Hamilton to Under-Secretary of State
Treasury Chambers
20th August 1868
Sir,
I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to transmit to you, herewith, to be laid before the Secretary of State, copy of a Report from the Commissioners of Customs relating to the ordinance of British Columbia No 18 of 1867 "to amend the duties of Customs" which accompanied your letters of the 10th January & 8th of June.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant
Geo. A. Hamilton
Minutes by CO staff
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WR 21/8/68
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Mr Elliot
The Customs Ordinance of 1867 was referred to B of Trade & Treasury.
The B of Trade reported (12857) & found fault with Sect. 7, because the charges for transport insurance &c are not to be included in the value upon which the duty is to be assessed & also as to the mode of calculatg it.
They have also found fault with the duties imposed upon Wines.
On both points the Crs of Customs differ with the B of Trade; and it appears to me, though I have had veryManuscript image little experience in these matters, that the Commissioners of Customs have the best of the argument. At all events I apprehend that HG will not be long in following their advice & sanctioning the Ordinance so far as these points are concerned.
The Commissrs of Customs in a former report upon this Ordinance (12663) found fault, however, with Sects 4 & 8; & suggest amendments. Similar sections have appeared in a former B Columbia Ordinance & escaped comment. (See my minute on 12663.)
Under these circumstances I should be disposed to sanction the Ordinance, but to transmit a copy of the Report of the Crs of Customs upon sects 4 & 8 & request a careful consideration of that report with a view to an amendment of their provisions in another Ordinance.
HTH 24/8
TFE 24/8
CBA 25/8
B&C 26/8
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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Thos. F. Fremantle and Grenville C.S. Berkeley, Customs House, to Treasury, 23 July 1868, reporting on the ordinance with comments and suggestions (fifteen pages).
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Draft form for declaring the contents and value of packages.
Other documents included in the file
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Draft reply, Buckingham to Seymour, No. 69, 31 August 1868.
Hamilton, George Alexander to Adderley, C. B. 20 August 1868, CO 60:34, no. 9147, 417. The Colonial Despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871, Edition 2.0, ed. James Hendrickson and the Colonial Despatches project. Victoria, B.C.: University of Victoria. https://bcgenesis.uvic.ca/B685TE16.html.

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