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For Britannic Majesty's Exequatur. On inquiring at the Harbour Master's office as to the origin of the practice complained of, I was referred by the master to section 14 of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1879 as authority for collecting the fee. It will be seen that this section of the Ordinance directs the Harbour Master to charge for every seaman shipped a fee of $10.
In my opinion, this means for every seaman shipped at the Harbour Master's office. The word "fee" implies a compensation or reward for a service rendered, distinguished from a tax, which is a burden or charge imposed for the support of Government without reference to any benefit to the party paying it. There can be no propriety in the Harbour Master charging a fee for work done by me. I do not think it was the intention of the Ordinance to deprive Consuls in this Colony of the right to discharge their principal functions—shipping crews for merchant ships of their countries. Section 5 must have been intended...