PERIOD FROM 1871 TO 1905. 927 



The second complaint of Mr. Bayard is that when Captain Jacobs, 

 experiencing a dearth of provisions as a consequence of his charitable 

 action, shortly after put into Port Medway and asked to purchase 

 half a barrel of flour and enough provisions to take him home, the 

 collector, " with full knowledge of all the circumstances," refused 

 the request and threatened him with seizure if he bought any tiling 

 whatever. 



The collector's report, hereto annexed, shows that Captain Jacobs 

 entered his port on the 25th October, fully one month after the occur- 

 rence at Malpeque ; that in entering he made affirmation that he called 

 for shelter and repairs, and for no "other purpose whatever;" that 

 just before leaving he asked permission to purchase half a barrel of 

 flour, and when asked by the collector if he was without provisions, 

 he replied that he was not, adding that he had " a good supply of all 

 kinds of provisions except flour, and enough of that to last him home 

 unless he met some unusual delay." 



Under these circumstances the collector did not give the permission 

 asked, but he made no threat of seizure of vessel or imposition of 

 penalty. 



Mr. Bayard supports the complaint of Captain Jacobs that he was 

 charged fees for entering his vessel at Canadian customs, and that 

 these fees varied at different ports, being, for instance, 15 cents at 

 Souris, Prince Edward Island, 50 cents at Port Mulgrave, and 50 

 cents at Port Hood, at which latter port Captain Jacobs sent his 

 brother to enter for him, but was informed that his entry was illegal 

 and that he, as master, must himself enter his vessel. He complains 

 of being obliged to pay twice, once for his brother's entry and once 

 for his own. 



The minister states with regard to this that no collector of customs 

 in Canada is authorized to charge a fee for entering or clearing a ves- 

 sel, nor for any papers necessary to do this. Sailing masters, however, 

 who are unused to the law, or not competent to make out their 

 papers, are in the habit of employing persons as customs brokers to 

 make out their papers for them, and for this service these brokers 

 charge a small fee. These are not Government officers nor under Gov- 

 ernment control, and their services are voluntarily paid for by those 

 who employ them. The small fees of which Captain Jacobs com- 

 plains need not have been paid by him if he had been willing or 

 qualified to make out his own papers. That he was not so willing or 

 qualified and that he employed a broker to make out his papers is 

 conclusively shown by the following telegram received from the col- 

 lector at Port Hood, the charges at which port Mr. Secretary Bayard 

 so vigorously denounces. 



[Copies of telegrams.] 



" Deputy minister of fisheries to collector. Port Hood, Nova Scotia. 



" OTTAWA, March 16, 1887. 



" Did you during last season exact from Captain Solomon Jacobs, 

 of schooner Mollie Adams, any charge for reporting, or other service 

 at Port Hood ? If so, please state amount received and for what." 



