Voices of the People

Nova Scotia House of Assembly Petitions and Correspondence

30 June 1804

Petition of Pryor and McLean and other merchants of Halifax, representing the expense and inconvenience caused by the enforcement of the provincial law requiring all cargoes of which any part is intended for Nova Scotian consumption to be unloaded, "not only by subjecting them to the charges of unloading and loading their Vessels and to the Sunk duties here on all such Rum and other Articles, but also by rendering Rum in particular Subject to a duty of three pence Sterling per Gallon in Canada and One Shilling Sterling in Newfoundland, owing to the said Articles not being accompanies by the Clearance from the West Indies. That the evil Consequences of the Law are particularly felt by the Shipping Interest of this Province, as it seldom happens that the proceeds of a Cargo of this Country Produce are adequate to procure as much West India Produce as will make a full freight homewards which Subjects your Petitioners to a heavy loss from dead Freight frequently of more than one half of Tonnage of their Vessels." Subscribed to by 7 firms. (See Bill No. 16.)

Reference: Nova Scotia House of Assembly Nova Scotia Archives RG 5 Series A volume 11 number 20