A Representation of facts, relative to the conduct of Daniel Moore, Esquire; collector of His Majesty's customs at Charles-Town, in South Carolina. From the time of his arrival in March, 1767, to the time of his departure in September following. / Transmitted by the merchants of Charles-Town, to Charles Garth, Esquire, in London, agent for the province of South-Carolina; and, recommended in a letter from the Honourable the Committee of Correspondence.

SOUTH-CAROLINA, Berkley County, ss.

BE IT KNOWN AND MANIFEST to all Persons whom this doth, shall, or may Concern, That on this Twenty-second Day of September, in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-seven, PERSONALLY came and appeared Gabriel Manigault, Robert Pringle, William Hopton, Benjamin Smith, Thomas Smith, and John Savage, British Merchants, who have resided in Charles-Town up|wards of THIRTY YEARS, and who being duly sworn upon the Holy Evan|gelists of Almighty God, made Oath and declared, That they very well remember and were acquainted with Thomas Gadsden, Esq formerly Collector of his Majesty's Customs in Charles-Town, in South-Carolina; and also that they intimately knew, and were acquainted with Hector Berenger De Beaufain, Esq late Collector of the same Customs; and that they have seen and carefully examined a List of Fees in the Hand writing of Robert Raper, Esq Naval-Officer, but formerly Clerk in the Custom-House, to the said Thomas Gadsden, Esq and endorsed on the Back in the Hand writing of the said Thomas Gadsden, (to wit.) "Collector of Charles-Town Fees in Proclamation Money, 1739-40▪" which Fees are set down as follows, Viz.

ENTERING and CLEARING	Proclamation Money.
A Ship, Snow, or Brigantine,	One Pound,	£ 1 0 0
A Sloop or Schooner,	Fourteen Shillings,	0 14 0
Eeach Oath,	One Shilling,	0 1 0
An attested Copy of a Manifest,	One Shilling,	0 1 0
Every Entry,	One Shilling and Six-pence,	0 1 6
Recording a Register,	Four Shillings,	0 4 0
A new Register,	One Pound,	1 0 0
A Post Entry,	Four Shillings,	0 4 0
Registering Seamen,	Each Six-pence,	0 0 6
Searching the Books,	One Shilling,	0 1 0
A Bill of Store,	Two Shillings,	0 2 0
A Certificate for Pitch, Tar, or Turpentine,	Three Shillings,	0 3 0
Every other Certificate,	Two Shillings,	0 2 0
Approving Bondsmen in the Naval-Office, and giving Permit to Load,	Four Shillings,
Cancelling Bond,	Two Shillings,	0 6 0

Vessels clearing by LICENCE for foreign Port.

Entering the Licence and Certificate,	Six Shillings,	0 6 0
Entering the Invoices of Rice,	Eight Shillings,	0 8 0
A Cocket,	Two Shillings,	0 2 0
A Bill of Health,	Two Shillings,	0 2 0
A Certificate,	Two Shillings,	0 2 0

⁂ Note, One Shilling Proclamation Money, is equal to Five Shillings Currency.

AND that during the Time that the said Thomas Gadsden was Collector, they are well assured, his own Fees for clearing out a Ship to Great-Britain, or any other of the British Dominions, taking them in Average, or one with another, did not exceed the Sum of EIGHT POUNDS TEN SHILLINGS, Current Money; although they certainly know that he did receive Fees for registering Seamen, which appears to have been designed and intended by the Act of the xixth of GEORGE II. Chap. 30, Sec. 3 and 4, to be confined only to his Majesty's Sugar Colonies; and, that therefore, upon Discovery of the Error, that Charge was discontinued for near Eleven Years, until the Resignation of the Collectorship, by the said Hector Berenger De Beaufain, Esq. And further the Deponents declare, That during the Time that he the said Thomas Gadsden was Collector, there was great Harmony and Concord between him and the Merchants in Charles-Town; although to the best of their Knowledge and Belief, he the said Collector did not relax from his Duty as Collector; nor did he trouble and vex the Merchants with petit mean Demands of illegal Fees, or frivolous and treacherous Seizures on one Side; nor did the Merchants in general, Transgress any of the known Acts of Parliament, or give him Cause to make Seizures, and interrupt their Trade and Commerce on

other. And these Deponents also declare, with Regard to their Knowledge of Hector Berenger De Beaufain, Esq and the Fees that he was wont to take as Col|lector, for entering and clearing Vessels at this Port; that during the Course of upwards of Twenty Years, in which he presided in the Custom-House, he was beloved by every Body, and particularly by the Merchants in general, for his upright and steady Conduct; and that they can truly bear the same Testimony of him, as they have already declared of his Predecessor in Office, Thomas Godsden, Esq and that they have examined a List of Fees in his own Hand writing, and find them to be exactly as followeth: "Copy of a Table of Fees, which the present Collector found affixed in the Custom House at Charles-Town, when he entered upon the Execution of his Office."

The COLLECTOR'S FEES.

		Proclamation Money.
Entering and Clearing	A Ship, Snow, or Brigantine,	£ 1 0 0
	A Sloop or Schooner,	0 14 0
	Recording a Register,	0 4 0
	Each Oath,	0 1 0
	An attested Copy of a Manifest,	0 1 0
	Every Entry of Goods,	0 1 6
	Each Bond,	0 6 0
	A Certificate, for Pitch, Tar, or Turpentine,	0 3 0
	Every other Certificate,	0 2 0
	A Post Entry,	0 4 0
	Each Cocket,	0 2 0
	Copying Invoices of Rice, each	0 8 0
	A Bill of Health,	0 2 0
	Registering Seamen, each	0 0 6
	A new Register,	1 0 0
	Registering a Licence and Certificate, for Ships bound to foreign Markets,	0 6 0
	Searching the Books or Cockets,	0 1 0

AND these Deponents further declare, That they have examined a certain Book, kept by the said Hector Berenger De Beaufain, Esq put into their Hands by David Rhind, Esq Executor of his last Will and Testament; and that they have there seen, that for clearing Ships, Snows, and Brigantines, from the Fifteenth of May, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty-seven, to the Twenty-eighth Day of December, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-four, to any of the British Dominions, (entry Inwards included) one with another, did not exceed Eight Pounds Six Shillings and Nine-pence; Sloops and Schooners Six Pounds Twelve Shillings and Seven-pence, and for Ships, Brigantines and Snows, bound to Europe, Southward of Cape Finestere, Eleven Pounds Nine Shillings and Eight-pence, Current Money, for the said Collector's Fees; that in the Margin of the said Book, the following Words are written in Mr. De Beaufain's own Hand, "THE REGISTERING OF SEAMEN WAS DISCONTINUED FROM THE TWENTIETH OF SEPTEMBER, ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIVE:" And that from another Book, received from the said Mr. Rhind, it appears, that the said Collector received for entering in and clear|ing out Ships, bound to Europe, Southward of Cape Finestere, from the Eleventh of March, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-five, to the Thirtieth of June, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-six, both inclusive, Nine Pounds Ten Shillings, Current Money; and during the same Period, for entering and clearing out for any Parts of the British Dominions, he took Eight Pounds for Ships, and Six Pounds Ten Shillings, like Money, for Sloops and Schooners, or not exceeding those Sums. And it appears to us, that such further or additional Fees or Charges as can or may be legally demanded and taken by the Collector, for

Bonds and other Papers necessary or required by the Acts of Parliament passed in the Fourth and Fifth Years of his present Majesty's Reign, relating to the Entry or Clearance of Vessels ought not, in any Instance, to exceed Three Pounds Currency. And these Deponents do further declare, That it was always their earnest Desire and Wish, and they have the greatest Reason to believe ALSO, that it was the earnest Wish and Desire of the Merchants in Charles-Town, to have liquidated and establish|ed with the present Collector, Daniel Moore, Esq some such, or other reasonable and equitable, legal or customary Fees, for the Government both of the Collector and the Merchants. And in their Opinion, nothing on their Part hath been wanting to bring the same to Effect, as they are fully convinced, that they are sincerely disposed and willing to pay all lawful Duties and Customs; but too tender of their Rights and Liberties as British Subjects, to subimt tamely to repeated illegal Impositions.

SIGNED,

• GABRIEL MANIGAULT,
• ROBERT PRINGLE,
• WILLIAM HOPTON,
• BENJAMIN SMITH,
• THOMAS SMITH,
• JOHN SAVAGE.

SIGNED and sworn to before me, the Day and Year before written, being one of His Majesty's Justices assigned to keep the Peace for Berkley County, and Notary-Public, duly admitted and sworn, dwelling in Charles-Town, in the Province aforesaid.

In Praemissorum Fidem, FENWICKE BULL, J. P. and Notary-Public. 1767.

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L.S.