His Excellency observes that in an interview at Government House I admitted not having examined the proposed Emigrants (by Glamis Castle) and that it was not my intention to do so until his Excellency has signed the Licence for the ship to carry Emigrants.
This is quite correct. This system continued until Messrs. Butterfield & Swire drew His Excellency's attention (vide C. S. O. 2826/80) to the great convenience resulting from such a method. His Excellency was pleased on the 2nd November 1880 to order that for the future the Emigrants were to be examined before the Licence was issued, my action in the matter being guided by the last instructions which I had then received from His Excellency on the subject.
To make the matter clear it will be as well to go back to the time when the Licence system was introduced by Ordinance 4 of 1870. From the date of the Ordinance coming into force, Licences for ships to carry passengers were not issued before the Emigrants were examined. On the 31st August 1880 I received instructions to examine the passengers first and to apply for the Licence afterwards. I understood His Excellency to say that he wished the "Glamis Castle's" passengers to be examined before the issue of the Licence, and that the Acting Colonial Secretary, with other Officers, would endeavour to ascertain whether the Emigrants by the "Glamis Castle" were really free to emigrate.
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