, 1883-09-06
Concerning The Madras
EpVrORS ARGUS:

y
OF yesterday, L think 1t fair 10 make
some answer First, Collector Bash |
states that lie does not expect to p!sase |
everybody that comes to enter and clear
Il vessel at the custom house. From his
saving it must be understood that he
does try t. please some but not ali. Ny
limited knowledge of custom house rules
and duties of customs collectors and IN
spectors is to the effect that Collector
Bash and his subOrdinates are public
servants paid by the Government TO aG-
tend to custom duties as prescribed by
the law of the United States, and are
not ut all supposed to favor anyone II
particular, but to enter and clear YES
sells according to law with all ship Cap
tains alike no matter what their troubles
may have been in any port or ports.
They are not supposed to have any
knowledge of any bySone matter, but
strictly to attend to the case IN hand
as coming TO them Great stress Is put
on the Madras trouble at Victoria, Homo
lulu and Seattle, but apparently without
ever having inquired into the facts OF
those cases. VIII briefly state that the
Madras at Honolulu required SlS,0OO.
Capt. Bradley, as is customary, drew on
his owners, but not being i'll telegraphlc
communication with England, the draft
arrived and was presented for payment
I s. ,,lx-ipn arrived and
therefore the owners refused to pay drait
until advice from Capt. Bradley arrived
On his arrival at Victoria the Vessei was
Iibelled for the amount OF draft but vas
released at once when telegraphlc com
munication was established to England.
AS to his nearly being mobbed by his
countrymen for breaking the rules OF the
port at Victoria, will briefly state that
after laying full quarantine at Honolulu
the Madras was furnished with il clean
bill of health, and Capt. Bradley was
therefore in the right 10 enter the port oi
Victoria without further quarantine,
which investigation at Victoria pr"V1d'
for Capt. Bradley w;!s neitrc- Inoh,aHG
nor fined. AS to his trouble WIN The
Seattle coal compHHy as mentioned i
must be imaginary for / don ihiiksaAy
proof can be obtained from tie Sra'ti"
coal campamy to sustain anything OF he
kind.
The Madras was not libelled at Port
land or at this port although libel was
ready 20 be served on the vessel. Lei us
look into the cause of this proposed IL
bel. The Madras with 700 Chinese pas
sengers aboard being quarantined ut
Honolulu for 90 days, run short OF pro-
visions, and lis no communication with
the shore was allowed it became necessa-
sary to use some of the cargo to feed the
passengers. This shortage on cargo OF
course had to be made good by the Mad
ras to cOnsignee5. After discharging her
cargo she went to Tacoma and thence TO
Seattle to coal, and was eight days on the
Sound, but during that time no bill was
presented to her nor her agent at this
port for shortage on cargo, but it was ar
ranged by some busybody calling him
self the agent for tie consigncas, to
bounce the Madras when she arrived
here to clear. A bill for shortage had
been made mp amounting to 90 per cent.
more than the actual settlement made
for the shortage on cargo with Mr.. f. W.
James, which looks very much like en-
couraging the China trade, by taking
steamer and all. Very likely it
was done on the principal as Mr. Bash
stated the Madras had rows and hbels
everywhere, so we had better bounce and
take her at this port altogether for the
captain will be willing to do almost any
thing to have no more trouble. 1t will be
quite clear to any ordinary mortal that it
was impossible to settle bill for short
age before ever being presented, and
Capt. Bradley would indeed be a poor
agent for his owners if he paid bill for
shortage that amounted to so per cent
more than actual value. No one living
ashore to my knowledge is willing to
pay for what he don't get, and see no
reason why ship should, only because
she can be libelled and detained and is
bound to come out the loger. I will stat
here that the moment heard of libel
ready to be put on the vessel Saturday
night, 1 gave q. S. Deputy Marshal
Ginger my word of honor that no move
should be made to clear her until every
possible claim was settled, telling him
at the same time that it was impossible
to settle claims before bill was present
| to us.
Now rs TO Collector BaIh's order to
M. Swayzee TO have the Madras anchor
IA the bay. cannot state anything as
was not here at the time, but would
very much like 10 be informed by what
section or paragraph Collector Bash had
authority to give such an order to Mr..
Swayzee, for my experience as ship
master is to the effect that any vessel
coming coastwise with cargo in transit
on board for foreign port, being only
bonded at sailing port and under seal)
shall enter at once on arrival, il Office
hours allow; then for inspectors of Gus
toms to proceed aboard and examine the
seals and see if they are intact or not. as
broken seal on such cargo ould con-
stltute forfeiture of the bonds given for
its delivery at u named foreign port.
Now as to the force of inspectors now
employed under Collector Basil the
least said the better. [ would only
mention that it is peculiar fact that
before Collector Bash took his position
here we had very efficient force of in
spectors here-Lnen OF true value in their
position as inspectors, and also as citi-
zens, aid never heard of case where
captain was insulted in the Custom
House Office, nor that any minor troub-
les like that of the Madras occurred.
There should at no time be fear. nor