MONTSERRAT.

An Act to impose a Duty upon certain Arti

cles imported into this Island.

EDWARD E. RUSHWORTH.

[Dated 15th May, 1858.

W HEREAS it has become necessary in order to make PREAMBLE.

V sufficient provision for the payment of the expenses of the Government of this Colony to impose a Duty upon certain Articles imported into this Island: We, therefore, Your Majesty's Most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects the Officer Administering the Government of this Island, and the Council and Assembly of the same, Do pray Your Most Excellent Majesty, that it may be enacted.

I. Be it therefore enacted, That from and immediately after Import Duties imthe passing and publication of this Act, there shall be raised, posed as per Schecollected, levied, and paid unto Her Majesty for the use of the said Island of Montserrat on the importation into the said Island of the several Articles enumerated, described, and included in the Schedule to this Act annexed and lettered A, the several Duties as the same are respectively set forth in words and figures in the said Schedule.

II. And be it enacted, That the Officer Administering the Government may, by Warrant, appoint the Roadstead of Ply- Appointment of port mouth in this Ísland to be a Port for the purposes of this Act, and to declare the limits thereof, and to appoint, from time to time, proper places within the same to be the legal places for the lading and unlading of Goods.

III. And be it enacted, That all Duties under this Act shall all duties to be imbe paid and received according to the Weights and Measures posed according to by Law established, and that in all cases where such Duties measures by Law are imposed according to any specific quantity or any specific value, the same shall be deemed to apply in the same proportion to any greater or less quantity or value.

established.

IV. And be it enacted, That all the Duties payable under Treasurer to collect this Act shail be collected by and paid to the Treasurer of the said Island for the time being to the use of the Colony.

of the duties.

V. And be it enacted, That no Officer of the Treasury shall Officers appointed be employed in or undertake or be in any way concerned in under this Act not any Mercantile Business or any other business or employment other business. whatsoever, save and except that the Office of Treasurer may

be held if compatible by any other Public Officer; nor shall they be liable to serve in any Jury or Inquest any Law to the contrary notwithstanding.

VI. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Officer

Administering the Government of this Island, from time to All expenses not time, to authorize the payment from the Public Treasury of all annum incurred in expenses that may be incurred in carrying this Act into execuder this Act to be tion, such expenses not to exceed the sum of Twenty Pounds paid from the Trea.

per annum.

sury.

&c. to report cargo
to the Treasurer be- sel, DOHU or VUOC, wau

The master of ships VII. And be it enacted, That the Master of any Ship, Ves

sel, Boat or Canoe, that shall arrive and come to any Entry at Pre bulk be broken. this Island shall, before bulk be broken or any part of the Cargo

landed, report such Cargo to the Treasurer or other proper Treasury Officer, and shall produce to him a Manifest of the Cargo with a statement of the Consignees of the same, and such Master shall fully and truly answer all such questions touching the Cargo on board such Vessel, Boat or Canoe, as shall be put to him by such Treasurer or other proper Treasury Officer; and if any Goods be unladen from any such Ship before such report be made, or if the Master fail to make such report,

or make an untrue report, or do not truly answer the questions Pepelty in default.

demánded of him, he shall forfeit a sum not exceeding Fifty Pounds, and if any Goods be not reported such Goods shall be forfeited.

un

landed shall enter

Treasurer.

The Importer or VIII. And be it enacted, That before any Goods shall be Como code shall be landed in this Island the Importer or Consignee thereof or his

Agent sliall repair to the Treasurer's Office and there enter the the same with the

said Goods, and shall produce and shew to the Treasurer a Bill of the Entry thereof, fairly written in words at length, containing the name of the Importer or Consignee and of the Ship, Boat, or Canoe, and of the Master, and of the place whence the said Goods shall have been brought, and the particulars of the quantity and description of the Goods and the packages containing the same, and the marks and numbers of the packages, and shall also deliver at the same time one or more duplicates of such Bill in which all Sums and Numbers may be written in figures, and the particulars to be contained in such Bill of Entry shall be written in such form and manner, and the

number of such duplicates shall be such as the said Treasurer On payment of the shall require; and every such Importer or Consignee shall at duties the Treasurer to grant his Warrant the same time (except in the case of Goods intended to be for the landing of the Goods. Warehoused) pay down the Duties hereby made payable on

such Goods, and the Treasurer shall thereupon grant his Warrant for the landing thercof; and if any Goods shall be landed

before such Entry be made, or such Warrant granted, the Imobalty in default.

porter or Consignee thereof shall forfeit any Sum not exceeding Fifty Pounds.

MONTSERRAT.

IX. And be it enacted, That the Master of every Vessel Entry outwardo of bound from this Island shall, before departure, bring and deliver o

Ship. to the Treasurer a Content in writing under his hand of the Goods laden with the marks and numbers of the packages, and shall make and subscribe a Declaration to the truth of the same as far as such particulars can be known to him: And the said Master shall answer all such questions concerning the Vessel and Cargo as the Treasurer or other proper Officer may put to him, and thereupon the Treasurer or other proper Officer shall make out and deliver to the Master a Certificate stating that all the provisions of this Act have been duly complied with by such® Master; and if such Master shall fail to deliver such Content, or shall deliver a false Content, or shall not truly

such Treasurer or other pro- Jeaning for Bob per Officer, he shall forfeit a Sum not exceeding Fifty Pounds.

0

X. And be it enacted, That the unshipping, carrying, and Expenses attendant landing of all Goods, and of the bringing the same into the fing, bei den meisten Scales, and of the taking the same out of the Scales and Weigh- be paid by tho Live ing shall be performed by and at the expense of the Importer.

portur.

Xİ. And be it enacted, That if the Importer or Consignee if the Importer of any Goods shall make and subscribe an Oath before the Trea- mabalho de habilito surer that he cannot for the want of sufficient information make to make a full and por a full and perfect entry of such Goods, it shall be lawful for the may receive an en

try by Bill of Siglas, Treasurer to receive an Entry by Bill of Sight for the Packages or parcels of such Goods by the best description which can be given, and to grant a Warrant thereupon in order that the same may be landed and secured to the satisfaction of the Treasurer, but at the expense and risk of the Importer or Consignee, and may be seen and examined by such Importer or Consignee in the presence of the Treasurer or other proper Treasury Officer appointed under the provisions of this Act, and within Three Days after any Goods shall have been so landed the Importer or Consignee shall make a full and perfect Entry thereof, and (except in case of Goods intended to be Warehoused) pay down all Duties due thereon, and in default of such Entry, such Goods shall be taken to such place as the Treasurer may think fit, and if the Importer or Consignee shall not within Two Months after such landing make perfect Entry of such Goods and pay the Duties thereon together with the charges of removal and Warehouse Rent, such Goods shall be sold for the payment thereof, and the overplus (if any) shall be paid to the Proprietor 'or Consignee of such Goods.

XII. And be it enacted, That in all cases where the Duties Oath to be made by imposed by this Act upon the Importation of any Goods are the importer charged according to the value thereof, the Importer or Con- entry of Goods, signee or his or her or their accredited Agent or Agents shall at the time of entering such Goods make and subscribe an

Oath according to the following form, which Oath the Treasurer is hereby empowered to administer :

I, A. B. do solemnly swear that the Entry now made by me is a just, true, and genuine account of the description, quantity, and cost of the Gouds imported by me.

Witness my Hand on the
day of

A. B.
Sworn in the presence of

C. D.

Treasurer. which Oath shall be written on the Bill of Entry of such Articles, and shall be subscribed by the hand of the Importer or Consignee or his or her or their accredited Agent or Agents thereof in the presence of the Treasurer.

Goods are undervalued,

Procedure in case it Provided, nevertheless, that if it shall appear to the Treasurer Treasurer that the that the Articles mentioned in such Entry are not valued ac

cording to the real and true value thereof at the place from whence the same were imported, he may demand a sight of the Invoice thereof, and notwithstanding such Invoice, if he shall think it necessary, or if the Invoice price is not known, the Articles shall in such case be examined by Three competent persons to be nominated and appointed by the Officer Administering the Government of this Island, and such persons shall declare on Oath to the Treasurer what is the true and real value of such Articles, and upon which the Duties imposed by this Act shall be charged and paid.

negl ct of
porter or Consignee .

the duties imposed by this Act, the same

thirty days of such

On the refusal op. XIII. And be it enacted, That if the Importer or Consignee

of such Goods shall refuse o: neglect to pay the Duties hereby of any Goods to pay !

imposed thereon, it shall and may be lawful for the Treasurer,

and he is herchy required to take and secure such Goods with sha" be sul within the Casks or other Packages thereof, and to cause the same to refusal or neglect. he publicly sold within the space of Thirty Days after such re

fusal or negleci made, and at such time and place as the said Treasurer skal by four or more days public notice appoint for such purpose, and sur! Goods shall be sold to the highest bidder, and the money arising from the sale thereof shall be applied in the first plare in payment of the said Duties together with the charges that shall have inen occasioned by the said default and sale, and the overplus (if any) shall be paid to the Importer or other person authorized to receive the same.

Intry mus. corre

Tith the Goods and Packages

XIV. Ar!! it enacted, That no Entry nor any Warrant The several Goods and Packages in the for unë lunding of any Goods or for tlie taking of any Goods

he out of any Warehouse shall be deemed valid unless the Goods purporting to be the and Packages in such Entry shall correspond with the particu

MONTSERRAT.

such Goods.

lars of the Goods and Packages purporting to be the same in same in the entry of the Entry of such Goods made with the Treasurer or other proper Officer, nor unless the Goods shall have been properly described in such Entry by the denominations and with the characters and circumstances according to which such Goods are charged with Duty, and any Goods taken or delivered out of any Ship, Boat, or Canoe, or out of any Warehouse by virtue of any Entry or Warrant not corresponding or agreeing in all respects, or not properly describing the same, shall be deemed to be Goods landed or taken without due Entry thereof and shall be forfeited.

hall have been

XV. And be it enacted, That no Goods shall be unladen No Goods shall be from any Ship or Vessel, Boat or Canoe, arriving at this Island Vessel nntil Jueen until due Entry shall have been made of such Goods, and Warrant granted for the unlading of the same, and that no Goods shall be so unladen except at some place at which an Officer is appointed to attend the unlading of Goods, or at some place for which a sufferance shall be granted by the Treasurer for the unlading of such Goods, and that no Goods shall be unladen except in the presence of an Officer of the Treasury or with the permission, in writing, of the Treasurer, and all Goods unladen contrary to the provisions herein contained shall be forfeited.

cer

and and

XVI. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the The Treasurer of Treasurer or for any proper Officer or Officers of the Treasury other Treasury Offunder the authority of the Treasurer, to board any Ship or Ves- board Vessel &e,

arriving at this Issel arriving at any Port in this Island, or at any out-bay thereof, land and superin and freely, if need be, to stay on board until all the Goods laden unlading.com sache therein shall have been duly delivered from the same, and such ship, and seal, lock

up, &c, any Goods Officer or Officers shall have free access to every part of such on board the same. Ship or Vessel with power to mark any Goods before landing, and to lock up, seal, fasten, or otherwise secure any Goods on board the same, and if any Goods be found concealed on board of any such Ship or Vessel, they shall be forfeited, and if the Officer or Officers shall place any lock or mark upon Goods on board, and if such mark, lock, or seal be wilfully opened, altered, or broken before due delivery of such Goods, or if any such Goods be secretly conveyed away, the Master of any such Ship or Vessel shall, in each and every such case, upon conviction thereof before any Two of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, be liable to a Penalty not exceeding One Hundred Pounds.

e

used for the removal

XVII. And be it enacted, That all Vessels, Boats, Carriages, Vessels, boats, &c., and Cattle made use of in the removal of Goods liable to forfeiture under this Act shall be forfeited, and every person who forf-iture shall be shall assist or be otherwise concerned in the unshipping, landing, or shipping or removal, or in harboring of such Goods, or in whose hands or possession the same shall knowingly come, shall be liable to and shall incur a Penalty not exceeding Fifty Pounds.