUi^ocrf! Appendix (F.) 1 1st. Do you carry on business as a merchant at Quebec and how long have you rr'sided here ? 2d. Have you, in the course of business, had the manage ment of concerns connected with the shipping of this Fori or with vessels arriving from, or departing- for Great Britain .. 3d. In your transactions with tlie Custom-house, haveyoi managed your business in person, or by means of clerks? 4th. Will you state the particulars of the fees paid at tb Custom-house on any one vessel arriving at this Port fro Great-Britain, and those paid on the departure on the san vessel ; and also give the Committee similar informatio respecting an}^ one vessel belonging to this Port, employe in the trade with the neighbouring Ports, stating the numbe of voyages made by the same vessel in any one year, and t' Custom-house chargeg on each voyage ? 5th. Have you any grounds for supposing the charges, stated in your answer, to be irregular, or larger than th legal fees, and if so, state the amount of the fees which, i your opinion, ought to have been demanded on the vessel mentioned in your answer, with your reasons for the same and also state from what documents you derive your informa tion, as to the particulars of the fees that can be legally de manded? , ' r 6th. t vari ook p 7th: aifoi b< e Ha 8th. bd ,, jj. resg 9th. tot 10th els fro *orts o 1 1th lies, ai ince ? I2th. yhethe ish Pr( aintai he Hal nstrum Ould 1 13th. ndift 14th. efal ? I5th. leamen, 16th. hey CO i7th. etweei 18th. etweei ence ? 19th. s, althougl nue as the ihed by thi They an 71 6tb. The Petition alleges that the fees have been increased 4 t various times : Can yoti state when these augmentations 't ook place^ and the extttit of them ? 7th. Have you ever requested the Officers of the Customs afford you any explanation on the differences stated to 1 the Ist am list between the fees as demanded^ and those authorised by mce to tli^he Halifax docket? .caI uan s )tv;nt'^* imm- < 8th. Do you know if any and what instance of complaints tee in th«iiiave been made by British ship-holders^ as to the fees being fees allottee ippressively high? 9th. Has any person, to your knowledge, resisted or object- i to the payment of the fees exacted ? >'■ 10th. Can you state to the Committee the fees paid on ves- els from Quebec, in Newfoundland^ at Halifax^ and at the orts of New-Brunswick ? ' *r Ihii) j 11th. What fees are paid by vessels employed in the Fish- ries, and the coasting trade, within the limits of this Pro- ince ? v> •*•> *.. I2th. Be pleased to state to the Committee yOur opinion rhether the trade between this Province and the other Bri- ish Provinces in North America and Newfoundland, can be i:r J \*i I.*, il at Quebec ^j:*:; U the manage i* this Pori !at Britain e, haveyoi naintained on paying the Custom-house fees authorised by clerks? he Halifax docket, according to your construction of that paid at thflnstrument ; and if not, state what reduction of those fees ? > Port ffoAould relieve the trade sufficiently ? ^'^ t'^ > ^^"i^ '"* ^ on the saml |3th. State if the Trinity dues are considered too high, nformaUoJnd if the charges for pilotage are unreasonable ? !?i i/ ridt^ emplojl^eij i4^|i w^q are the proprietors of the small crafts in ge- i; I5th. How are those vessels manned : state the number of eamen, and the places of their residence ? 16th. Where are these vessels usually built, and what do • hey cost per ton ? ITth. What i6 the average tonnage of a vessel employed I the vesselftetween Quebec and Halifax or Newfoundland ? r the samel iQti, What is the average tonnage of a vessel employed ur informa«etween Quebec and the ports within the Gulf of St. Law- legally de»ence ? ' a;'. >=; ■ n -^ r . . ^t'i* I 19th. What freight can the merchant afford to pay on a the numbeil ear, and t charges, ;er than t s which, i 72i\ u 11 barrel of flour from Quebec to Halifax^ to allow him to meet the Americfui importer on equal terms in that market ? 20th. Do.— to Newfoundland? imi .f? ili ^Ist. Do.-*to ports of New Brunswick or Gulf of 8i Lawrence? ..•.■■ . ,,i'.rq/,a»-.ytiiv t..i ' ■ *.. 22d. What is the average number of voyages in the course of one season between Quebec and Halifax ?;-*.^ i-- -*j-;«4. 23d. Do.— Newfoundland ? ' ' 11 24th. Do.-t-New Brunswick and the Gulf? ^ ' ^ 25th. Do. — Ports in Gaspe and Labrador ? - 26th. What is the usual freight for a barrel of flour, and for a barrel of beef or pork, from Quebec to Halifax ? 2!7th. Do.— from Quebec to Newfoundland ? 28th. Do. — from Quebec to New Bruns-wick or ports in the Gulf? -.rKi^^/ i 29th. Do.— from Quebec to Gaspe ? -u^Ui jj. 30th. What is tbei-eturn cargo, and the usual freight on it, from Halifax to Quebec ? 31st. What is the return cargO;, and the usual freight on it, from Newfoundland to Quebec ? 32d. Do. — from ports of New Brunswick or the Gulf? 33d. Do. — from Gaspe ? 34th. What is the ordinary expense of equipping a vessel of from 50 to 70 tons, for the coasting trade, independent of the flrst cost of the hull ? lU jYi«ii«i t»fi 35th. Do. — on vessels from 70 to 90 tons ? • 36th. What is the ordinary wear and tear of a vessel of 70 tons, employed in that trade, for one season ? ' "^'i 37th. What is the ordinary expense for provisions aiid wages, for a season, the vessel having constant employment ? 38th. On what grounds is it asserted that the Americans carry from their ports on lower freights than vessels from thii Port ? 39th. Have you a docket of fees paid at the American Cus- tom-houses? V «vr iA 40th. State the rates of freights and insurance from Bos- ton and the neighbouring ports, to Halifax and Newfound- land ? 41st. Would the abolition of fees to the various Officen VJ n f meet et ? ..,^r<••■. ..in ^c,/ ulf of Si the couriie lour^ and T ports in ight on it, reigbt on Gulf? [g a veise) endent of ;sselof70 if/ ...«,, sions and loyment ? LmericaM from thii ican Cu8- rom Bog- ewfound" s Officeri 73 of the Customs* and the establishment of a general fee or due, be convenient, considering the short season of Naviga- tion in this country ; and would not that arrangement pre- vent the Custom-house Officers from doing any duty out of office hour ? 42d. What, in your opinion, ought the office hour to be? 43d. Are the Custom-house Officers in the habit of doing business out of office hour, and when, what fees are ex- acted ? ,' >» r:\ 44th. In cases of emergency, does the Custom-house refuse to enter or clear vessels out of office hour ? 45th. Upon what ground is it said that the Naval Officer demands unauthorised fees ; and has that Officer been applied to for information on the subject ? 46th. Can you give the Committee any other information on the above subjects ? Mr. William Price, of Quebec, Merchant, was called in, and made answer as follows : Answer to question 1st. — I have resided here fourteen years. , 2d. I have. 3d. For some years past by means of Clerks. * ' ^ 4th. June 26th, on the bark Sally, 313 tons, bound to London, arrived here in ballast from Britain, and paid — Entry outwards, or sufferance. Collector and Comptroller, For clearance and certificate, Searchers, Waiters, and Certificate, Naval Officer, ' • • His fees, and Trinity dues. £0 7 4 £b 3 2 2 7 4 7 10 6 7 17 10 5 10 10 The following is the only instance in which I have the particulars of the clearance of a ship from and to Britain season, viz. K ^! ili. m m li ! 'A Sept. 8th. — Bark Mint^ 469 tons, bound to London ; ar- rived here from Britain in ballast : ' Paid Entry outwards, ^ * £0 7 4 [ Collector and Comptroller, clearance, £4 10 1 1 2 certificates, '>^* ?- '-^ 6 8 ^ ^ . . ^ .-.f;..-.. 4 17 7 Searchers and Waiters, Clearance, ' 2 certificates. f. ri.r t-' j" Naval Officer's fees and dues, * • UK) ?: £2 5 2 4 2 7 4 , 7 6 ^^t- dei4 18 3 *■<< . ' I paid on my schooner Charlotte, 89 tons, to Halifax, ne- ver before out of the Province, and therefore not subject to entrance fees — requiring no bonds, and only one cocket, being myself the only shipper — ' -..;*:,. -J J.., '.-vti^cj,. jt,. v-';;vA ''f^'*^'' '*;!*(!*(<; 1*>'''„ Jui turnii En En Cei Ws En Cei Na rA y DC. .a: ■■.^.^1f^■ < ..) . . ii'^O, , '{\- 1st Voyage — May 5th. ■■rfi-;- V<*y7 Entry outwards, ..*«.;... .-. £q i^ 4 Collector and Compt. and clearance, £2 6 J Certificate, f 3 4 , r ■■■- .' '■ -:-V: r- ■--, , ..,, 2 9 4 Waiters and Searchers, Clearance, . 12 6 _ ^ Certificate, 12 13 8 Naval Officer, iV ! t . ' < ' ■.'* : MMiliUj "■ * 1; I. 1!;^' S:' '? i 4!Ji, 3 10 4 1 15 6 £5 5 lOl Chs Ihav( Em Cle Gus Cha Septei anioui No^ -fi- adon; ar- £0 7 4 I - 4 17 7 ) -374 7 6 75 \ ' • "' ' ■ • fi 2d Voyage. t June 7th. Charlotte, 89 tons, to Newfoundland, after re- turning from Halifax in ballast, ditto, ditto, ditto. 2U 18 3 Bilifax, ne- subject to le cocket, T»'r ^0 7 4 . 2 9 4 * I - 13 8 3 10 4 1 15 6 £5 5 10 Entry outwards. Entrance and clearance. Certificate, Waiters and Searchers, Entrance and clearance} Certificate, • } £0 7 4 £4: 12 3 4 — — — 4 15 4 1 10 1 2 ■f '•:; 1 11 2 £6 13 10 3 9 3 ^*.l i ^^i^HrM^im:^^ bi. . ^^^ ^ ^ Naval Officer, Charlotte, 89 tons, to Halifax, her 3d voyage, July 23d. 1 have not particulars, but give the total amount : >" i*- : i» .Y- < ii. Entry outwards, . Clearance, Custom-house and Naval Officer, .•"j^f £0 7 4 10 15 / >v-7ftT h" -J iH,„Uivr- - •.•■ ■ .-: £11211 Charlotte, 89 tons, to Newfoundland, her 4th voyage, September 27th. I have not particulars, but give the total amount, with entry, l '«' ^^;r ; r . itc' £^^ 2 3 Nov. 18. Her 5th voyage. Total, £lO 9 6 .-J.Jj«H^f.:,^l/ ■?(-J}tzr^UlV\:*--''* I paid on my schooner Marie Catherine, 69 tons, to Mira- michi — her first voyage — never before out of the Province, and therefore not subject to entrance fees : \k i « Entry out^rards^ "^■- ^ *' Collector and Comptroller, Clearance^ • ' Fee for certificate. Waiters and Searchers, Clearance, Fee for certificate. Naval Oflicer, £0 7 4 £^6 •''' 3 6 ^ ^1 2 9 12 6 ^i^-> 1 3 13 8 1 10 6 -^, £5 6 I paid on my schooner Marie Catherine, her second voy- age, to Halifax, after having returned in ' Hast : Entry outwards, £0 1 4 Collector and Comptroller, £5 2 4: '^ Searchers, . 15 -.n. 6 7 4 '•'>. Naval Officer, v^ 6 14 8| 2 13 6 £9 8 2l Am On her third voyage, to Newfoundland, I paid — Total, ,^8 13 U On her fourth vovage, to Halifax, I paid — Total, £10 5 8 Besides 10s. to Waiters for extra attendance. .<»jU'? I did imagine that the Custom-house Officers must have had authority for receiving the fees they exacted, until afe^ weeks a^o, when I had an opportunity of seeing the docket, of which a copy is annexed to the petition, with an extract of a letter from tlie Commissioners of Special Revenue, in which the Collector is informed that that docket is the only one by which he can legally demand or receive fees, and therein ordered, most strictly, to conform thereto, as well as all the Ofticcrs under his survey. According to that docket, £-0 7 4 ) •";* 5 .. -290 2 ^ 13 8 1 10 6 £5 6 ;cond voy- £0 7 4 ^ * ■ -- - 6 7 4 6 14 8 2 13 6 £9 8 2 ^8 13 11 no 5 8 must have mtil a few he docket, an extract svenue, in is the only fees, and as well as at dockci, " a I consider the following the utmost which ought to have been demanded of me, on the clearance, &c. of the barks Mint and Sally, and schooners Charlotte and Marie Cathe- rine : , ^ ^ On the Barks Mint and Sally— Entry outwards, £0 % 9 Collector and Comptroller, currency. Entrance, 9s. sterl. and 4s. 6d. do. £0 15 -i Clearance, 9s. and 4s. 6d. it 15 u.^^'' Addt. being foreign topsail, 4s. 6d. sterl. and^. 3d. do. . > 7 6- t > Cockets 2s. sterl. and Is. do. >: 3 4 2 certificates, 6 8 2 7 6 Waiters and Searchers, Entrance, 48. 6d. sterl. and lid. do. £0 6 0\ Clearance, 4s. 6d. and lid. 6 0|. Addt. beinff foreign topsail vessels, 2s. 3d. sterl. ana 6d. do. 3 1 Cockets, ► Oil 2 certificates, 12 -A'l 17 5 i . And Naval Officer's dues. £3 7 8 If the Port of Halifax is considered to be subject to the fees under the '' head of Vessels from the Colonies, " then the following appear to me io be the utmost which ought to have been demanded, according to the docket, on the schooner Chi\rlotte, on her first voyage : Entry outwards, rjCO 2 9 Collector and Comptroller, .^v.^ lU..^ t.-i,!, Clearance, (not being subject to en- >--f trance fees, never before being out »> oftheProvince)98.sterl.&48.6d.do.£0 15 irwJM^ Cocket, 38. sterl. - lui' n ^ 3 4 Certificate, : >.-• >« 3 4 r ^•. ■:'••,'-■= i] .f.'ii r'? 5 Hi ■ . 118 jei 4 5 V m M 1 . rs ittt.6 ^ Brought forward. £14 5 ::!p. Waiters and Searchers, Clearance, 48. 6d. sterl. and lid. do. £0 6 0| .^ : Cockets, Is. sterl. Oil '» ' Certificate, 12 ..v.';f ^ Naval Officer's fees and dues, t Cockets, 3 4 ! , Certificate, ^. 3 4 f* i* V . 1 1 8 Waiters and Searchers, * ; i ^ % ^■ , Entrance, 4s. 6d. sterlg. and lid. do. £0 6 0^ Clearance, 4s. 6d. and lid. 6 0| ^ Cocket, .. .0 11 i-ijA Certificate, 1 2 ,; ,. : i •....„..>. -i' 14 4 Naval Officer, £2 13 9 In both these voyages, the schooner being loaded solely by myself, required but one cocket, and being bound to the Lower Provinces with provisions, required no bonds ; her 3fd 4tli and 5th voyages I consider liable to the same charges. If the port of Miramichi is considered as subject to the fees under the head '' of vessels from the of Bay Fundy, Louis- bourg, Canso, &c." the following are thefeeswhichthedocket at the most appears to allow, viz : On the Marie Catherine, 69 tons, to Miramichi, her 1st voyage, and never before out of the Province, therefore not 79 £14 5 8 3i 21 12 8i ter haying £0 2 9 15 r. ."!»,■ '.'1. -118 ;%U/ - 14 4 £2 13 9 d solely by nd to the 8 ; her 3fd barges, to the fees dy, Louis- the docket hi, her 1st srefore not subject to entrance fees^ loaded by myself with provisions^ therefore requiring no bond and only one cocket. Entry outwards, £0 2 9 Collector and Comptroller, Currency. Clearance, 4s. Gd.stlg. and 2s. 3d. do. £0 7 6 Cockets, 2s. and Is. 3 4 * Certificate, . . r. v 3 4 ' • 14 2 Waiters and Searchers, Clearance, 2s. 3d. sterlg. and 5^d. do. £0 3 0^ Cockets, Is. sterlg. ' : ,r 11 Certificate, 12 ;i«ii' Naval Officer's fees and dues. - 5 3X £1 2 2i If the said port is considered as subject to the fees under the head " of vessels from the colonies," then the utmost which in my opinion can be charged, are the fees under the head of 1st voyage, schooner Charlotte in this answer. Naval Officer's fees— Total, £1 12 & Of 2nd voyage. Schooner Charlotte, in this answer. Naval Officer's fees— Total, < £2 13 9 *"., » The 3d and 4tli voyages the same. ' , *; Answer to Question 5. — It is many years since 1 have trans- acted my own Custom-house business, and cannot recollect any instance of my having required explanation of the fee» paid on the entrance and clearance of vessels ; but I recol- lect, in 1814, when the fee of entry outwards was increased. from 2s. 9d. to 7s 4d. I asked the Collector the cause. His answer was nearly in the following words : That previously, the Captain was made to bear "the expense of the cocket, in the clearance; but that, in future, he intended that the Merchants should bear it, who ought to do so." To 6. About the year 1814, the fee of entry outwards was increased from 2s. 9d. to 7s. 4. The fees of entrance and clearance, about the years 1812 to 1814, were increased con- r m rf . '.h £7 6 £6 6 9 9 2 9 4 10 1 6 80 siderabiy. Previous to that time, the fees paid on clearance of vessels, was 2 1 dollars, and generally a gratuitous fee to the Waiters of 5s. to 15s. The fees exacted last year were lower than in 182^, and lower in 1822 than they were pre- viously. '■ ■- '■ ■ ' ' " ' ^'■^' '•• '■ "'■ '- ■^" To 7. 1 have reason to believe that Mr. Patten, Mr. Steven- son, Mr. Andrew Patterson, John Leather & Co. by their Clerk, Mr. Bonner, Mr. Jamop M'Tavish, and many others, have demanded explanation, ai. " Tiave been refused. To 10. The schooner Charlotte, at Halifax, i luding light money which is very heavy : Her first voyage there. Her second do. do. At Newfoundland, with a cargo in and out : First voyage there. Second do. do. To 12 and 13. 1 think the fees which should be exacted ac- cording to my construction of the docket, the vessels to Newfoundland, under the head '' of vessels from the Colo- nies," and the vessels to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, under the head '' of vessels from Bay of Fundy, &c." mode- rate and fair ; but still, I think the whole amount of the port charges, including the Naval Officers, Harbour-Master's fees, and Trinity dues, when exacted from the coasters on each voyage, ffill much too heavy on I hem. To 14. The proprietors of small craft engaged in this trade are generall*-^ persons residing on the small harbours in the River St. Lawrence. There are but two or three merchants of the place who do own craft. To 15. The vessels owned by the country proprietors, are generally commanded by themselves, and manned by mariners residing in their own neighbourhood. The owners in town employ masters. To 16. They are usually built in the small harbours in this River and Gulf and St. Paul's Bay, Kamouraska, Bay of Chal curs. &i To 17. About 70 tons. . To 18. About 70 tons. To 19. In the summer months, I understand, that the freight clearance ms fee to year Vfere were pre- [r. Steven- . by their iny others, ding light £7 9 4 6 9 10 £6 2 1 6 9 6 exacted ac- vessels to I the Colo- Jrunswick, to." niode- mt of the Master's oasters on this trade irs in the merchants etors, are y mariners 8 in town iurs in this Bay of he freight 81 ffom the American ports to Halifax is Is, 6d, per barrel, in the winter months 2s. per barrel, here the average rate of freight to Halifax is 2s. 3d. in the summer months ; last fall the freight was 5&, 6d. per barrel, in consequence of the want of fit vessels for carrying. 1 got that rate for my Schooners, but merchants could not ship in the river craft, because goods by them cannot be insured at any rate. The protect- ing duty on American flour for the encouragement of our trade and agriculture is 5s. 6d. per barrel, in the summer that piotection is reduced^ by the difference affreight, 9d. per barrel in the fall, according to the rate paid here, the effect of the protecting duty was reduced by the difference of freight to 2s. per barrel; but if the price of flour at New-York is the same as it is here, and freight the same, then we of course have the full advantage of the protecting duty. '' To 22. Four. ' \ •i To 23. The same. To 30. Last season they generally returned in ballast from Halifax, my schooner did every voyage. , To 37. I will state the expenccs of my schooner, the Marie Catherine, on one voyage to Halifax. She carried down there at the rate of 180 barrels of flour at the mean rate of freight, 2s. 3d. per barrel. Her gross freight was i?54 She returned in ballast. Her Custom-house and Naval Ofliccr's fees here were, At Halifax, Pilotage, Insurance, Captain and Seamen's Wages, Provisions and labour. £9 5 8 16 2 4 lit V '^' 15 10 9 33 4 14 (> 8 (5 9 3 11 u U)' r ■ ■ 111 I A country "Navigateur" wo"ld save out of these charges, supposing him to be his own i... urer, but reckoning his o\vn^ 4 •* • « * < ' ^r •r • ^ q ■ t »44 , m 82 Pilotage, Insurance, ' In seamen's wagey, In provisions. » £\0 14 9 9 6r 3 boo 5 f 1 -1. £S0 1 'N m To 41 . I think the abolition of fees to the Custom-house Of- ficers, and the payment of one general fee, a duty, according to the tonnage of vessels, and the distance of voyage, would be much more convenient and agreeable io the trade, than the payment of so many fees as are at present exacted, which frequently appear to the Merchants unnecessary, vexatious and imposing. But I think if such arrangement is made, that the Officer ought to be under the authority of the Coun- cil or Government in this country, that the Trade may have summary means of redress, if their business is not attended to. I think that if the Officers are asked to attend to the business of any individual, after office hours, that individuals would most willingly pay fees to remunerate them. To 42. 1 think that the public hours for attendance should be from 9 to 4, in the busy periods of the season ; and that the Gangers and Officers who attend vessels, should attend during working hours — in the summer from six until six. To 43. They are, and exact extra fees, but do not recollect how much. To 44. I believe they do not generally refuae, on the pay- ment of extra fees. To 45. The Naval Officer formerly exacted only lOs. for his fee on a large ship, and 5s. on a schooner. Now he demands 20s. on a large ship, and 10s. on a schooner, each voyage, lam unacquainted with authority by which he exacts the lee, Mr. Petek Paterson of Quebec, Merchant called in and made answer as follows : Answer to Question 8. Frequently complaints have been made to me by Ship Owners in England of the high chargi 'wncrs louse es paid here for Custom House fees. I do not know personalis that those are higher here than in otliei ports. 10 14 9 6 b 5 9 \ 30 1 house Of- Eiccording ge, would rade, than ted, which vexatious t is made, the Coun- I may have :tended to. tie business lals would nee should ; and that lid attend il six. recollect 1 the pay- Ob. for his e demands h voyftjje. cts the lee. ed in and ■lave been h charges personally «3 Mr. Andrew MoiRj of Quebec, Merchant, called in and mftde answer as follows : Answer to Question 1 . 1 have been here carrying on busi- ness since 1811. To 2. Yes, I hav«. To 3. Both by my«elf and by Clerks. "Td 4"., Yes^ I have paid fees on vessels as follows : 1818. June 24, Bri^ Henry in ballast, 329 tons. Collector aad Comptroller, 5 6 6 Naval Officer, 5 13 4 Searchers, 2 5 Sufferance, 7 4 13 12 2 July 17, Brig Transit in ballast, 290 tons. Collector and Comptroller, 5 8 Naval Officer, 5 13 Searchers, Sufferance, 9 7 2 5 7 4 13 14 3 June 9th. Brig Jolly Batcbelor, 90 tons witJi eargo. Collector and Comptroller, 5 3 2 Naval Officer, 4 3 5 Searchers, 2 6 9 Sufferance, 7 4 - 12 8 1819. . • June 22, Brig Prince Cobourg, 221 toni in ballast. Collector and Comptroller, '5 6 6 Naval Officer, 5 13 Searchers, ^ Sufferance, 2 5 > m 1 7 4 f — 13 11 10 * 1 i.'V' Pr 8i 1819. October 4, Bng Storey in ballast, 248 tons. Collector and Comptroller, 5 18 9 Naval Officer, , 5 8 5"^ Searchers, 2 5 Sufferance, - 7 4 13 19 6 ' fft; *jS" J! 5 9 4 13 12 I September 8, Ship Mary, in ballast, 300 tons. Collector and Comptroller, Kaval Officer, Searchers, Sufferance^ m IS ^b 14 2 5 7 9 3 4 - 14 - 13 19 6 If 85 1832. a/8i August 19, Brig Neptune, in ballast, 237 tons. ' X'"^ Collector and Comptroller, Naval Officer, Searchers, ,. , Sufferance, ' • £5 8 2 4 18 6 '^'^^^ 2 5 »'^i>''i 7 4 -- 12 19 - 13 15 - 14 1 •',yf> » ! 13 13 1 - 14 5 ( November 11, Brig Utility, in ballast, 229 tons. ?V ''^ Collector and Comptroller, '' ' £5 8 9 ' marchers, ', 2 5 '* ' - Sufferance, I 7 4 . , - 13 6 11 1 < 1823. Jane 23, Ship Brilliant, in ballast, 332 tons. Collector and Comptroller, £4 17 7 Naval Officer, 6 10 ' ' Searchers, 2 5 Su&rancc, ' ^ 7 4'^ 13 10 9 October 18, Rrifi: Caesar, iii ballast, 2*52 tons. Collector anc. C>)mptroHer, £4 17 7 Nuvul omctr, 5 9 4 Searchers, 2 5 Sufferance. '* "^ 7 4 4 ' I 12 19 3 1816. • Brig Hibernia, with pflssengers, 113 tons. " * "*" Collector and Comptroller, £5 3 2 Bond ai?d Certificate, .' •^" v. 5 7 Naval Officer, < ..?..!q 4 1 Harbour Master, 10 t ^ ^ f? Wtaftheri / o 2 10 4 ^^^^ 13 9 ? \^ «6 1816. July 14j JBfig Penrose^ with Cargo^ 270 tons, from Wa^ '^* "'- terford, Lisbon and Newfoundland, Collector and Comptroller, ' £h 18 9 ^ Naval Officer, 5 2 ! Searchers, 3 5 12 19 4 JS16. . Brig Perse.Tejranee, with passengeri^ about 1 16 tons. Collector and Comptroller, £5 3 ^ Certificate, 3 4' Naval Officer, 4 8 8 Harbour Master, 10 Searchers, 3 10 4 12 15 6 Was wrecked near Green Island, had to land her cargo, und^ /on reloadi/ig the same next year, paid — Collector and Comptroller, iJ5 8 9 Naval Officer, 2 2 10 Searchers, 2 4 -= 9 11 H 1816. Brig Isabella & Euphemia, with passengers, 79 tons. Collector and Comptroller, £5 3 2 SearcherSj 2 Nival Officer, 3 Harbour Master, 16 10 5 - 11 9 7 Was injured by the ice at St. Patrick's Hole, at 9 miles be- low Quebec ; had to return, and winter at Quebec ; did not break bulk ; and on leaving next Spring, paid — ■ Collector and Cpmptroller, £b S 2 ' /! Naval Officer, 16 9 ,.V .jf Sufferance, 7 4 Searchers, no charge, •I >i 6 7 S 87 oundland. 12 19 4 ;ons. 12 15 6 ;argo, und, I To 5. I consider those charges as too high^ and not y¥Au from Wa* ran*^d by the Halifax docket. To 7. On the occasion of the Isabella and Euphemia^ [ remonstrated against the unfairness of the charge^ but re- ceived an unsatisfactory answer. -^^ To 8. Frequent complaints have becu made of the heavy fees paid in this Port. ' * * * -' To 9. No, not to my knowledge. To 41. I think that the fees should be abolished, and tliat vessels should pay according to their tonnage. To 42. The office hours should be extended for the convenience of trade, between the hours of 9 to 4, at least. To 43. They do business out of office hours, and receive extra fees, but I do not know what they are. To 44. No, I have known them to clear vessels out of office hours. Mr. George Symes, of Quebec, merchant, was called in, and made answer as follows : Answer to Question 1. — I have resided here since the year 1794, as merchant. ' ,....•>,.,,,. t,f}!. To 2. I have since been concerned in the import and ex- 9 11 UIP^*'^ trade, and in the shipping business generally. To 3. To about 1800, I conducted my Custom-house busi- ness in person ; since it has been done by my clerks. • * To 4, 5, 6. 1 have paid them as herein -after stated : From the year 1803 to 18lJ, one uniform principle ap- pears to have been adopted in the exaction of fees by the Cus- tom-house Officers at Quebec, On the clearance of square-rigged vessels : 11 9 71 Collector iind Comptroller received £j 5 * . '■ Naval Officfjr's fee, 10 miles be- 1 A. gratuitous fee was generally given to the Waiter on [board, which varied according to circumstances, from 58. to 1 5s. On the clearance of* schooners to St. John's, Newfound- land, &c. Collector and Comptroller received £3 5 Naval Officer, .050 tons. did not ir 6 7 3 mi i'li 'i m m 88 |n the early part of the summer 1813, the fees paid the Collector and Comptroller, on clearing vessels, increased considerably ; and from that period, it is to be observed, that no fixed and stated charge has been made, but that it has since been frequently subject to much variation, which will be immediately perceived by reference to a few of the annexed examples : 1813. Brig Dorset, about 300 tons; Brig Salus, about 300 tons. Collector and Comptroller, £7 2 Collector and Comptroller, ^7 17 Searchers, ' "'■" 10 Searchers, Naval Officer's fee, 10 Naval Officer, Trinity House daes, 3 3 9 Trinity House dues, £ll 15 9 . .4 r tJti iM I i Both these vessels had general cargoes* 1814. ' ' 1 10 10 3 13 9 J^13 10 9 1 , . V • Brig Margaret, 187 tons. Generiil cargo. Collector and Comptroller, ^7 3 6 Searchers, 10 £7 13 6 Naval Officer, j^I Trinity house dues, 2 18 9 3 18 9 Brig Cari-icks, 244 tons. General cai'go. Collector and Comptrol!er,3^9 16 3 Searchers, 15 agio 11 3 Naval Officer) jg"! Trinity House dues 3 5 4 5 £n 12 3 ^14 16 3 !:■/>.* :N' BrigTi I Collect Searche Naval < Trinity 1815. Brig Belv6ir Castle, about 120 tons. General cargo. Collector and Comptroller, ^^7 9 Sdarchers, 15 t.\i Brig Carrtcks, 244 tons. General cargo. Collector and Comptroller, 5^6 18 Searchers, 3 5 jp7 15 9 Naval Officer, £1 Trinity House dues 2 15 . 3 15 I, ; £\\ 10 9 ^10 3 Naval Officer, £l . Trinity House dues 3 5 '". ^ 4 5 Brig B, Collect< Searche iVaval C Trinity . paid the increased observed, it that it on, which ew of the •' f 1 I 00 tons. r, d87 17 1 10 10 3 13 9 J^\3 10 9 89 1816. Brig Margaret, 187 to|is. General (iargo. ^ , Brig Carricks, 244 tons. General Caigp. ' Collector and Comptroller, j^5 8 9 Collector and ComptroUeF, ^5 6 6 Searcher!, A?i{ovyv. n- — 450 Brig Thomas Naylor, about 300 tons. General cargo. _ „ Collector and GomptroUer, £5 8 9 Collector and Comptroller, £5 16 6 SearCherSj : : , .u' . 2 4 Searchers, 2 4 ' ^lknJf..■ "' ' ' 7 9 1 7 16 10 Naval Officer, 10 ,,..«fei TrinityHouseduesS 4 16 3 4 ^; "^ :l, £11 16 10 Naval Officer, £l Trinity House dues S 16 3 -\ a:^ £12 5 4 n. 1818. ii-H Brig Belvoir Castle, about 120 tons. , Brig Carricks, 244 tons. General Cargo. General cargo. Collector and Comptroller; £5 18 9 Collector & Comptroller, £5 16 6 Searchers, >. , 2 5 Searchers^ 3 7 lOi 8 3 9 i^ifl.jl -*?'i- Naval Officer, £l ,. ,, Trinity House dues 2 11 3 ,■ V . , . 3 11 3 t % 'II* I m il I i L> «> Naval Officer, £l Trinity House dues 3 1 3 9 4 4i 4 1 3 ■ » . £i4 8 ol e: j]«j^ I' / in I ^■ ■i I liir i i 1819. Brig Belvoir Castle, i<2d tons General cai^o. i<. Brig Carricks, 244 ionf. General cartpo. Collector and Comptroller, ^5 18 d Collector and Comptroller, j^d 13 9 Searchers, , ., 2 fi Searchers^ ^ v 2 5 n ■ r? i .) 8 3d 8 la 9 Naval Officer, ^jPl i rf Naval Officer, £l OHyJin TrinitjHousedaesS 15 I' '> r^'V 3 15 i>ll 18 9 Trinity House dues 3 2 6 4 2 6 0. li' £\3 1 3 1820. t < '■' ,. •- 1 - JT Brig Martha, abont 150 tons« Cargo, imported Coals ;^4,.outwards, lumber. Collector and Comptroller, ^6 8 2 Searchers, Searchers, 2 5 Passengers, 10 Brig Carrickfi, {^44 Tons, general cargo. Collector and Comptroller, J'e 3 i 2 6 2 NaTal Officer, ^1 Trinity House dues3 18 6 £9 3 2 £S « 4 Naval Officer, ^1 i Trinity House dues,4 10 5 10 4 18 6 jg'M 1 « jg*13 19 4 1 - ixC\ •..0 1821. n Brig Sarah and Marianne, 164 Tons, Cargo, in ballast, lumber outwards. '^ Brig Sally, 203 tons, • ^ft>i Cargo, in ballast ; lumber out. VollectorandComptroller, ^5 16 2 Collector and Comptroller, j^5 3 i $earchers, 2 6 2 Searchers, ^ - - Passenger^, ■ '^^'^ Naral Officer, jgl Trio!tyHousefeei4 1 9 2 6 2 10 9 3 4 2 5 Naral Officer, ^^l Trinity House dues 4 7 6 7 8 3 5 1 9 iPU 4 1 6 7 6 j^l2 15 8 Cargo i Collect lie^rclic • <'-J Naval ( fiiuity as. Hi nail. (Oil ■ ■ * . . ■ Carg Collecu Seiirche Piisseng Xaval C Trinity All land, the ge search e in th at th fees is strict] lain t vessels tions { rail V t fied ii To 4 tons. >r,^0 13 9 2 5 91 t* 8 la 9 Oh' /i;nn i 6 — 4 2 6 ^13 1 3 '- ^(r*/f^•^^|^ til" 4 Tons, o. 2 6 2 £S 9 4 I I 5 10 jg>13 19 4 I », -fvVh. tons, > ' umber out. ler,j^5 3 % 3 5 7 8 2 ) ' 6 — 576 ^19 1« 8 $hip}|rro, 3B8 tonsij; .rf r'Tnh:?''^ Brig Sally, 303 toiii. Jargo in government stores; out, gei>l. ., C^rgo, hi ballast ; out, lumber. „r Collector and Comptroller, ^5 8 9 Collector and CprnptroUrr^ ^5 S| ^^ |je;»rc|jers, 2 6 2 Searchers, /, 2 7 4 nri 3t'l ijb -. .^ Passengers, al/I »iiT ISO ;:)o!la i 7 14 U Naval Officer, 10 £9 6 10 i'liuity liousedu?§5 6 |0| Naval Officer, - . _ ur.'^iii^ — fl6 10f Trinity House dues 4 7 7'^^* . ji^ji,' I ^' ;.; i vj 8 7 7 IJr^ iiarath ^ Mari^mne, 104 tons, ,i f , 'm' ' Brig Sally, 203 tons. : ,jr ^ Cargri, in ballast ; out, lumber. , .t ,,' Cargo, in ballast ; out, lumber, j , Collector and Comptroller, 4?.5 .1 Collector and Comptroller, j^ 5 2 t SwrchtfrM, 2 6 2 Searchers, 2 6 2 Passengers, 1 ') Passengers, yO n^ ii fi 10 hoiifi'j iiiMli ii -" • .(■>, .'/.i vjt A. .''i 'f-Trdm.' • 8 15 5 8 8 9 XavalOlTicer, £l 0. Naval Officer, a^l Trinity House daes 4 9 3 ^'" « '*• Trinity House dues 4 7 7 '''^^'l/* -—5 9 3 i is- J -, 5 7 7' All these vessels were from and to Great Britain or Ire' land, The fee taken by the Collector and Comptroller on the general entry outward of all vessels, is 5s. 7d. and by the searchers Is, 9d, which sums do not constitute any one item in the docket of fees placed for the inspection of the public at the Custom-house, according to which the cxactloa of fees is regulated, and wbi'^H the Collector is ordered to see strictly observed. Nor is > possible for individuals to a§cer- lam the correctness of the charge made on the clearance of vessels, as I have undetstood from my clerks that explana- tions are denied, and a pertain sura demanded, which gene- rally exceeds by one-third the whole amount of fees speci' fied irt'ttie dockets before ^illuded to. To T. Not to mv recollection, x ., IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 ■^ 1^ |Z2 lU u LS 12.0 1.4 1^ 6" ^ V] (^ 71 ^J> >' /^ a '^ '"r Photographic Sdences Corporation 7i WIST MAIN STRtlT WHSTH.N.Y. 1456(1 (71«)«73-4S03 10 <5> i 't %• 92 To 8. 1 think about two or thlree years ago^ I had complaints respecting the high rate of port charges^ &c. The Captains of vessek complain of the Custom-house chs/geB particular- ly, atifd of the Port charges generally. ; ^ ''''';^^ • ^'^ ;^\ ^^ ' ; 'V."^ J, To 9. I know of none. , " mW-v. ( To 13. The Masters of vessels consider the Trinity dues . to betoo high ; and I consider the charges for pilotage to be also too high. . To 41. I aip of opinion ^hat a salary to the Officers of the Customs would be preferable, and would be more consonant to the wishes of the merchants^ as they cannot now ascertain the fees that ought to be paid. To 42. From nine to four^ during the season of navigation. To43.They are in the habit of doing so^ receiving a gratui- tous fee^ to which I think they are fairly entitled^ and against ' which I never heard an/ complaint. "1 V ','v,!,!!'^' •*' /'^''l^ f To 44, They have riot to my knowledge ever refused to ao so, for which an extra fee is paid. i^. i -.m ■ Mr. Charles F. Aylwin, of Quebec, merchant, called in, and made answer as follows : ,^ ^^ . Answer to Question 1. — I am a native of this place, ana have carried on business here for 10 years. 2. I have, with shipping at this port, that is, of vessels from hence bound to neighbouring Provinces, and to ports in the West Indies, and occasionally to Great Britain. To 3. In person. ' ^)' (.).v -^^ai Wk To 4. Thc'fces paid by me are as herein-after particularly stated, to wit : ^*'' «i .xi')««'>v n^ m iviiir/jno '^'iUi> ifti:)ii'i/i o ' m^H »nu \K\f\ ty\u)\tm\y^ ioa oL mxiH iioJflv/ b*i .-A i.VM\^\': * Brig Margaret, M'Curdy, 130 tons,»nu .; a- 8th July, Colieetor and Cdmptroller, ' £b 4 4 ^ Naval Office, ^ - ; 4 16 3 Searchers,. ^»VI txco?a,ni>vtw 2 6 2 6 9 xn i MW .ii His iArtM-J^11l>;>tfi. ''Ul >jl Ji)'^: omplaints ) Captains articiilar- i*/i« ■*'»}■'''•'- \ . t « ^ . I ■ inity dues tage to be ers of tlic consonant 7 ascertain ayigation. ; a gratui- nd against used to do called in, )lace, and of vessels i to ports m. ■. fir. irticularly '^est Indies 4 2 Schooner George Horner^ 78 tons, from Halifax: ^^^ ^^ 7th July; Collector and Comptroller, nijgg 19^ 4 ' '^i'H .oj'5; J- ' Naval Office, ■ ••*'''• '-^ ■><'■- 3 ^ 4:^4-'!'* f^«" iffoivv^ Searcher and Waiter, i^ vd-fc-)^. 1 \2 4. -^u^^'t . 'f//L i)ib J4J ht*tjr.acf) aril ojit lU/v/ 7?)il:»'irt2<>i , j , , 03 (m 4*»r«iii>t,y||i| *io;ij')ai/<>'i*I>8i*rt tit !>.) jg7 16 'ko^IjO Earl of DaiHousie/ 153 tons, frijij*^i ■ •'''■ -^'^lifarl- ^Oth July, CoUcetOr attd Coiiiptrdller, j^T 10 "4 " ' -^ , ..i r... Naval Officer, . v -- 4 14 6v^>'J^^ •)tuU«(:ijj>. Searcher and Waiter,' >i<*i;9'>T 2 12 ll'i'^i '♦«*> nvi-.Vt .•-••iniiir// hni: •'.•tJiiui«i>'l! .'lolfiril; ^|4 17 9 ■ ^ *i^^ Ben Lomond, 935 tons, from Greenock: nw^ i/ il^ ., 1823. voiiutai. TOiiiHirB ahj,5i-n 8th Oct. Collector and Comptroller, foit£4 14 3 Naval Office, ji^ij-nwi « *?/; 6-2 7 Searcher and Waiter, ^uiS^^'>-> ji^ g 5 ■'-.'■' 1 > 10 '■■(: A . rimo •or . ; Merchant/ enUisd In itid made answer as follows : > ' "• i Answer to Question l.tml am a native iiof ;the place, and carry 01^ biifiness p a merphant. .nniO Ir.rcV. To 3. .With both coasting m^ Biiropean Vessels, To 3. Most generally by a Clerk. To 4-.) Vpon the Schooner William, about 80 tons, Rossi- gnol, Master, in the year \Si2y cleared for Halifi^x, cargo, jvrovisions: ■ . ,. ,i,..u: ..i.-u'-- -• 'i ..^ ;• -^ ■ ... -1 . P^Uector and ComptroHee^: iojr)ilo' ^ J2d 3t %\ .fit J,f . Searcher and Wwter,.,., .,,>,{rlf.'^f:i hI. 1 !l7 O'; ivi I" liJffyial.Orticer, ; v,.n.(;:1)-i .-aiiMnxif-^'' \ \^ ^ ^ ••''"'i On our second voyage to the 4i^me Port, with & )o5>^j similaif .ca,rg0rpft»d as followi, vi». «i{v/ .t.i'iob vii! Collector and Comptroller, (.o(jtj hh.\£^ Id 8'L<.f;.;iWv Searihers and Waiters, .'»j»hiio> i .no 1 17 6iO)i.«r * Naval Officer, a,iM'%')i:;j ynilin. «j!. 3 0,Iji:/J b* The *bove fefii were paid for the Vessels alone. Tp 5. I find th^t' the feesi.now exacted by the Custom House Officers amount to one-third more, at l^i^st, than thos6 which were by them exacted and paid twehtj)r yewMftgo J ground my opinion of tbiein lMin|^4oi«i' high iipon,%<< 6 snbjeiHi, the othtr idlifn(3> in » Custom- ;ordin^ to the Naval ns register or without ish Noith rged more And Vet^ls exceeding iumstances isation for ers. Naval Hod in ifid place, and )n8, Rossi- ^x, cargo, ) £8 10 i . a IK J V .•> i. '«»;'> e Custom ^t^»i, than yep«a$go. iippnW*' Halifax docket : by that docket^ I think they i^ot# !b<6 ite follows: .j>^»i/*>/ iiioi .ci?<»r To the Collector and Ce^m^jtrollfcr; * iJfS ! j^ ft 9^* oT Searcher and Waiter, ' *'*^ ';^ ujnir •, .|i Mjfj .gpny/ ,1/^^/ To 7. Not sufficiently sb^ iis t^^ bif'^bld f<)r^'ifes\?^r i^irt"- recfly. ' ' ' Question. Have you heard of any complaints from the Mer- chants or Ship Owners of ilaliiiix dr other )krtsagftin«««}ii Custom House fees and i^gaifist the other port charges of Que- bec ? Answer. Some Merchants And Ship Owners of Halifax have stated to m^, that they x^erci confident that th^CUsftoin Hb'iise charges of Quebec ought to be reguliit^d'bf thioseof tlali^;^ but that -ihey are hiuch higher. "*"« 1— .f o/ oi jiw^nA To 9. Not to my knoM^ledge. tlHf fr>rii:. Inui rjun To 10. No, 1 cannot. • - nnmn hiui 'jvr.iU .i.' To 1^. I am of opinion that the Custbin HoUse fees ti^or^ coasting vessels should be reduc'id, and be ma4e payable ac- cording to their size. To 14. Some of those veasclsf belong to Merchant»> ind others to Navigators ; but there are but very few vessels be- longing to this Province. Question. To what ports do the vessels employed in the' coasting trade in this Province principally belong ? ^^ • ''>^'^'>/ Answer. To Arichat, in Cape Breton, and the Bay of Cha* leurs. They are manned by persons belonging to those ports. To 16. They are built at theabove^said places^ as they are liuilt at a cheaper rate there. i .j;.>;«i»4» • ■■ M»iv *'*'*►'• viU To 17. From 50 to 80 tons.''" no^Miio'vi)! .soin ,inuMbf)>^'ff To 19, From 50 to 80 tons. ' '" ' •" 'f Question. What rate of freight for vessels employed betweemi Quebec and flaliikx would remtinorftt^ the Ship Owner ? Ansvi^er. Fiye dollars per ton npon tlie voyage out, and five dollars per ton tip6n the voyage home, supposing threes voy-- ages out i^nd back in a seasbrn', 'would bea saving prioe>" mppostng^ &ho that the Custom HoUsd feesNirere reduced t^ wtat I consider to be the legal *harg^, ! vd ^fv t» i:'s< r r.iui» To 2^. Thrfe^ Voyages. ' -inl'^r lommdnn mt^iiffrs.f; To «a. Not quite tli^e Vbyftg^es. ' ^' '^ *» *^*i > bj.!ifrntvi'5.V ^--'i m ih ^J I . t*^ ^, Three voyages, f ?*i^')f ]> To 25.. Four voyages . To 26. It has varied a great deal ; the average pri<^e> last year^ was about tjiree shillings and three pence, f. M-.f^-^'^^ . To 27. Ansivered by the above. hfH'f^.f^ *o '- T /*' Monday 16th February, 1824. The Comniittee was resumed. . :r .d j-./ !)VjliH fioit- Jtil/ Piu^sENT— The Honble. Messrs. Fie/^on, Chairman i ,|{.jj Grant, .^^^j > Mr. Andrew Paterson of Quebec^ Mer^hi^nt^ 0^11^4 in afid made answer as follows : Answer to No. 1. — I have carried pn ))usjne8s here a^ a merchant since 1815. nc .r^^ 't i -V^. ^ n'l ' 2. I have had conqerns with the shipping of this port as 9gent for the owners. '>:.)fl' hJi jtm^ri'^n "tt^ rrfn I 91 cT 3. I have managed the Custom-Hpuse business for our concern^ generally until within twelve months. ..fj nt ^n'rlv!/ 4. Several vessels have made four voyages from this port to Miramichi, and in one instance^ I think five., . 5. In two instances a particular request was made to the Collector for a note of the fees demanded in clearing out vessels for the West-IndieSj the first wasthe schooner Harmon, Thomas Miller^ which was cleared in the early part of 1818. The only answer we could obtain being shewn the dpcket or table of fees^ and told we might make out from that the sum they had a right to charge. In the 2nd instance the Brig Woodman^ Thos. Robinson, master^ which cleared in Ajugiist. 1820. In every voyage this master has made to Quebec since 1 have been in business^ he had difficulties with the Custoni* House in regard to the feesj a.nd in this instance declareil^e would not pay them unrtil he could get some information oh the subject, as the sum demanded exceeded what he paid in Jamaica. As in the fir^t instance application was maaeip iht Collector, who again referred hun to the tactile of feea, stating that it was by that document they were to be guided ; the master of the vessel declared, that.l^e would not p^v^,t"^ fees demanded, that it was ^ivimposiUon. Tnej 9Qnse^u^ijce tiitU.r h f prtce^ last ruiaii ■■" ,.") UHtf n}p f)H iitotfifr') , ciilled in here:. at. ;a ' . ' > thU port as ,.< '. ' !l his port to ■r a ;■'«')! .M. nade to the earing out er Harmon, irt of 1818. e docket or lat the sum ethe Brig in A;u^i|8t. lehpc 9iitc« le Custo"^- ieclaireclhe rmationon he paid ill as maoeto tie of feei, )e guided ; ilie < pt p»v was, that we were obliged to tell him, that he must submit to the sum demanded, and pay the same and put to sea, which He accordingly did. •'•*''' Question. Did you make the inquiries above stated iu con- sequence of conceiving that the charges of the Custom-House were higheir than authorised by the docket f* ^^^ Answer. Yes I did. ^ * ' Question. When the Collector referred to the docket, did he point out what part thereof applied to the fees demanded ^^ Answer. He did not, he simply pointed to the docket. Question. Be pleased to state for the information of the Committee the various items specified in the docket which compose the charges of the Custom-House that should have been demanded for the Schooner Harmon, according to your construction of the docket. Answer. I find as follows : " General entries, 9s. and 4s. 6d. *^ General Clearance, 9s. and 4s. 6d. Warrants to load and unload. Bonds, Heports, List of men. Is. 6d. and fid. Cockets, Certificates of report, and Certificates to cancel Bonds, Ss. and Is. Bill of health, 5s. and Us. fid. iti £0 13 13 fi 6 3 3 7 6 1^*7 ''ft *• r, scr ?; ■ 'V Exchange, £1 19 6 4 5 £2 3 11 The Harmon was from Jamaica, and cleared out again for the same Island. '. ^ , Question. What was the silm actually paid for fees to the Custom-House for this vessel ? Answer. To the best of my recollection she paid upwards of five pounds. To 6. The fees charged do not always correspond, as for the same vessels vvith the same cargoes different fees at dif- ferent times are exacted withoitt assigning any reason for the^ difFerence, other than pointing at Jhe docket. ^ Jj) ao.rq nox y swum nvT'j! '.jti N :*« .'*j m m 'I, r! (.V I '<%- J 4. , To 7. Aniwcred in No. 5. To 12. I consider that the tiade of the Province could h^ maintained on payment of the Custom-House charges that eari be legally demanded according to my construction of the Halifax docket. I consider the sum of £1 10 to be the utmost that can be demanded for a Tcssel from Quebec', to aiiV port in Nova-Scotia, New-Brunswick or in Newfoundland. ?o \S, I consider the rates of pilotage to be too high, b .14. There are only three proprietors of vessels at Que-> hec, which are fit for that trade. Question. Be pleased to state the number of siltfall craft l)elonging to this port P Answer. 1 believe there are not more than seven vessek bf that description fit to go to sea. Question. To what cause do you attribute the small num- I^r of vessels of that description ? Answer. In my opinion it is entirely attributable to the high fees exacted at the Custom-House ; but for this reason^ my house would have employed three vessels in that trade. To 18. From forty to eighty tons. To 2&. The average price last year vras a^out three and six ]^enCe. , ^ ^ . . • ' To 27. As above. To 28. To St. Johns New-Brunswicfc, four and six pence' io five shillings ; Miramichi, from 2s. 3d. to 4s. 9d. To 30. Frequently in ballast. , To 32. Vessels from Miramichi generally in ballast. ' ^ ' To 38. Americans carry flour from Boston and the neigh- bouring ports to Halifax or St. Johns, New-Brunswick, from Is. 4d. to Is.Sd. Halifax currency, per barrel. To 39. By a docket of fees published in the United States, it appears that small craft bound to these ports, pay only 7f. 6d. for clearing. Question. Has any diminution of fees, to your knowledff«, taken place at the Custom House on vessels to and from the Sister Provinces ? Answer. My House stated, in Nov. 1821, by tetter to the Comptroller, the hardship ^experienced from the high rate of those feet, and a deductionlias since been made to my House ■ Un **.f.r. i could fie' airgesthat lion of the I to be the )e6, tdahV foundlana. » high. bIs at Que-} siiffall craft + ' • ■ . ren vessek imall num- ible to the [lis reason^ it trade. ree and six six pence' 1 ast. the neigh- rick, from ted States, pay onfy no^ledffe, from the iter to the gh rate of rtiy House 99 «f one-half on 9maU vessels trading tp Miramichi only ; biit whether ejKtended to other houses I caii^ot say. Mr. OuYiEU Brunet, of Quebec, Mercl|ant^ called in ajad made answer as follows : To 1. I do ; lam a native of this place. To 2. Yes I have with coasting vessels. ^ To 3. Yes, personally always. * To 4. The Schooner William, 72 tons burthen, from Quebec to Halifax, being her second voyage in the season of the' year 1822. T^e fees paid at the Custom House were £10 4 0, including all charges payable at the Custom House ; on the same vessel, I paid at Haljfax for Custom House fees and all charges, the sum of £5 18 6 : both these charges are exclu- sive of pilotage and wharfage ; she made those voyages to Halifax during tW season. To 5. I found t^e charge to be heavier than the vessel could bear ; but having not looked at the docket, I do not know whetner they were regular or not. To 10. Partly answered in No. 4. To II. The fees paid in ports ^it^in tt[e Province are ai follows : To Collector and Comptroller, ^0 4 3^ Tp Searcjtiei:? and lYaiter^, 1 5 £0 5 lOX To \2. I consider that the trade cannot he maintained upon the fees now paid, but that it might be carried on ^ith some so^all advantage, if they were reduced toi about one half. . To 13. I also consider that the char^e^ for pilotage and Trinity-house dues, i^re too high on small vessels. For Cus- tom-house fee?. Trinity dues, N^val Officer's fees, the sum pf five pounds is as much as tho trade can bear. To 14. There are about six proprietors of vessels here ; the rest are owned by persons residing in the district of Gaspe. Tp 15. Vessels owned in Quebec are manned by persons belonging tp the pUpe^ fnd those of Gaspe by persons of thilt district. ' -'. v- '■■ ,;;. ■<;";;, .-:^,,- .,...,.»' I. *.* li' J 100 To 16. There are generally built at paspe a^ibiit 7 or 8 vessels : they come to Quebec every year. They cost about six pounds per ton^ including their first equipment^ which is very imperfect. ' To 17. About sixty tons : they run from 50 to 100 tons. To 18. From 30 to 50 tons, xhe average about 4p. ; To 19. About three shillings per barrel. To 20. About the same. To 31. From 2s. 6d. to 3s. Question. What is the freight to Gaspe ? Answer. From Is. 8d. tp 2s. To 22. Three. . V . . ' ,. To 23. Three. .f ; _X . r ' To 24. Four and five. To 25. Vessels to Gaspe make four or &ye, and to Labra- dor two only^ because they are generally employed in fishing. To 26. From 2s. 6d. to 3s. and in the fall it has been as high as 5s. To 27. The freight has been about the same as to Halifax. To 28. From 2s. to 2s. 6d. ' To 29. From Is 6d. to 2s. ' ^ ' ' "'^ * To 30. One-half of the Vessels have returned cargoes of West-India produce and Naval Stores, the freight ibout' the same as from Quebec. To 31. One-half of the voyages have returned cargoes of West-India produce and oil, at about the same rate as from Q"e^^c. , ■ ., ,; ' To 32. At least two-thirds of the voyages have returned cargoes chiefly offish and oil, the freight about the same as downwards. To 33. The vessels from Quebec generally go down with half cargoes, and return with full cargoes, the freight equal to about 2s. per barrel. To 34. From 50 to 60 pounds, in addition to the first cost of the hull and rigging, as described in my Answer to 16. ' g To 35. Somewhat more. :^''*^^^' ^"^ a' To 36. I consider it to be about 50 pounds for the seasoi|. To 37. From 25 to 30 pounds per month, including the provisions. 101 V > f .. '!:! ut T or 8 ;ost aboui nt, which tons. P ■{I >'/ 5ffr to Labra- in fishing, as been as ;o Halifax. cargoes of dbout'thc cargoes of ,te as £r,om e returned he same as down with ight equal e first cost to 16. the 8easoi|. [luding the ; 55. f ^ ■' Question, Qe p}eased to state similar particulars relating to the small vessels employed in the fisheries and trade within the Province.'.^ ';* Answer. The first cost and equipment about three hiin^red pounds ; the ordinary wear and tear about £bO for the sea- ;>on, and the expense of provisions. Wagfes about £20 per month ; they are usually navigated by four or five men. Tuesday, 17th February, 1824, The Committee was resumed. „ Present — The Honorable Mr. Felton, Chairman. * I'he Hqnble. Messrs. Richafdson, . ^ ■''■'' ■ Grant, - , • ' Irvine. > Mr. James M'Tavish, of Quebec, merchant, called in^ and made answer as follows : Answer to Question 1 . I have done business for myself as a merchant, 'and for the last two years' as agent for the Hud- son's Bay Company. To. 2. I have had the management of vessels of both des- criptiohs. ,_ , ,. .t. ,^r • To 3. By means of p, clerk. * . , To 4. They are as follow, during the years 1823 and 1823. 1822. May 16, for Sloop Reward, 98 tons, to Mingan. Efntry inwards, ^0 7 4 Collector and Comptroller, 6 14 5 Waiters and Searchers, 16 June 15, Entry outwards. Collector and Comptroller, gaiters and Searchers, .i' jA>3.f Exclusive of Entry inwards, August 8, Entry outwards. Collector and Comptroller, Waiters and Searchers, 7^ \'W ^2> 1 ^i 'J 7 4 6 12 8 1 6 2 10 7 4 5 17 1 1 6 £8 7 9 8 6 7 10 5 i ^ ;38 m 'Ss^ i v E^uiive of Eotiy inwards, October 7, Eotry outwardf, (loUector and Comptroller^ Waiter and Searcher^ Excli^sive of Entry in^K^ards, 'ir ifi;. 2 W 7 4 4 8 2 1 6 2 10 7 1 6 c c Si Jl May 16^ Schooner Adelaide, psf Mingan, 50 tons. Entry oiitvards, ^ ^ >, 7 f Collector and Comptroller, f ;^ ^ 4 9 ^ Wait^ and Searcher, * 16 r!V 1323. Ma Collector ad Comptroller, May 14, Sloop Reward, 98 toi^^ ip Mincan iptroller. 4 1' Waiter and Searcher, Entry outwards, l^lt Bond 6b. 4d. Cocket Is. 2d. 4 14 1 5 p 7 4 9 6 June 13, Collector and Comptroller^ 3 18 6 Waiter and Searcher, 1 5 Entry outwards, 7 4 Salt Bond Ss. 4d. Cocket Is. 2d. 9 6 N.B. — Exclusive of Entry inwards, 2 10 Au^jM; 8, CoUector and Comptroller, 3 18 6 Waiter and Searcher, 15 Entry outwards, ■ ^ Q 7 4 Salt bonds 8s. 4d. cocket Is. 2d. 9 6 N.B. — Exclusive of Entry inwards, 2 10 Septr. 29, Collector i& Comptroller, ,3 18 4 Waiter and Searcher, . ^.rvii; 15 Entry ofitward^, 7 4 Salt bond Bs. 4d. cocket Is. 2d^ 9 6 7 2^ won] T( (ime Hous eipla To Hr.S irhici To To onB Mr ade To year To 6 41 To If. 6 |5 14 6 P *.;.«* ■f^,-"'' eon 103 May 19^ Schr. Adelaide^ to Port NeuC in the l^fothic^. CoHector and Comptroller^ Entry outwards^ Salt bond 8s. 4d. cocket h. td. 4 7 9 4 6 •I I 1 or June 13^ Collecto; and Comptroller^ 4 4 £!ntry outwardsj 7 4 - — rfO II 8 To 5. I could not believe that the Collector of Custosnt trould make an illegal charge. « To 6. I know of no augmentations since 1817> being the (ime that I commenced transacting business at the Custom- House. The diminution which has taken place in 18^^ is xplain^^d in my answer to the fourth question. To 7. Only once in October 1817, of the Collector's Cleck, r. Secretan, who refused and handed me a piece of paper, hich stated the total amount of the charge in figures. To li. Answered by my answer to the fourth question.- To 14. The vessels I have referred to, belong to the Hitd* ion Bay company. Mr. WitLiAM Patton, Merchant of Quebec, called in atid ade answer as follows : ^ . - ' To 1. Yes, merely for this year on my own account ; but years previously in a Counting-house here. , , t To 2. Vessels to andfrom Great Britain.. To 3. I transact my business at the Custom-House by tOy" 5lf. To 4. On, or about the 10th day of November, 18183, 1 leared outwards for London, the Bark Crown, Joseph Bankes, burthen, 336 tons. Ship Barbadoes, Thos. Lees, burthen, 322 tons, which id vessels had arrived' from the before mentioned port in Hast, and took on board cargoes consisting of masts, stavtt, leals and timber. ^^^' For the Crown I paid. On Entry outwards, »Port ditto dor and Comptroller, Se a: • V. '€TS, £0 5 7 7 5 4 '■'•'"■ 4 " 3 -^7 19 11 -I7'»r- ;^S V.t it £i 1 1 1 2 2 S 6 9 1 •?r. Q 9 9 9 6 H • d JJi: ■.'ti«. 104 ♦ The port entries in London are only charged at one-half the price of theiirst entry, ano the cocket, ditto. ^ 1 am of opinion if the amount of fees had been exacted per Halifax table, they would have stood thus : General entry. Do. clearance, f\ .^ Report, ( List of men^ Bond, ■ ••.-.. ,' ,, 2 entries or warrants to load, 2 cockets. Cancelling bonds. Bill of Stores unnecessary and never given. Certificates of report never required, t^umber Certificate, -£3 6 3 ^1 4i Amount, including waiters and searchers. Per Barbadoes I paid. Entry outwards, ^0 Port ditto, Collector and Comptroller, 5 Searchers, , 2 7 7 7 5 £S 9 9 4 ■" 4 9 -£S of I and win^ actei quin parti in tl said M made Ar of Jc To To To cleari in my I was Mr answc Qu( amoui theU Ans tween Que the ve; tish to To 5. I consider the fees paid as irregular and larger ti^^'Jso-K the legal fees, and ground my opinion on the construction oflj_ . , the Halifax docket. The statement of what those fees oiightl * to be is answered in my answer to the above. ' .' ' - las ma i To 7. I did so in the year 1819, and was the » ^-efused. ^ItKi-:- have caused Masters of Vessels consigned to M :. Henry A^"|i|iiiiin kinson to ask for these explanations a* the Custom HousC; in| < .if • 7 5| Per Halifax tariff, I am of opinion that I should have paid, as per statements of th'*. Bark Crown, And Lumber Certificate, £S 6 S 5 iir £3 9 91 t one-half L.,.. : i^.f :actedper 1 \ £3 6 5 3 4 £3 9 9 4 4 9 ' ' -£8 7 5 ^3 6 5 3 4 105 I ) £3 991 arger tlianl ruction o1 fees ought] •efused. I| Henry At HousC; in my presence, and tfaev never have been able to obtain them. To 8. I am acquainted with almost all the Ship Owners of London^ interested in the Ships trading to this country^ and have heard some complain ; one in particular^ last winter/com plained, in London, to me, of the high fees ex- acted by the Custom House Officers at this port, and en- quired whether I could give him any information' of the particulars thereof, as he could never obtain any satisfaction in that respect from the Masters of his Vessels, who always said that no particulars were given to them. Mr. John Bonner, merchant, of Quebec, called in and made answer as follows : Answer tor Question 1 . I did business here for the House of John Leather & Go. last year. To 2. British shipping. .1) h. .- .> ' r*.- ,): jii JVi^nj , ■< To 3. In person. '!fw -j4.„.nT, ^kj* »,'? f,, -.;..><.. r_.', u.a-. To 7. A master of a Ship, called the Norval, which I was clearing last summer, requested from the Collector's Clerk, in my hearing, an*account of what the money was for, which I was then in the act of paying, and no answer given. ;; Mr. Holt, Merchant, of Quebec, called in, and made answer as follows : Question 1. Be pleased to state to the Committee the amount of Custom House charges paid in the eastern ports of the United States on the vessels clearing out for the ports of His Majesty's North American Provinces ? Answer. I do not know the precise amount ; but it is be- tween eleven and twelve shillings, Halifax currency. Question 2. State also the .system followed in navigating the vessels of the states employed in the Trade with the Bri- tish to American Ports, as to the following particulars — are the seamen paid monthly wages by the voyage, or do thev work on shares^—of the last state how are the shares divided, wd what part of the freight is received by the owners. Answer. The vessels are generally navigated by the owner umaster, with one or two of his minor sons, as seamen, when this is not the case, seauen are engaged at sixty to seventy ihillings currency per month, there are instances of large O I': I a • 106 y ▼flttfels, 2 to 250 tons^ being navigated on aliares, but Lp^- lievc very few or none of the smaller ones. - i .B oT .Question 3. What is the Freight on a barrel of Flour firiim the Eastern Ports to Hali&x or Newfoundland? i c/V^U bn:; -' Answer. The lisual price of Freight is tw» shiUings cuc-T' rcncy ptor barrel. >■!> ' inijih*.) r.MtiiH hnyh.^'} r>4iJ /u Uvi-ji. 'Question 4. Whact is the usual rate of Bnsuratiee t>ii -tliei same voyage? m..,^; ■=> , - ■ < i,- . ' f.;.!:; ^mi\\ Answer. 3-4 per 4c. f^r the spring and snmmer >mOalll8 ^i 1 per ac. for the fall months. . r^ \n\\- The following Questions having been rabmitted. to Jjiii^s Lampriere Marett, of Quebec^ merchant and ^hip owabii^ to wit : — ' ''-' -- !' ' ' vJ I)', •;■■./-?}/•. 1st. state the number of vessels belonging to Ariehat^ \ot ihe ports in the Gulf, whether in New-Brunswick, br ^th^i*- wise, employed in the carriage of commodities from : Quebec to Halifax, Newfoundland, and Miramichi, with tMein aver- age tonnage,stating, as nearly as practicable, the namfe of «ach port, and the number of vessels belonging 'to the same*? ' 2d. State the average price of building and equipping those vessels ? . 3d. State the average freight of those vessels from Qaebwe to Halifax, NeW-Brunswick, and also to Miramii' He returned the following answers : — ^ .*» ? =nt)i To the 1st. I have had no opportunity to ascertain the number of vessels belonging to Arichat; Gulf^ or .N«w<^ Brunswick, nor how many are employed in^ carrying the commodities from Quebec to Halifax, Newfoundland, and Miramichi ; the tonnage is from 30 to 70 tons,, few exce^ 80 tons, they carry from 200 to 300 barrels, ^jia to W^ki^'i tn 2d. The expence of building a good Vessel would be fi^iii j010to!^12 per ton Register. '. t^itJuucn i.\t\A\ »f;»t'Ui:»*: m 3d. Last summer freights have been from %t. to Ss; 6d. per barrel, ^' ^iu v* ^^...l^ t, r.^f . , Friday, 20th Februafy, 18«4, The Committee was resumed. ^v^'^.^^\^ PRERENT-^Thc Honorable Messrs. Felton, Chairmaa^ion a v. i '■ Ricfmrdeont ''\aiiiii Irvine. O . ^ . ^ bnt Ii;^- our IDgS CUS'<' 6*011' ih^i >in(^iitbs ^1 ;', !...i^ ' 1)11!' id Jjiif^s p omvmty-- iehatv ^ot br ^th^r- 1 1 Quebec Ueirtavd:' Line;? xfi n\ tquipping oit .■•'-•■ 1 Qaeb«c i ?■ >r^ .'iiV» rtain ihe^ or New-i ryin^ the landj -and )w exoe^ i be from O SS; 6d. , .>fl €1 ?.ir Mr. JoHM GaBiDWell, of Quebec, Mariner and Ship owaef, called in and made answer as follows : ' ^Questfon— ^Are you owner of any vessels employed in the trade between Quebec and Halifax or New- Brunswick and what is the, prlace of your residence ? ' Answer-^I reside at New-Carlisle, I am owner and master of a Schooner of 40 tons, called the Hibernia, she belongs to the port of New-Carlisle, Bay of Chaleurs, and is some times employed m the Fisheries within the Gulf and some- times in carrying cargoes to the ports of the neighboring Provinces. . . Question — ^How many years have you been employed in the trade of this Province in the Fisheries, and how many years of that time have you sailed in the Hibernia ? Answer— >l have been employed in the trade of this Pro- vince ever since the conclusion of the first American War, and I have sailed eight years in the Hibernia, having owned, and commanded several other vessels. To Question 3. In person. To 4. In the fall of 1821 my son commanded the Hibernia, which sailed from Quebec, bound to M iramichi and paid at the Custom House, as he informed me, for fees, including I believe the Naval Officer's fees and the Trinity House dues, the sum of £7 10. The Hibernia cleared out from Miramichi in ballast for Quebec, and my son informed me, that he paid at Miramichi the sum of £^, Saturday, 21st February, 1824. The Committee was resumed. Present — ^The Honble. Messrs. FeltoUy Chairman, Richardson. James PAf of Rum, Leather, Naval Stores, &c. the sum of seven pounds, more or less. Question — What fees are paid on Registers ofnewvesseU at Quebec P ■.iW(t\ti(v.'ip.\ Answer. I paid for Registry of the St. Bridget, 41 tonB,aA American prize, at this port, in the year 1819, the sum often Dollars and a half, at the Custom House of Quebec, and in the year 1816, I had paid for Registry of a vessel of 36 tons, built in Bay of Chaleurs, the sum of six dollars and a half. Question — What number of small craft are owned by persons residing in the Bay qf Chaleurs, and what is the average tonnage, and how are they employed P Answer — About 30 vessels of from 30 to 100 each, about 6 of the largest came to Quebec in the spring, in ballast, to seek for freight for Halifax and other Ports ; 8 or 10 are em- ployed in fisning on the Labrador Coast ; and the others are employed in collecting the curing fish from the small ports between Perce and Paspebiac ; and some of them are em- ployed sealing in the Gulf early in the Spring. Almost all of these vessels bring cargoes of fish and oysters to Quebec in the Fall, and return to the'^ay to winter when the seasooi allow them to do so. Question. What is the first cost and expence of fitting out a vessel of 70 to 80 tons ? Answer. A vessel of 80 tons, newly built and well fitted up, capable of going to Halifax, costs from iS400 to £bOO cur- rency, Question. What is the ordinary wear and tear of a vessel of this description? .vj>r ^•'Answer. A vessel fitted out as before described, will not require any expence of consequence for two seasons, unless occasioned by accidents. Qurstion. State the number of hands required to navigate I the f < of m pounds, lew vessel^ II tons, an sum of ten ec, and in of 36 tons. La half, [by persons le average *i;it i t>t>H ich, about ballast, to 10 are em- others are imall ports are em- most all of Quebec in he seasons fitting out fitted up, £500 cur- of a vessel , will not yns, unless naviffate isions for a 1 109 Answer; It requires a master, four men and a boy ; the master at £6 per month, the men at f^om ten to twelve doU lars^ and the boy at five dollars per month, for five months. Provisions required : j Pork, 5 barrels. ' Beef, 2 do. / ; .,«ii Flour, 1 do. (,vri Biscuit, 8 quintals. . • ^ ' ■'''' Peas, 6 bushels. Which are usually purchased at Quebec. Question. State the particulars of the cost of building, fitting and navigating vessels of from 40 to 50 tons, as prac- tised in the Bay of Chaleurs ? rt Answer. The first cost of any vessel is about £3 per.ton ; they are usually fitted out by the proprietor, who acts as master, and his sons most usually navigate them, the sons being frequently part owners. Appendix (G.) Mr. CHiiRLEs Gray Stewart, Waiter and S/^archer of the Custom House at Quebec. Question — ^When did you begin to collect your own fees at the Custom House ? Answer. . In the spring of 1816. ^U}^.-: Queition. Upon what authority or documents do you collect your fees ? , Answer. Under the 3d and 4th heads or colums of the Halifax Docket, and by virtue of the Acts 6 and 7 William III, for extra time. Question. How do you ascertain the particulars of the fees to which you are entitled ? Answer. I collect my share of the feet in proportion to the amount of fees received by the Collector and Comptroller, according to their construction of the Halifax Docket, lew the fees on Registers. : • - » rr / )■: ( ) Question. Do you consider the fees on anchorage as form- ing part of the sum that you actually receive. ^•' m' 110 ^ Answer. IdOj it being one of the items ip the dockets r -'' Question. Is it collected on all vessels without ^eioceptimii Anftwer. Yes, excepting on the Riv*er Cjral't ivinteting.ii this port on the first voyage of the seasonl r fip ^-y .. si )) . » i'( I now lay before the Cosnmittee «n account of the gross fee taken by the Searcher and Waiter on the small vessels from this Port since 1821^ '> >i;ofM 1821, Mamn^ii fi .iiwii^J May 5, Sloop Reward, Inwards and Outwards, Mingan, wu^u/ti ftUtf*if "ii8l' ^ t'^*'> 25, Schooner Neptune, Gugeron> for Seven ni>>i.; Islands, fl-; 5 June 1, Schooner Providence, F. Sire, Newfouud*. t r? , land, . 1 . 1' ' d ^^ ^ 13, Schooner Devon, for Labrador^ :^ n ■ 1 mor 16, Schooner Providence, F. Dugis, NewtwJ ft • foundland, i n;n t -]> i5 1 Oct () May -i^*. 28, Schooner Nancy, Esquimaux Bay, 30, Schooner Sea-Flower, Newfoundland, Mr. ., • Lemessurier, 1 15 Oiffice hat 1 5 Olhoul July 4, Schooner Effort, Newfoundland, A. Cald- well, 1 5 uiij . ^ Schooner Bonne Citoyenne, Newfound- »/'* a* land, Bernier, . h. ii | . 5 ^'T'' 18, Schooner Chathaato> TVIiramichi, Piiittetf*^'^ sons & Weir, •? I ^ 5 19, Schooner President Matson, Labrador, M/' ' • *'*'< Lymburner, I 15 » 26, Schooner Betsey, Newfoundland, per J. ''^'* ^< M^Callum, '-r 5 Aug. 11, Schooner Brothers, Newfoundland, per Coltman&Hale, • . .«'fi* jni 1 |0 Sept. 8, Schooner Eliza, Newfoundland, per J. ,'•' M'Callum, m''>»^»J.t>ijs? «'iOf n;^: 1 5 ^"*; 15, Schooner Josephine, Newfoundlaiid, per ^v««. ii. »'^'^'' J. M'Callum, •• -^ ''a>.j:>» cjjh . 1 5 ^ ' 17, Schooner Ph«tifk, No. 336, in**- Report, ^ 1 Oct, 3, Schooner Anabella, Newfoundland, per ^ ,••*•-'-•• Thos. White, ' .-niM. ,- ..'.>;. l~..'& N. iine hly . 't lug. nteffing ii f tbe gross lall vessels ■' ■- . Ill: ; •■ ^;,y" r ■ ',, Oct. d6, SehoGner <£ffort, Newfoundhnid, A. Cald- iwell, £1 (fby. 3^ Sclidonar Jaoe & Martha^ Report hid. t4l2, per Quirouet & Go. 15 10, ^Schooner Lord M'Dooald, D. Long, 15 17j Schooner Reide Blanche^ per Bellhouse^ 15 18!B2. ( ' '^ 'U':'' May 15^ Sloop Reward^ for Mingan^ Inwards and .0^' £1 SO *- Outward*,^ H ,mc.«m £| 5 i.,,5.,c^vi) 17, Schooner St. Joseph, J. B. Pokier, for • .tt>i) ii'l 5 Ol Halifax, uninii^ auiU^ 13 6 H!W>^i '^m| ^, Schooner Caldwell, Jos. Giiay, for Halifax 12 6 .^'15 ol ' ^, Schooners Hariet, Elizabeth and Marie i, 1 ol Roae^ for Labrador, on a fishing Yoyage, m-i vvi i.il for each, 16 jv> I 5 ^1 ^'^^ ^ fees w^i'e taken in the Collector and Comptroller's 1 15 0|>ffice, as going out of the Province, J. O. Brunet promised hat he would be accountable to me for the regular fees, 1 5 0|hould the Collector and Comptroller not return the same, y 35, Schooner Toliapis,for Newfound- ut. 1 5 \ •'.) ' 1 5 1 5 1 15 i B 1 10 1 5 1 5 1 1 5 land, nH- ; 1/ £0 1% 6 28, Schooner Bonne Citoyenne, Bemier,La- bradbryV JtiaJhruKirf."'/ ;. . 12 6 ||Une 5|! Schooner Angelique,Ga^ne, for Halifax, 12 6 15, Schooner Hiram, for Halifax, per Qui- Touet&Co. 1 15 19,' Schooner Effort, for Newfoundland, Cald- well; . 1 5 22, Schooner Providence, for Halifax, Dugas, 15 — Schooner Otter, for Labrador, Letourneaux, 15 26, Schooner Sea-Floiyer, Newfoundland, Le- messurier, 1 15 28, Schooner Nancy, Esquimaux Bay, J. Pozer, i 15 |aly 6, Schooner Notre Dame, Halifax, C. F. Ayl- win, irlnistK 1 15 27, Schooner Caroline, for Mira,michi, J. Le ^i Blanc. ibiixihMi.' iumn) . 12 6 ^ug. 3, Schooner Fox, Halifax, per Quirouet & Co. 1 10 113 N .' 1823. 1"^^ Aug. 5, Schooner Caldwdl, p«r 7 ♦v/f ©o.r nf\£^l O 8> Sloop Reward, 1 5 21, Schooner Experiment, YoUng, Miramiehi, I 5 Sept. 3; Schooner William, Halifax, ^irouet & Co. - 1 1 5 o •<— Schooner Margilerite, Lanabie, tr^vn 13 4 O v. 4; Sloop Active, Halifax, Satterthwaite, 15 19, Schooner Lord M'Dona1d« Newfoundland, 1 5 20^ Schooner Esperance,. Halifax, ', 12 6 — Schooner Nancy, Do. Satterthwaite, 10 Oct. 5, Schooner Chatham, Miramichi, > 15 K.- ;. 1 7, Schooner Hiram, Halifax, Quirouet& Co. 1 15 a ^' i8. Schooner Sea-Flower, < Newfbiindland, H. Lemessurier, 115 14, Schooner Nancy, for Halifax/ per Qui^'* t^. ;rouet&Co. 1 5 ii :> 15, Schooner Helen, Report 546, W. Buddeh, 1 15 - !>' 25, Schooner John, Halifax, per Quirouet & ■ ,if,3'>rie!Go. :>iU - I 10 . 31, Schooner Hibernia, for Miraroichi, per J. ''« hit; * Caldwell, 'w\jsv^w>U>i • ((;*(><: >:. - 15 Nov.' 4, Schooner Margaret & Jane, Halifax, per Satterthwaite, 12 f> S^ 5, Schooner Toliapis, Newfoundland, W. Bud- d ■%. ^en, ' \< 5 ■' -, 6, Schooner Nelly, Report ind. 608, per J. '^ < - ^- M'Callum, ^ ,, j ,J 5 13, Schooner Harriet, Halifax, ^ . n., .-! I* ;5 20, Schooner Bonne Citoyenne, do. M. Bell^ 15 May 2, Schooner Marguerite, Lcbrun, St. Johns^ u «j Newfoundland, £fS 7 6 , f 3, Schooner Marie Catherine, St. Johns, »'- K iV . Newfoundland, ;t.a ;vi>'.?yAi54icm 12 6 ;vO - Schooner Aurora, Miramichi, c 7 6 V 6, Schooner Good Intent, Halifax, .-lucfxl 12 6 .^, : 8, Schooner Caldwell, Miramichi, '),tb' 12 6 f>[ ^ .g'> 6 113 £10 1 5 i,l 5 ), 1 15 13 4 lb i, 1 5 12 6 e, 10 1 5 J. 1 15 n 1 15 vl 5 h, 1 15 & 1 10 J. ■■ ■'•••' 15 ler 13 6 d- \ 5 ,,1 5 15 1 5 £0 7 6 12 6 7 6 12 6 12 6 ists. £ 8. d. i$. Schooner Lord M'DonaTd^ Newfoundland, 1 15, SchoonttP John and Marj, Halifax, 19, Schooner John, J. Games, Labrador, 20, Schooner Bonne Citoyenne, Hblifax, 1 21, Schooner Waterloo, Newfoundland, — Schooner Two Brothers, Miramichi, per J. Ross, — Schooner Annabella, Newfoundland, J. M'Callum, 1 80, Schooner Marie Rose, Halifax, C. F. Aylwin, ^^"^'Si, Schooner Providence, Dugas, J. M'- Calli^m, 1 Ju^ $^ Per Schooner Effort, A. Caldwell, per ,.^ C. Eiavidson, .^i, 7« Schooner Charlotte, Wm. Price, 1 - Schooner Williani^ Esquimaux Bay, Jourdain, ,12, Schooner Two Brothers, Satterthwaite, ' — Schooner Chatham, Miramichi, R. Rich- ardson, 1 Schooner Dolphin, per Quirouet j& Co. 1 Schooner Farmer, per Peter Sbeppard, 1 Shallop Jane, for Sidney, Wm. Budden, O 7 6 7 6 1 15 15 5 15 15 10 17 6 17 6 14, 16, 17, 20, Schooner Surprise, Halifax, Schooner Angelique, Wm. Budden, 21, Schooner Nelly, per J. MCallum, 1 July 23> Schooner Lively, Miramichi, I Augt. I;^ Sloop Margaret, do. Patersons AWeir, 1 21^ Scboonec QfiUfax, per Satterthwaite, I Septr. 6, Schooner Esperance, Young, 1 1% Schooner Emilie, Esquimaux Bay, J. C. B. 1 bii; 20^ Schooner Marv Catherine, Wm. Price, I 27, Schoonei Earl Dalhouaie, Poiries, 1 30, Sloop Reward, 1 Octr. 3, Schooner Providence, Sire, 1 4, Schooner Effort, Caldwell, Newfoundland, 1 5 5 5 14 15 16 9 3 6 10 5 10 5 $ 5 5 5 5 V 114: i ■ - ■ 18, Schooner Esperance, Miramichi, 1 6 '0 Nov. 11, Schooner Mary, do. for do. ro<^j P l!^ 6 I 17, Schooner Charlotte, Newfoundland, '^^P <^: d V ^) ,t Wm. Price, 115 M o> i«^jt.:^ i^^> CHARLES G. STEWART.,' "o*?^ .i. OWA '»i«e*vrji;}?> li A •■■> "'.I r ff yf* Appendix (II,) i.-- >8 tifc The following Table exhibits the modification of the Docket^ Vessels from Great-Britain, the") rru -i ^ j • .\%T J. X J' 1 iu A 1 he same as were stated m West Indies, and other ports Ku ^ i * j ^u u j not within ihe British North ^*5 „^V. .1 ?„ ♦hri"* American Provinces, for gene- ["[ei'^ ral entries & general clearances, J ' ^^. j ,f,»^i#o-b. Vessels from Nova-Scotia, New- Brunswick, and Newfoundland, ' above 60 tons, for general en- tries and general clearances. The same as are now sta- ted in the docket, under )-the head of " Vessels for the Bay of Fundy, Louis- burg, and Canso/' '~^ 'a*- Ditto, under 60 tons, for general) q , if f th h entries and general clearances, ^ , ' * *J^^* All vessels in the Fisheries, or ^ The same as are now stated oyster trade, within the Gulf off in the docket, under the St. Lawrence, for general entry^ head of '' Coasters for the [id frenfira.1 r.leard.nce. '*^t^ 1 neifirhbourincf* norta.** and general clearance. neighbouring ports.' The fee on '' Foreign top-sail vessels," only to be charged on square-rigged vessels from Europe, the West Indies, and ports not within the British North American Provinces. V, ,. u ii . p . 1. . .. - 5 ) l^ 6 I W IT. 115 '^'^.> Docket, stated in the head he Colo- now sta- t, under ssels for y, Louis- above. )w stated nder the rs for the ts." charged idies, and Inces. Al^PENDIX (I.) -^400 io'ji I .SiSt ^ Friday, 13th Fejiruary, 18^. The Cpmmittee was, resumed. Presents— The Hoiibtei Messrs. Felton, Chairman. ct b^siiodiiifi .. ,.,^ ^ .„,' JRichardson, ■ ':^- 32." ^■'Ts'* ^ TascftereflM^ Mr. Frederick East, of Quebec, Naval Officer, was called IB, and made answer as follows !^^^^=^*^ --^^^^^rr- Question. Be plea^^d to state to the Committee, the fees taken by you on the dlfT^rent description of vessels frequent- ing this port ? >* AtisweK 1 exact btie pound' for the entry and clearaAtig if square-rigged vessels, from or to sea, whatever the port may be from which they arrive or may be bound to: if, out of the Province, small cVaft, that is to say, sloops or schoopers of any dimensions, and with or without top-sails, under the Same circumstances, I exact but one-half of those fees. I exact no fee whatever frorA vessels arriving from or bound to ports within this Province, which I consider as coasters. Squai'e-rigged vessels, built in the ports of this Province and proceeding to sea, on their first voyage, pay but ten sJiiU lings; small craft, in similar circumstances, pay only five shillings. Small craft arriving pay no fee ; but when they clear out for a port without this Province, they pay five shillings. I also exact a fee of 2s. 6d. upon every Register given for a vessel. For a lumber ^certificate, ^s. For a bill of health, 2s. Those are all the fees. Question. Whatji^J;he authority on which you take i|^ these fees ? Answer. Ujider the ProvinCfial Qrdinancp of the 20th yjSiar, QiiMftni. How long^ have you acted as Naval Officer ? Answer. I have acted as Naval Officer since the year 1807, Question. Has any. variation in the fees fexaf^tcd taken place since vou have b^cn in office ? '^.'ff r.' npf ^'^..n }m Answer. From thi year 1807^ to ihb|lut 1815, I took onlj half of the above stated fees^ from a misconception of the construction of the aboTC-mentioned Ordinance^ but,aince that period I have exacted the fees above tiAU^ffJtiOiUXdttivig myself entitled thereto. ^loftoti iul -- v y-^ Question. Has any complaint been made to you of the in- crease of the fees that you thought yourself authorized to demand ? Ansvrer. None to myself. ^' t~-f ' •* 'fl "^ *» r ■¥=»■ , "f'^Vi '.1 K J1pp£ndix (K^) Extract of the Ordinance 20th Geo. III. cap. S, for the tt* V ' gulation and establishment of fees. ■/,. .,. 'I . , ■ ,- " THE NAVAL OFFICER.' .J For entering and clearing every Ship^ Snow or Brig coming from or bound io sea^ £0 10 ^ For entering every Sloop or Schooner coming from or bound to sea^ M Fora Bill of Health, For a Naval Store Certificate, For a Pig or Bar Iron Certificate, 6 For a Pot or Pearl Ash Certificate^ For a new Register, 5 2 6 2 2 .2 2 6 loi Appendix (h.) Extract from Degrand's " Tariff of Duties on Iifipof^tidQs into the United States, and Revenue Laws and Cufltoflk ' ' House Regulations/* published in Boston, 1821 . AMERICAN VESSELS LICENSED AS COAStl^. 6 cents per ton, per annum^ , JIntry,. SQ cents,, (if of 50 tons.) . t5 cents, (if under 50 tons.) , Clearance, the same. . y^V R.' ook onlj n of the but,iince lisi »f the in- >rized to .■•;y "» t >ff the le? '■-(* •• PO 10 5 2 6 2 2 2 f^ i Citsfom IfEBB 11''' fit ,, Appendix (M.) port of quebec, A. memorandum of the number of Schooners trading to the neighbouring Provinces, during the last three years. Year. Newfound' land. Aoca Scotia, New Bruntaick. North Shore. Cape Breton, To/at 1821 1822 1823 21 26 22 9 32 27 5 13 33 7 13 14 3 5 42 87 101 The great increase of the last two years shew the advan- tages derived from the duty imposed on American produce. I- . -it- -^^ . ' . . ' r.'!**^** 1 ■• Sa^TJ^CXl ^^ * -^