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THURSDAY, JANUARY 23.

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PRINCE EDIVARD ISLAND.

Dowxrzro STREET. No 1. 2nd January, 1868. Sir ;

I have the honor to inform you that an application has been receiVed from the United States Minister, at this Court. on the subject of the appointment of Mr. Thomas F. Wilson as Vice Consul General for the United States. in British North America, to reside at Montreal. as there appears to be no objection to. this appointment, I have requested the Governor General of Canada to recognize Mr. Wilson in the above capacity.

I have &c. ﬁre. &c.,

(S‘ignelJ' BUCKINGHAM & CHANDOS. Lieut. Governor Dundas, &c. &c. &c.

(corv. )r PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

DOWNING STREET, No. 35. 26th December, 1867. Sir;

I have the honor to inform you that Her Majesty will not be advised to exercise her power of disallowance with respect to the following Act of the Legislature of Prince Edward" Island, a transcript of which accom-

anied your Despatch, No. 84, of the 22nd 01 October ast, viz. cap. 13, passed 17th of May, 1867, intituled “ An Act to repeal two certain acts compelling masters of vessels to exhibit a light while in Harbor, at night time, and to make other provisions in lieu thereof.”

I have &c. &c. &c. (Signed,) BUCKINGHAM & CHANDOS. Lieut. Governor Dundas. &c. ch. &c.

‘ crncumn.»(corv.) PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

DOWNING STREET, Sir; 2lst December, 1807.

I transmit to you herewith an Extract of a Despatch' from Her Majesty’s Consul at Baltimore, reporting that the Shipping Masters at that Port refuse to ship a White Crew on heard any vessel in which a Colored Seaman is serving, together with a copy 01 the Answer which has been returned to that Despatch.

It will be desirable that you should take such steps as may be necessary for giving publicity to the state of things disclosed in this correSpondence, and for warning Ship Owners in the 001011}? under your Government of the course pursued by the Baltimore Shipping Masters.

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant,

(Signed,) BUCKINGHAM Jr CHANDQS. Liont. Governor Dundas, &c. &c. &c.

Extracts of‘ a Letter from Mr. Consul Rainals to Lord” Stanley, dated British Consulate, Baltimore, ' 1111: November 1867, No. 25.

“ HITHERTO white and colored seamen have been shipped indiscriminately on board the same vessel,

whereas now the ship ping masters and, the boarding house keepers have at a period when trade is extremely dull and seamen conse quently plentiful, determined not to ship a white man on board the same VESsel with a colored man, and their combined power in the matter cannot be counteracted by any means at my commandr as through their medium alone can seamen be obtained.

In order to illustrate the practical result of such com- bination, I have the honor to submit for your Lordship’s consideration a case of recent date.

The British ship “ R. B. Mulball “arrived here a short time ago with a mixed Crew of white and colored seamen shipped at Liverpool, Nova Scotia, for a term of twelve months. Soon after her arrival, several of the men deserted (as is— invariably the case here), but one colored man and two white men remained by her. When she was nearly ready for sea the Captain told me that the shipping masters positively refused to ship a white crew on board the vessel so long as the colored man remained there.

This colored man the captain informed me was arr excellent seaman whose services he was as anxious to retain as the man was desirous to remain by the vesset until the expiration of his term of service.

qr * * * * *-

My instructions give me no authority to compel a seaman to leave a ship without just cause, and yet I felt that, the case being without a precedent asfar-as I am concerned, I should not be justiﬁed in delaying the departure of the vessel for an indeﬁnite period. I therefore determined ifnecessary to take some responsi‘ bility on myself by discharging the colored seamen and sending him home at the ship’s expense.

Fortunately, however, I was latter able to persuade him to take his discharge on payment of? additional wages. And the matter was so settled.

* * * it a} it

Under these circumstances I would solicit your Lordship’s instructions as to the means I may be per- mitted to adOpt if cases of a similar nature present themselves again, but when the colored seaman insist on remaining on board the vessel until their time oi servree shall have expired". ‘

Mr. Hammond to M‘. Consul Rainals. Sir; F07‘831lgh’ Qﬁce, 30th November, 1867 .

I AM directed by Lord Stanley to acknowledge the receipt of your dospatChLNo. 25, of the 11th instant, reporting a diﬂiculty which had arisen in consequence of the refusal of the shipping masters at Baltimore, to ship a white crew' on board the British vCSSel “ R. B. Mulhall,” as long as a colored seamen remained on board that vessel.

As it appears from your despatch that the negro in question subsequently accepted his discharge, it is un- necessary for Lord Stanley to make any observationon this particular case. but in reply to. your request for in.- structions as to the course you should adobt in any similar case in future. I am to state to you. that this is not a matter in which Her Majesty’s Government can interfere. Your powers as Consul are clearly deﬁned by the “Merchant Shipping Act.” and yon can only :emove a seaman from. a British ship as ordered by that

ct. ‘ '

Colored seamen being British subjects. are in all respects to be treated as other seamen.

It must therefore be left to the masters and owners of ships to ad0pt such measures as they may think, best calculated to obviate the diﬂiculties caused by the course pursued by the Baltimore shipping masters, and invorder that British and Colonial shipowners may be warned of the necessity of taking such measures, Lord Stanley has caused a copy of your despatch to be communicated to the Colonial Ofﬁce and to the Board of Trade.

I am, &c. (Signed,) E. HAMMOND.

II. T. A. Rainals, Esq., Her Majesty’s Consul. Baltimore,