CO129-211 - Governor Sir Bowen - 1883 [8-9] — Page 174

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of

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"one of their principal functions,

shipping

creuers

for the merchant

ships of their countries; and in

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order not to interfere with that

privilege the following practic:

"obtains. The Master of a foreign

ship tesirous of shipping

enters the names.

of

a crew

the men on a

"Vermit" this with the seamen's

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discharges or permission to ship,

is presented at the Colonial Shipping office; the papers are examined, and if found correst, the sanction "of the Harbour Master is given for

the

"the men to be shipped at the proper Consulate; the fee of one dollar per

man is paid, and the master can then ship his

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men. It will this

be seen that while the law of the

Colony is observed, the Consule duties are not interfered with. The

Officer in charge at the shipping

all men

Office Keeps a record of all legally discharged in the Colony, and

the Permit system enables him to Keep a record as to when they ship

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and where they go. The system

complained of by the United States

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"Consul