ARGUMENT OF SIR WILLIAM ROBSON. 1797 



nnd if, when the custom-house officer goes on board and searches the 

 ship, he finds there something else on board, a keg of rum or a 

 hogshead of whiskey, he confiscates the liquor and he has the man 

 punished for making a false declaration. The declaration is required 

 of him in order to put him under penalties if he is not telling the 

 truth. 



That is the report nothing else. In the case of a vessel coming 

 in to fish there is nothing to be declared except the declaration of the 

 stores. The form would simply be : " I, John Smith, of such and such 

 a vessel, declare that I have nothing on board except stores and sup- 

 plies necessary for the purpose of fishing; or, I have no alcohol, or 

 dutiable liquors on board." That is all. That is his report, that is 

 his entry, and I do not understand what the objection is. There may 

 be some technicality with which I am not quite familiar, but I do not 

 understand the difference which was suggested between report and 

 entry. You enter your ship by reporting your ship and then, having 

 entered, of course, when you go out, it is convenient that you should 

 clear. Mr. Elder seemed to object not to the report but to the entry, 

 because entry involved a clearance. 



There is nothing in clearance. It is not a thing of any importance 

 whatever to Newfoundland. Clearance is not useful to the port you 

 are leaving, it is useful to the port to which you are intending to go. 

 It is an indication to that port that you left the last port with noth- 

 ing on board except that cargo. You declare when you go out what 

 you have got on board and if you have taken on board a cargo, liquor 

 or anything of the kind, you must say so. It is a check upon your 

 conduct in the port to which you go, but still, in so far as New- 

 foundland is concerned, it does not need to trouble about the clear- 

 ance of the fishing- vessel. But, it must have a report because it wants 

 to inspect the vessel. That is done perhaps in a moment. You simply 

 send your man on board; he goes round to half a dozen vessels in a 

 very short time and he will see if any of these vessels have any 

 brandy or tobacco on board. These are the two things that they are 

 anxious about. I do not suppose that there will be a great demand 

 for silks and laces among the population of Newfoundland. Brandy 

 and tobacco are more likely the kind of thing that that population 

 finds necessary or convenient; but the customs-house officer goes 

 round and sees whether there is any brandy or tobacco on board and 

 says, if not, I will let you alone; you may do what you like and go 

 where you like it does not matter to me. There are no export 

 duties in Newfoundland. Of course, if there were export duties 

 clearance would be necessary and advisable, but in so far as I know 

 there are no export duties. There might be duties on pulpwood and 

 so forth, but that is a very bulky cargo and it would be very easily 

 discovered. 



