28 Vic. c. 1. under the preceding section, shall be regulated by the Governor, in Council. Masters must not allow Seamen to be absent from vessels for more than 24 hours, under penalty of £10. Any master convicted, may be sent to Prison, if penalty be not paid. Explanation of the word Sea man. IV. It shall not be lawful for the master of any vessel, being in any port or place within the Bahama Islands to permit, or wilfully suffer any seaman or apprentice, not being a native or resident of these Islands, to absent himself from such vessel for a longer period than twenty-four hours, or to quit such vessel with the intention of not rejoining her; and any master so offending shall be liable to a penalty of £10, to be recovered in a summary way before any justice of the peace. V. If, upon conviction of a master for any offence by this Act created, the penalty imposed therefor shall not be at once paid, it shall be lawful for the convicting justice to commit the offender to any lawful prison within the Colony, there to remain for any period not exceeding three months, unless the penalty imposed be sooner paid. VI. That the term Seaman, as used in this Act, shall be construed to include any person employed on board of a vessel, in any capacity whatever, under the rank of a mate or chief engineer. PREAMBLE. Any foreign Seaman who deserts or from his vessel without leave, or refuses to proceed on the voyage, may be committed to a common 28 Vic. c. 28. An Act to enable the Masters of Foreign Merchant Vessels arriving within these Islands to obtain the Arrest of Seamen deserting from or refusing to return in such Vessels. (Assented to 3rd May, 1865.) W HEREAS the Act of the fourth year of the reign of King William the Fourth, to enable masters of foreign vessels to obtain the arrest of seamen deserting therefrom, will expire with the present session, and it is expedient that some of the provisions of the said Act should be further continued; May it, &c.: I. That in case any seaman or other person serving on board of any foreign merchant vessel, shall desert from such vessel at any port or place within these Islands, or shall absent himself from absents himself such vessel without leave of the master or commander, or other chief officer having charge of such vessel, while such vessel shall be within or at any such port or place as aforesaid, or shall refuse to proceed on the said voyage for which he originally shipped on board of such vessel, it shall and may be lawful for any justice named in the general commission of the peace for these Islands, within his jurisdiction, upon application to him made by the master or commander, owner or owners, consignee or consignees, or other person or persons having charge of the vessel to which such seaman or other person, as aforesaid, shall belong, to issue his warrant or warrants to apprehend and bring before him such seaman or other person, as aforesaid; and if it shall then appear to the satisfaction of such justice, that such seaman or other person, as aforesaid, did ship and enter on board such vessel in such manner jail. and with the observance of such formalities as shall or may be re- 28 Vic. c. 28. quired by the law, custom, or usage in that respect, of the nation to which such vessel shall belong, and that the voyage agreed for is not finished, or the contract of such seaman or other person, as aforesaid, otherwise dissolved, and that such seaman or other person, as aforesaid, has deserted from such vessel, or absented himself therefrom without leave, or refuses to proceed on such voyage, the said justice shall forthwith commit such seaman or other person, as aforesaid, to the common jail or house of correction, of the Island or district for which such justice shall act, there to remain until such vessel shall be ready to proceed on her voyage (unless the master or other officer in charge of such vessel shall sooner require his discharge), and then to be delivered to such master or other officer, as aforesaid, such master or other officer paying all the costs of such apprehension and commitment, together with all expenses attending the maintenance of such seaman or other person, as aforesaid, while in confinement: Provided, however, that Proviso. no such commitment shall be made until the master, or other person at whose instance any such seaman or other person, as aforesaid, may have been arrested, shall have entered into a recognizance before such justice, with one sufficient surety, in the sum of twenty-five pounds, with the condition that the vessel to which such seaman or other person, as aforesaid, belongs, shall not depart from the port or place at which the seaman or other person, as aforesaid, is intended to be committed to prison, without such seaman or other person, as aforesaid, being first liberated and all expenses attending his apprehension, detainer, commitment and maintenance while in prison, shall have been paid by the master of the vessel and further, that such seaman or other person, as aforesaid, shall not be left behind when the vessel to which he belonged at the time of his arrival, departs from the Colony. II. If any seaman, or other person serving on board of any When recogforeign merchant vessel, shall be committed to any jail or house nizances shall of correction within these Islands, under the provisions of this be enforced. Act, and such vessel shall sail from the port or place where such commitment took place, without the master or other officer having charge of such vessel liberating such seaman or other person, as aforesaid, it shall be the duty of the justice making such commitment, or any other justice having jurisdiction, upon the fact being made known to him, to grant an order for the immediate discharge of such seaman or other person, and the recognizance taken by and before the said justice, shall be forthwith enforced. PREAMBLE. Penalty for persons being employed as boatmen without licence. Commissioners of Pilotage to grant licences. Badge to be worn by persons licensed. Commissioners of Pilotage to regulate the rates to be paid boatmen. Rules for boatmen to be approved by Governor, in Council. Boatmen to be liable to PART VII. CLASS VIII. BAHAMA VESSELS.-SEAMEN AND BOATMEN. 27 Vic. c. 1. An Act for the better Regulation of Boatmen plying for Hire in and about the Harbour of Nassau. (Assented to 30th March, 1864.) WH HEREAS it is expedient to regulate the manner in and terms on which boatmen shall ply for hire in and about the harbour of Nassau; May it, &c. : I. That from and after the first day of June next, it shall not be lawful for any person to employ himself for hire, or other reward as a boatman, in the harbour of Nassau, unless he shall have first been licensed for the purpose, as hereinafter required, under a penalty not exceeding ten pounds for every offence. II. That licences under this Act shall be granted by the Commissioners of Pilotage for the Island of New Providence, and shall be in the form set forth in schedule A., to this Act annexed; and every person to whom a licence shall be granted shall wear a badge of such description as shall be prescribed and provided by the said Commissioners of Pilotage, the expense of which shall, in the first instance, be defrayed out of the Public Treasury in the usual manner, and which shall be delivered to every such person obtaining a licence as aforesaid, upon his paying the actual cost thereof. III. That the rates to be paid to the said boatmen shall from time to time be regulated by the Commissioners of Pilotage, and such rates, and every alteration made from time to time therein, shall be published in the official newspaper for the time being, for general information. IV. That rules and regulations for the government of boatmen under this Act shall from time to time be made by the Commissioners of Pilotage; all which rules shall be submitted for the approval of the Governor, in Council, and, when approved, shall be published for general information. V. That all boatmen licensed under this Act shall be subject and liable to the orders, directions and control of the harbour orders of Har- master of the port of Nassau for the time being, who is hereby required to see this Act carried into execution, and is hereby invested with full power and authority for the purpose. bour Master, who is to see this Act carried into execution. Boatmen may be fined or have their licence can celled for violating any VI. That any boatman licensed under this Act, who shall be guilty of either of the following acts, which are hereby declared to be offences under this Act, shall, on conviction before the police or acting police magistrate at Nassau, be subject to be fined in any amount not exceeding five pounds, or to have his licence cancelled or suspended for a fixed period, or to have his licence cancelled or suspended as aforesaid, and to be at the same time fined in the discretion of the police or acting police magistrate aforesaid, that 27 Vic. c. 1. is to say: Violating any rule or regulation under this Act for the govern- rule or regula ment of boatmen. Demanding more than his legal remuneration for any service rendered by him as a boatman. Disobeying any lawful order given him by the harbour master. Acting as a boatman without having on his proper badge, exposed in a conspicuous manner. Using insolent, offensive, or discourteous language to any passenger in his boat, or to any person employing or applying to employ him as a boatman. Refusing, when not otherwise engaged as a boatman, to take a passenger or luggage to or from any vessel in the harbour of Nassau; or, when the weather is fine, to any part of the roadstead not more than two miles from Hog Island.* tion approved by Governor and Council and for the following acts. issue all VII. That the clerk of the Commissioners of Pilotage shall Clerk to Comissue all licences granted by the Commissioners under this Act, missioners of and he shall keep a book in which he shall enter the name of Pilotage to every person licensed and the date of the licence; and he shall be licences. entitled to receive from every person to whom a licence shall be Fee to be paid granted under this Act the sum of ten shillings as his fee thereon; him of ten and it shall be lawful for him to retain any such licence in his shillings. possession until the fee due thereon and the cost of the badge shall have been paid to him. VIII. Every boatman licensed under this Act shall be fur- Boatmen to nished gratis by the Commissioners of Pilotage with a copy of be furnished the rules and regulations framed under the authority of this Act, with a copy and, when requested, shall produce the same to any person or persons wishing to employ him, or who may have hired any such boatman, under a penalty of ten shillings. of rules and regulations. Fine for not producing IX. That any person who shall exhibit on his person, or other- same. wise use the badge of a boatman, not being licensed under this Penalty for Act, shall, for every offence, on conviction, forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding ten pounds. X. That for the purposes of this Act the limits of the harbour of Nassau shall extend from the bar at the western entrance to Fort Montague at the eastern. exhibiting a badge without a licence. Limits of Harbour. XI. That this Act shall not extend to men employed in lighters, This Act not or other boats, in unloading or shipping cargoes from or to to extend to vessels lying in any of the harbours, roadsteads, or anchoring- men employed in lighters, &c. places in the vicinity of the port of Nassau. Penalties under this Act to be recovered be fore Police XII. That all fines and penalties under this Act shall be recovered before the police or acting police magistrate at Nassau, and payment thereof shall be enforced by imprisonment of the person offending; provided that such imprisonment shall not at Magistrate. any time extend to a period over thirty days. XIII. That this Act may be cited for all purposes as the Boatman's Act, "Boatman's Act, 1864.” 1864. So much of this section as has reference to discourteous language is repealed by 28 Vict. c. 39, s. 2; and the section is also further amended by the first section of the same Act. 1867. T 27 Vic. c. 1. Schedule A. SCHEDULE By the Commissioners of Pilotage for the Island of New Providence. These are to License A. B. to act as Boatman, under the Boatman's Act, 1864. PREAMBLE. 41 Vic. c. 1, continued in force for ten years. 31 and 32 sect. 21 Vic. c. 1, and the Act of 22 Vic. c. 1, repealed. 27 Vic. c. 24. An Act to continue the Licensed Vessels' Act, 1868. (Assented to 21st May, 1864.) WH HEREAS the Act 21 Vic. c. 1, will expire with the present session of Assembly, and it is expedient that the same should be further continued, except as far as the same has already been repealed, or shall be repealed, by this Act; May it, &c.: I. That the said Act, except as aforesaid, shall be and the same is hereby continued in force for the further term of ten years, and from thence to the end of the then next session of Assembly. II. That the 31 and 32 sections of the said Act, and the Act 22 Vic. c. 1, shall be and the same is hereby repealed. PREAMBLE. Police Magis trate or other 28 Vic. c. 14. An Act to amend the Licensed Vessels' Act, 1858. (Assented to 28th March, 1865.) WB HEREAS it is expedient to provide for the holding of formal investigations in the cases of wreck, or other marine casualty, as hereafter specified; May it, &c.: I. In any of the cases following, that is to say: Whenever any ship is lost, abandoned, materially damaged, or stranded on or near the coasts of the Bahamas; Whenever any ship causes loss or material damage to any other ship on or near such coasts; Whenever, by reason of any casualty happening to or on board of any ship on or near such coasts, loss of life ensues; It shall be lawful for the police magistrate of the district at or near the place where such loss, damage, or casualty occurred, or |