PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
ECO. 885
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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should be made plain to the Governor that the charges accrued on this ship after the date when she was taken over by the Union Government should be borne by the Union Government.
Item 9. Bunker coal. An inquiry should be made as to the amount of this charge, which the Committee considered rather heavy.
Item 10. This item and item 9 would be borne by the ship in so far as they do not fall on the Union Government.
Refund in price of bunker coal.-Particulars of this refund should
Item 11. be obtained.
Item 12. This item should be borne by the ship unless the repairs were under- taken after the date of requisition or with a view to requisition by the Union Government.
Items 13 to 17. Appraisement fees.-Fees in respect of appraisement on the ship should fall upon the ship, those in respect of cargo on the cargo.
Item 18. Auction fees.-This should fall on the cargo.
Item 19. Warehouse rent. This should be recovered from the claimants of released cargo, and an inquiry should be made to see whether this could still be done. Item 20. Customs duty. This should be paid by the purchasers of condemned cargo, either by way of addition to the price or otherwise. An inquiry should be made as to whether this has been done.
Item 21, etc. Fees.—Mr. Rackham stated that in this country the Crown pays no court fees. The Committee agreed that, having regard to the difference in the circumstances of the Oversea Prize Courts, where the fees could be regarded as a payment to the local Government for the use of its court accommodation and officials, and having regard to the terms of Section 43 of the Prize Court Rules, With regard to the fees this principle could not be enforced in Oversea courts. referred to here, it was decided that a report should be obtained from the Governor with regard to the item £30 10s. for fees for possession of the ship. This fee ought to cover the cost of the ship-keeper, and it should be ascertained whether any wages paid under item 1 had been paid to a ship-keeper. With regard to item £17 58., an inquiry should be made as to how this item was made up. It was agreed that the charge could not be recovered from the claimants of released cargo.
It was decided that an inquiry should also be made as to whether the Marshal was retaining for his personal use any of the fees which were Marshal's fees under the Rules of Court.
The Committee decided that the payment of the smaller fees out of the fund might be accepted, but that the question whether Colonial Governments should be allowed to retain the larger fees, such as the 1 per cent. fee on sale of ship and cargo, should be reserved for future consideration, until the general question as to the constitution of the Prize Fund had been decided.
Particulars should also be ascertained as to the charge of £5 18s. for the upkeep of the ship.
Annexures C and D.-The Committee decided that any moneys advanced by the Colonial Treasury might be refunded out of the general balance in the Prize Court. They thought that a recommendation should be addressed to the Treasury suggesting that all Colonial Prize Courts should remit to the Imperial Treasury from time to time the balances standing to their credit, leaving a sufficient margin to meet esti- mated future expenditure.
Annexure E.-The points on this were covered by the decisions on Annexure B. Annexure F.-An inquiry should be made with regard to the twenty boxes of marks in copper stated to be in the police office strong room.
(ii) Stores on ships taken over by the Crown-Mr. Rackham stated that an inventory of stores was not taken in all cases in the United Kingdom, though this had been done for the majority of the sailing vessels taken over.
3. 8.8." Llandaff."-Mr. Holt reported that this vessel was still overdue. Mr. Evans undertook to make inquiry at the Admiralty.
4. Steamships “ Rajaburi " and “Quarta.”—The Committee decided that the charter should be renewed on the same terms.
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5. 8.3. Koerber."--(a) Mr. Holt reported that the saltpetre had been sold to Messrs. Curtis and Harvey at £32 per ton. (b) The papers in connexion with the general average should be sent to Messrs. Lindley and Company. (c) The Secretary
* No. 9 in Appendix B.
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reported that the Admiralty Marshal was willing to receive the purchase money of any cargo sold by the Committee ex this ship, and to deal with it in the same way as he dealt with other cargo sold by him for the Marshal at Alexandria.
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6. Ships for Canadian grain.—Sir George Perley attended the Committee and discussed the question whether the Committee would allow the sailing vessels Terpsichore,"*" Carl," and "Chile" to load at Halifax. It was decided that the ships might load at Halifax if the Canadian Government would pay 58. additional freight to cover the difference of the insurance between Halifax and Portland,. Sir George Perley agreed to submit this to his Government. The other clauses of the charter party were agreed to subject to reference to the Canadian Government as to whether they would consent to a portion of the cargo, not exceeding two-thirds, being shipped in bags at the discretion of the masters.
7. Dock and harbour dues, etc.-The Committee decided that the Cardiff dock dues in connexion with the "Nerine," and the sum of £2 10s. in respect of pilotage of the "Fürth," should be paid.
The Committee considered the question whether any claim for exemption should be made in respect of dock dues paid on the "Hamm,” “ Apolda," and "Tandem" by the Federal Steam Navigation Company. A proportion of these
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dues was being collected from the owners of released cargo in Australia, and it was recommended that, when the proceeds of the sale of cargo ordered to be detained were paid into Court, the Court should be asked to make a deduction similar to the contribution which had been obtained from the owners of released cargo. decided not to raise any question with regard to the proportion of dock dues on the "Tandem "attributable to condemned cargo, the amount involved being very small. 8. Accounts of steamships “Emil” and “ A chaia." The Committee con- sidered a letter from Messrs. Glover Brothers proposing to transfer the profit earned by the "Emil" to the "Achaia," which had made a heavy loss, having been taken over by the Admiralty at Alexandria after the Committee had sent out officers and The Secretary was instructed to inform Messrs. Glover Brothers that the accounts of the "Emil" should be closed and the profits remitted to the Committee, and that they should apply to the Admiralty to make good their disbursements on the "Achaia.”
crew.
9. Insurance fund for ships.-The Committee decided that the date on which the various ships should be taken to come on risk should be the date on which they were taken over by the Committee's managers, and that no allowance should be made in respect of any perfod during which a ship might have been under the Com- mittee's or the Marshal's fire insurance cover. This constituted a variation of the decision come to at the Eighty-first Meeting.*
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10. Steamships "Chowtai and Sandakan : Insurance.-The Committee recommended that a telegram should be sent to the Governor of the Straits Settle- ments asking whether all claims under the existing insurance policies had been settled, and whether any claims had arisen subsequent to the date of the termination of the old charter parties.
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Faury." The Committee decided that £5 should be refunded to Captain Dagwell out of the £33 which he had paid as requested by the managers.
The Committee approved the payment of the sum of £439 17s. 6d. in respect of coal expended by the Admiralty collier "Keyingham" in towing this vessel from Freetown to Dakar.
12.
s.s." Pindos.”—Mr. Holt reported that the premium paid for the insurance of freight on this vessel had been refunded by the underwriters.
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8.3. “Marina.”—Mr. Holt reported that the charge of £160 for dry-docking this vessel appeared to be abnormally high. The Secretary was instructed to ask Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company if they could obtain a rebate from the Nigerian Dock Company.
14. 8.8.
"Emir."-The Committee considered a despatch received by the Colonial Office from the Governor of Gibraltar concerning the discrepancy of 239 bales in the hemp and sisal ez this steamer. Mr. Holt undertook to inquire from Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company whereabouts in the ship the hemp was stowed.
15. Insurance of ivory ex Nigerian Government yacht "Ivy."-The Committee considered a letter from the Treasury, dated the 20th of October, which had been received by the Colonial Office. They did not consider that they were called upon to make any recommendation.
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