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General advised that Harbour Master's view of legal position was correct",
1
2.
The British S.S. "Tartar" arrived from Manila on the 8th instant with United States Troops on board, bound for San Francisco. The ship was duly entered by the Master.
On the 11th instant Captain Murray Rumsey R.N., the Harbour Master received a communication complaining of the overcrowded state of the ship, in consequence of which he appears to have written a private letter to the agent warning him that if there was an excess of number of passengers he would have to refuse a clearance. The matter first came before me on the 12th instant.
On that morning the United States Consul-General had an interview with the Colonial Secretary, who having called upon Captain Ramsey for his remarks forwarded them to me. The matter was referred to the Acting Attorney General who advised that the views expressed by the Harbour Master in his minute were legally correct.
3.
This caused an answer to be sent to the United States Consul-General regretting that as it was a legal question I was unable to interfere, and suggested that he should place himself in communication with the Harbour Master.
4.
I had an interview with the Harbour Master with a view of finding a way out of the difficulty. It was clear that