No. 118
Victoria
18th September 1867
My Lord Duke,
I have the honor to forward an authenticated and two plain copies of an Ordinance of the recent Session of the Legislative Council of this Colony entitled;No 18Manuscript image No 18. An Ordinance to amend the duties of Customs.
I add the report of the Attorney General.
I have the honor to be,
My Lord Duke,
Your most obedient
humble Servant
Frederick Seymour
Minutes by CO staff
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CC 5 Nov
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Sir F. Rogers
Customs Ordinance. To Treasy & B of Trade.
HTH 6/11
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You will see that by sect. 7 ad valorem duties are to be calculated according to the value of the article at place of shipment. This no doubt establishes in effect a system of diffl duties. But it was shewn, when the last Customs Act, which contained a similar clause, wasManuscript image under consideration, that this mode of levying duties was adopted in some of the colonies (6015 & 4650 B Columbia); and in another case a Report of the Customs Commissioners was sent here in which (I think) it was stated that the practise was not objectionable. (5517 Treasury Gambia.) These papers are sent on with 10834 B. Columbia.
The Ordinance of 1865 was disallowed, and it appears from the the Govrs despatch of 10834 that the obnoxious clause had been repealed; but at all events it has now appeared again.
(?) In writing to the Board of Trade inform them of the opinion of the Customs Commissioners.
HTH 6/11
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& recall it to the Treasy. Yes.
FR 6/11
B&C 7/11
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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H.P.P. Crease, Attorney General, to Seymour, 18 June 1867, reporting on the ordinance as per despatch.
Other documents included in the file
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Rogers to Board of Trade, 16 November 1867, forwarding copy of the ordinance for consideration.
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Rogers to G.A. Hamilton, Treasury, 16 November 1867, forwarding copy of the despatch and ordinance for consideration, and drawing Treasury attention to the report of the Commissioners of Customs on the subject.