[Inclosure.]
Certified copy of a report of a committee of the
honorable the privy council, approved by his excellency the
governor-general in council on November 29, 1893.
The committee of the privy council have had under consideration a
dispatch, hereto attached, dated 24th October, 1893, from Her
Majesty’s ambassador at Washington, inclosing copies of a circular
issued by the Treasury Department on the subject of reciprocal
wrecking in inland waters contiguous to Canada and the United
States.
The acting minister of trade and commerce to whom the dispatch and
inclosnres were referred reports that a circular, a copy of which is
attached hereto, has been issued by the department of trade and
commerce embodying the acts of Canada and the United States, the
proclamations issued by the governor-general and by the President of
the United States as well as the circular in question.
The committee, on the recommendation of the minister of trade and
commerce, advise that your excellency be pleased to forward copies
of the circular to Her Majesty’s ambassador at Washington.
All of which is respectfully submitted for your excellency’s
approval.
John J. McGee,
Clerk of the Privy
Council.
Sir Julian
Pauncefote to the Earl of
Aberdeen.
British Embassy,
Washington, October 24,
1893.
My Lord: In accordance with the request
contained in Gen. Montgomery Moore’s dispatch, No. 47, of the 25th
August last, I transmitted to the United States Secretary of State a
copy of the certified report of the privy council of Canada which
was therein contained, respecting reciprocal wrecking privileges in
the inland waters contiguous to Canada and the United States.
I have now the honor to inclose copies of a circular* issued by the Treasury Department on the
subject, which I have received from Mr. Gresham, for the information
of the Canadian Government.
I have, etc.,
[Circular No. 11.]
Department of Trade and Commerce,
Ottawa, November 7, 1893.
re. reciprocal wrecking.
I am desired by the honorable the minister of trade and commerce to
direct the attention of all persons interested to the following:
At the conference held at Washington in February, 1892, between
delegates of the Canadian Government and representatives of the
United States Government, among other things discussed was the
subject of reciprocal wrecking privileges in waters conterminous to
Canada and the United States, and it was then agreed that the
subject should be dealt with by legislation on the part of Canada
and by such instructions from the Treasury Department of the United
States as might be necessary to give to the act of Congress on the
subject such liberal construction as would include permission for
all towing necessary and incidental to wrecking and salvage, and the
relaxation of customs laws in so far as might be necessary to make
the reciprocal arrangements effective. (Vide
Sessional Papers No. 52, 1893.)
In pursuance of this agreement the Parliament of Canada, at its next
ensuing session, passed the act 55–56 Vic, chap. 4, intituled “An
act respecting aid by United States wreckers in Canadian waters,”
and upon being apprised that the act of Congress approved June 19,
1878, entitled “An act to aid vessels wrecked or disabled in waters
conterminous to the United States and the Dominion of Canada,” as
amended by an act approved May 24, 1890, had been further amended by
an act approved March 3, 1893, his excellency the Governor-General
issued his proclamation on May 17, 1893, bringing the said act 55–56
Vic., chap. 4, into force on and after the 1st
[Page 354]
day of June, 1893, which said
proclamation was communicated to the United States Government by Her
Majesty’s ambassador at Washington on the 2d day of June, 1893,
whereupon the President of the United States issued on the 17th day
of July, 1893, his proclamation declaring the act of Congress above
referred to to be from that time in full force and effect.
Under date of the 5th October, 1893, the Secretary of the Treasury of
the United States issued a circular letter of instructions relative
to the construction to be given to the act of Congress and relative
to all necessary towing incidental to any wrecking or salving, and
to such relaxation of United States customs laws as appeared
necessary in order to give full effect to reciprocal wrecking, etc.,
in the waters conterminous to the two countries.
Appended are copies of the act 55–56 Vic., chap. 4, of his
excellency’s proclamation of the 17th May last, of the President’s
proclamation of the 17th July last, which embodies the act of
Congress as amended, and of the United States Treasury circular of
the 5th October, all above referred to.
W. G. Parmelee,
Deputy Minister.
