Sir F. Bruce to William Hunter, May 18, 1865

Sir F. Bruce to Mr. Hunter

Sir: I have the honor to transmit to you copies of a despatch, and of its enclosures, which I have received from her Majesty’s consul at Boston, relative to a tax of thirty cents a ton which is being levied upon British vessels at the ports within his consulate, the measurement being, as it appears, taken under the old system, whereby the British register tonnage is increased nearly one-third.

I beg that you will have the goodness to submit these documents to the proper authorities, and I trust that, in accordance with the suggestion of her Majesty’s consul, the additional tax which appears to have been unduly levied upon British vessels since the 1st April may be remitted, and that, in future, the tax in question will be assessed upon the tonnage borne upon the registers of the British vessels.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your most obedient humble servant,