The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-26

sary. l am, sir,
Your very obelient servant,
II. p. WALLER,
II. NJ. Consul.
HEALTH OFFICE, PORT OF. OF {; GHaRr;sTOs a. 4ssS
II. P. Walksr, Esq, Il. B. y COi,s.,,
Ch1r.sston:
SIR have the honor to ack lossied5 your
communication Of the l1st inst, desiri g to be
informed what rules and regulations have been
established for the execution of the Quaran-
tine laws in this harbor.
L beg le;ye to say that all bills of health
muet be signed, or counterslgned, by the
American Consul, with official seal attached, or
agent (lf no Consul) of the American Govern
ment, and if no agent, then the principal Of
fetal of the city and po-s, OF the healthy or un-
healthy condition of the port OF departure.
II this latter contingency sho-ld exist, the
vessel will be detained at quarantine until such
| bills of health can be authenticated by her Ma
jesty's Consul at Charleston.
| For further information, respectfully REFER
YOU to INV letter of the 1st instant, to the mer-
chants engaged in the West India trade.
Furthermore, all permits OF examination
and discharge must be paid for, when issued,
according to tonnage, as in the harbor OF New
York. 1 am, sir, very respectfully,
:" ROBERT LEBBY, NJ. D.,
Health Officer.
That the foregoing may be better under
stood, we reprint and subjoin the letter OF the
1st instant, to which the health officer makes
reference, viz:
CHARLESTON, April 1. 1869.
To Messrs Welch C Brdndes. Ristey & C1eagh
ton. A. Cdnale, Bart & Wirih, W p.
Hal and j. A. EnsLooo & Co.
GENrLEmEN-I have the honor to ackuowl-
edge your letter Of 31st ult., requesting t. be
informed s'as to what restrictions are imposed
by the recent quarantine law, upon vessels
trading betUe cen this port and the British and
Spanish West Indies during the summer sea-
sor."
I beg leave to inform you that the act of the
General Assembly, passed on the SIKH day OF
September, 1868, establishing quarantine at
Georgetown, Charleston and Hilton Head, will
be ligidly executed.
The second sectlcn of this act fixes the terms
sVessels arriving at the ports OF Georgetown,
Charleston and Hilton Head shall be subject
to quarantine as follows:
Il. All vessels hom any place where pestl-
ential,' contagious or infectious disease exist
ed at the time of their departure, or which
shall have arrived at such place and proceeded
Juencv u citiiui cau pvf-o, "a 49, I-.--a -
which, during the voyage, any case Oh sucn
disease shall have occurred, arriving between
the first day of May and the trst OF NoYemoer
days after their arrival, aud at least twenty
DAYS after their cargo shall have been dls-
.harped. and shall perform such other quaran-
tine as the health officers shall prescribe;
"2. All vessels from any place lncludlng
islands) in Asia, Africa or the MedlterI anean,
or from any of the West Indies, bahamas, Der
muda or Western Islands, or from any place IN
America, in the ordinary passage rem Wnlch
thew pass south Of Hilton Head and all Ves-
sells on board of which, during the voyage or
while at the port Of their departure, any peison
shall have been sick, arriving between the nrss
all vessels from foreign port, and not en-
braced in the first subdivision OF this secslon,
shall, on arriving at the quarantine groun1, Dc
subject to visitation by the health officers, but
shall not be detained beyond the requisite time
for due examination and observation, unless
they shall have had on board during the voyage
some case of infectious, contagious or pestllcu-
| tiaI disease. in which case they shall be SUBJ
ject to such quarantine and regulations as the
health officers may prescribe.
."3. all vessels embraced 10 the foregoing
provisions, which are navigated by steam,
shall be subject only to such length OF quasan-
tine and regulations as the health omcer
shall epjoin. unless they shali nave hau en on
board during the voyage some case OF lniec-
tious, contagious or pestilentlal disease, IN
which CO SO they shall bo subject to such quar-,
ant,ne as the health officers shall prescribe.
This is the law.
Uron careful consideration of this, section
| OF law, I am of opinion that the first clause ls
imperative, and that all vessels from any port
where, at the time of their departure. any 10
fictitious, pestilential or contagious disease ls
prevailing, whether the crew and passengers
have been healthy or not, must be quarantlned
by this act for at least thirty days after ARRIVAL,
and at least twenty days after the cargoes nave
| been discharged. The second clause, IN my
Judgment, admits all from ports named IN Inc
section, and are detained only for VISITATION
| and examination by the health officer, unless
they snail have had on board during the voy-
age some case of disease in the foregoing
clause. The third cl,use, in regard TO steam
vessels, is entirely discretionary, unless they
shall Fave had on board during the passage
any ofthe prescribed diseases.
Thus, gentlemen, you have my interpreta-
ton Of the quarantine laws, entrusted 10 me
for the protection of the community OF Charles,
ton and the prevention by importation OF ail
epidemic or contagious diseases. Whilst II
would give me much pain to trammel or EN-
barrass your trade or commerce in any manner,
have duty to perform, and that tearlessy
| and impartially, to execute the law, for Whlcn
T have been selected by the Executive OF South
Carolina.
I am, gentlemen, very respectfully,
ROBERT LEBBy, NJ. D.,
Health Officer Port OF Chal lesion.