Lord Lyons to Mr.
Seward.
Washington,
April 13, 1864.
Sir: With reference to the note which you did
me the honor to address to me on the 17th of last month, and to the
previous correspondence in which I have been for many months engaged
with you on the subject of the restrictions imposed on the trade between
the United States and British colonies, I desire to ask you to take into
serious consideration the two papers which I transmit to you
herewith.
The one is a copy of a despatch from the lieutenant governor of Prince
Edward’s island to me, and the other a copy of a memorial addressed to
the lieutenant governor of New Brunswick by the Chamber of Commerce, of
the town of St. John, in that province.
Waiving for the moment all discussion on the principle involved in the
exaction of the bonds which merchants are now in many instances
compelled to give on shipments from the United States to British
colonies, I cannot but hope that the statements made in the enclosed
papers will convince you that while the exaction of such bonds is
particularly injurious to the provinces of New Brunswick and Prince
Edward’s island, it may certainly, in the case of those two provinces,
be safely dispensed with.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most
obedient, humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.
Lieutenant Governor Dundas to
Lord Lyons.
Government House, Prince Edward’s Island,
April 2, 1864.
My Lord: It is represented to me by a
leading merchant of this island that the custom-house authorities at
New York are making all shippers to this province give bonds for
their shipments in double the amount of invoice; that the shippers
are also required to find two sureties, owners of real estate in the
city of New York, such estate to be unencumbered and worth double
the amount of invoice; that the nature of the bond is, that the
goods are to be consumed in the province, and not to be reshipped to
any port under the control of the so-called Confederate States.
It is further represented to me that these bonds are not enforced in
the case of shipments to Newfoundland, for the reason that no
reshipments have been made from that island to such ports.
I have no hesitation in expressing my conviction that shipments have
not been made from this island to any such ports. I understand that
the United States consul of this island will address the State
Department at Washington with his certificate to this effect. Under
these circumstances, I have the honor to bring the subject under
your lordship’s notice, in the hope that your lord ship may be able
to obtain an exemption on this ground in the case of ship ments made
to this island.
It is unnecessary for me to remark on the serious embarrassment which
will be occasioned to the trade with this island should these rules
be enforced.
I have, &c.,
GEORGE DUNDAS, Lieutenant
Governor.
Lord Lyons, &c.,
&c., &c.
[Page 583]
Memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of St. John, N.B.
To his excellency
the Hon. Arthur Hamilton Gordon, lieutenant governor and
commander-in-chief of the province of New Brunswick.
St. John,
March 11, 1864.
The memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of the city of St. John, in
the province aforesaid, respectfully represents: That this chamber
has learned that by a recent regulation of the customs authorities
in the city of New York bonds are required on the shipment of goods
to this province, providing, under heavy penalties, that such goods
shall be landed in the province, and shall not be transported to any
place under insurrectionary control of the so-called Confederate
States of America, and shall not be used in any way to give aid or
comfort to such insurgents, with consent, permission, or connivance
of the owners, shippers, carriers, or consignees thereof.
Your memorialists would respectfully represent that they cannot but
regard the requirement of bonds of this nature as an imputation upon
the integrity and honor of importers in the province, inasmuch as it
is an implication that said importers seek to possess themselves of
goods for a purpose at direct variance with the proclamation of her
Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, and opposed to their principles as
being engaged in the prosecution of regular and legitimate
business.
Your memorialists are of opinion that, while it may accord with the
practice in certain cases to demand bonds for the due landing and
delivery of goods at their declared destination, to seek to retain
control over such goods and merchandise, after being so landed and
delivered, is, in respect to articles imported from the United
States into this province, both unusual and unnecessary.
The absence of any ground for such proceeding can readily be made
apparent.
The tables of the trade and navigation of the province conclusively
show that no shipments have been made from its ports of goods, in
any appreciable quantity, (originally imported from the United
States,) to any ports or places that can be suspected of complicity
with blockade-running operations. This fact, your memorialists would
urge, ought to secure our trade from a regulation which, if it were
really required, could not but be regarded as burdensome, but which,
when clearly shown to be unnecessary, as a security against
contraband trading, cannot but be deemed vexatious and
inconvenient.
Your memorialists would further beg to draw attention to the fact
that the trade of this province is a growing one, and that the
imports from the said United States consist mainly of breadstuff’s
and salted meats, for which there is a rapidly increasing
consumption. These articles are imported into the province for
consumption therein, or in the neighboring districts of the province
of Nova Scotia, and that (as appears from the table of exports
hereto appended) none are reshipped from the province for a
destination adverse to the United States. The requirement of the
bonds of the nature hereinbefore designated, upon the shipment of
these articles from United States ports to this province, must prove
a burden to the trade which will materially interfere with its
extent, since the costs attendant upon the giving of the bonds for
such heavy sums and so unusual conditions are more than the trade
will bear.
In view of these facts your memorialists would respectfully suggest
the consideration whether it will be to the advantage of the people
of the United States to continue a restriction on the traffic in
these staples, and other goods, that must eventually curtail the
commercial intercourse between the two countries, to the
disadvantage of both parties.
The Chamber of Commerce beg respectfully to request that your
excellency
[Page 584]
will be
pleased to take an early opportunity of communicating these views,
and such other considerations as may appear proper to your
excellency, to her Majesty’s minister at Washington, in order that
the case may be laid before the Secretary of the Treasury of the
United States, to the end that our commerce may be relieved of a
restriction which it is believed is productive of no benefit on the
one hand, while resulting in positive injury on the other.
Total shipment of breadstuff’s and salted meats
from the province of New Brunswick for the years 1862 and 1863.
FROM THE PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK, 1862.
| Destination |
Barrels of flour. |
Barrels meal. |
Pounds salt
meat |
| The United Kingdom |
994 |
40 |
30,200 |
| Nova Scotia |
8,209 |
749 |
2,800 |
| Prince Edward’s island |
229 |
76 |
|
| The United States |
168 |
3 |
900 |
| Nassau |
|
|
300 |
|
9,600 |
868 |
34,200 |
FROM ST. JOHN, N. B., 1863.
(Returns from outposts not received.)
| Destination |
Barrels of flour. |
Barrels meal. |
Pounds salt
meat |
| The United Kingdom |
44 |
|
|
| Nova Scotia. |
8,710 |
523 |
4,200 |
| The United States |
|
32 |
13,400 |
| British West Indies |
398 |
|
400 |
|
9,152 |
555 |
18,000 |
I hereby certify that the above statement relative to the shipment of
bread-stuffs and salted meats from the province of New Brunswick,
and the port of St. John, New Brunswick, during 1862 and 1863, is
correct and true.
[L.S.] WILLIAM SMITH,
Controller of Customs, &c., St.
John, March 11,
1864.
