The Customs Wars at the Port of Townsend
A power struggle over maritime jurisdiction leaves a British ship detained and the business community in an uproar.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The ruling of Collector Saunders, by which the British ship 'British Yeoman' was detained at Port Townsend on Thursday, was the cause of many indignant remarks yesterday among those in the shipping trade. There is not only surprise over the alleged reason for detaining the ship, but a general doubt as to whether Collector Saunders was carrying out treasury regulations or making a new rule. The consensus is that the ultimate object was to keep the vessel in Port Townsend to boost the town’s economy. However, few of the foreign vessels bringing cargoes to the Sound enter or discharge any cargo at that town, and custom house brokers and stevedores feel that the business has slipped from their grasp. George S. Bush, a custom house broker, stated there is no authority in law for detaining the ship. 'It is simply an attempt to compel vessels to enter at Port Townsend instead of at other ports,' he said. Collector Saunders defended his actions by citing Section 61 of the regulations, which provides that when a foreign vessel voluntarily stems at a port of entry, she shall, on penalty of forfeiture, enter there before proceeding to another port of entry. The enforcement of the rule caused a stir, as shipping interests fear it may lead to the eventual abolition of sub-ports and increase costs for towage and delay.
“The politicians worked for Saunders, and now let them catch it in the neck.”
This 1893 jurisdictional battle highlights the long-standing tension between Port Townsend and Seattle over who controls regional maritime commerce. Today, the debate over port infrastructure and competition continues, though it has shifted from customs regulations to the massive logistical scale of the modern Port of Seattle.
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