Le Cap. Council of State meets again and passes laws on guardianship, administrative ranks and customs fees

The Council of State, meeting again at Le Cap after Christophe’s return, voted on the sixth of May a law regulating guardianship and emancipation; and the same day another law by which the ranks of the officers of administration were assimilated to those of the army. The next day a law was passed fixing the fees of the customs officers, the commandants of places, the commissaries of war, the harbor masters, the interpreters and the lookout keepers for the clearance of vessels. The director of customs was allowed, for the clearance of each vessel of foreign commerce, eight gourdes; for the customs sheet to be issued to coasting vessels, one gourdin; for the customs sheet when these coasters were cleared in ballast, two escalins. The director of customs required in addition eight gourdes for each foreign merchant vessel, which sum he paid into the hands of the commandant of the place. The treasurer collected eight gourdes for each vessel of foreign commerce; the commissary of war collected, for each vessel of foreign commerce, a sum of four gourdes as anchorage dues, which he paid every month into the treasurer’s chest. He was allowed, for each crew list, which was to be issued every three months to the decked coasting craft, two gourdes; for the crew list of undecked craft, one gourde. For the clearance card of small keeled vessels of two to fifteen tons, one gourdin; for those of greater tonnage, two gourdins. The harbor master received eight gourdes for each foreign vessel. He received in addition a sum of four gourdes for each of these vessels, which he accounted for to the lookout keeper. The interpreter’s fees were ten gourdes for each foreign vessel.