Page images
PDF
EPUB

be fairly considered by the shipping inte- | board; by seamen, I mean those capable rest, while he believed that that House of performing the many duties of seamen, could not employ itself more usefully or and who, in the hour of danger and diffimore honourably, or in a manner more cal- culty, have nerve to meet its obligationsculated to gain the confidence of the pub- at present many do not know the stem lic, than by doing all it could, by fair and from the stern. I yield to no one in symhonourable means, to promote and encour-pathy for the melancholy loss of life which

age the great maritime interest of the country.

ADMIRAL WALCOTT: It is clearly evident to me that the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade has given the resources of a powerful mind to the consideration of the several objects embodied in the Bill which he has just laid on the table of the House. I respond to the observation, that some of his naval friends have raised strong objections to the policy of repealing the clauses 12 & 13 Vict. in the Merchant Shipping Bill. I sincerely hope that he may realise every anticipation which he entertains in his second proposition for the repeal of the laws affecting the coasting trade. But it is with considerable regret I collect from his speech that no nation is willing to adopt that policy which he proposes for this country as a measure of reciprocity. I repeat the misgiving which I before expressed in respect to the repeal of the 12 & 13 Vict., which clauses obliged the crews of merchant ships to comprise as three-fourths of their complement British seamen. This proposition I consider as the insertion of a second wedge tending to break up the mercantile maritime ascendancy of the country, and to bring the national flag into disrepute. I then admitted that a handful of foreigners might be advantageously employed in our merchant ships, the master being British; but to place British cargo, British capital, and British honour in the keeping of foreigners alone, I considered unwise, impolitic, and unsafe. They should be confided to British hearts and British heads. Was it reasonable, or could it be reasonable, to suppose that a motley crew of men, gathered out of all nations, civilised and uncivilised, without one bond of union in common either of language, country, or national faith, from the master to the cabin boy

[blocks in formation]

has lately been sustained in the recent case of the Tayleur; but when I reflect on that disastrous occurrence, another feeling rises more prominently than commiserationthankfulness that it was a peculiar and isolated instance, that of the many women and children who were on board that ship, with scarcely an exception, the entire number perished. From time immemorial it has been the proud boast of the profession to which I have the honour to belong, that all regard of self has been absorbed in the ennobling effort to give succour to woman in distress and danger. Upon only one other point will I now comment, and that is to express the satisfaction with which I have heard from the right hon. Gentleman that there has a large increase of apprentices in the merchant navy during the last year. The abolition of the apprentice system I considered to be the most pernicious course which could have been taken for the shipping interest. To make a seaman is not the work of a day. Boys are received on board as apprentices, and at once inured to the duties which they would be hereafter called upon to perform; early habits of self-confidence are instilled, and eventually, having gone through the successive grades, they become efficient seamen. Hundreds of men who entered that service as apprentices are now in command of merchant ships trading to all parts of the world with honour to themselves and credit to their country. I conclude by expressing my hope that the right hon. Gentleman will, if not in full, at least in part, re-enact a system which I am persuaded is the most beneficial for the shipowner, and conducive to the stability of the mercantile navy; as it is it appears to me the owners trust more to insurance than to the confidence which they ought to repose in the master and crew.

CAPTAIN SCOBELL said, he was one of those who had already predicted that the natural consequence of throwing open the foreign would be to open the coasting trade, and he was not at all sorry that his prediction was about to be realised so soon. After the opening of the foreign trade the register ticket became of no use whatever; before, the seamen thought it was some

MR. PHILIPPS was understood to suggest that vessels engaged in foreign or colonial trade should be compelled to leave Milford Haven instead of Liverpool, as by so doing they would avoid many of the risks to which they were exposed in getting clear of the coast of Ireland.

MR. INGHAM said, that a lifeboat service and an examination of masters engaged in the coasting trade, had both existed in the port of Shields for many years; but these precautions on the part of the shipowners did not prevent wrecks, large num

security for them against the employment | object the protection of the trade and comof foreigners, but directly the Legislature merce of the country. A ship often had sanctioned the unlimited employment of a line of coast to protect, in the performforeigners in the mercantile marine, the ance of which duty she might have to pass register ticket became worse than useless, a lighthouse every day. To make Her and he was rejoiced to find that now it was Majesty's ships pay lighthouse dues would to be thrown completely overboard. There not be possible, and, if it were possible, it was a law for ascertaining the efficiency of would not be wise. He was afraid the the master and the mate, but there was First Lord of the Admiralty found that none for discovering that of the crew, and seamen were coming very slowly in, and he concurred with the gallant Admiral who landsmen would not do, for seamen would had just sat down that the time had arrived not come if there were too many landsmen, when this inconsistency ought to be re- since the work was then never equally dismedied. A good deal had been said about tributed. It was rare that a man ever the loss of the Tayleur; but he had no became a sailor who did not go to sea until doubt that, when the truth became known, he had reached the age of manhood, and it would turn out that the crew was a bad this was another reason for encouraging one, and he hoped something would be the apprenticeship system. immediately done to prevent the lives of emigrants being in future sacrificed by hundreds to such a disgraceful cause as the want of a sufficient number of men, or the inefficiency of the crew. He approved of the proposed alteration of the law, so far as it related to apprentices. Before the old system was abolished, there were never less than from 10,000 to 11,000 apprentices entered in the merchant service every year. Indeed, the year before the alteration, there were no less than 34,000 apprentices in the service, while last year there was not half that number in it; nor were the new en-bers of which continued to take place upon tries at all equal to former years; they were, in fact, only 6,000. Now it was impossible to man the merchant service unless they re-enacted the apprenticeship law. As well might the farmer expect to reap without sowing; and instead, therefore, of discouraging the apprenticeship system, the Legislature should do all in its power to encourage it. It was impossible to man the Navy without a succession of appren-wrecks. It was his firm opinion that it tices. He also thought that a sufficient number of lifebuoys around the coast ought to be provided by the Government. He fully agreed with the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Taunton (Mr. Labouchere) in the danger of putting the British flag under the command of men who did not belong to it. A merchant vessel, manned by foreigners, but sailing under the British flag, might be insulted or have a dispute with an American or Spanish ship, and then the Government must resent the insult. He could not agree with the hon. Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume), that Her Majesty's ships ought to pay lighthouse dues. You might as well ask the police to pay the police rate. The whole service of Her Majesty's ships had for its

the eastern coast. What was wanted was a harbour of refuge upon that coast, for there was nothing between the Humber and the Tyne where vessels in certain states of the wind could go with safety. He entreated the attention of the Govern. ment to this subject, and also to the necessity of making some provision for holding coroners' inquests in the case of ship

would be most desirable that in these cases there should be a coroner who should have the power of holding a prompt examination before the discovery of a single body. It was of the utmost importance, and he would suggest to his right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, that there should be some alteration in the constitution of coroners' courts to meet cases of this description. At present it was well known that the only condition on which they could assemble was the finding of the body on which the inquiry was to be held, and that very circumstance rendered them inapplicable in many cases in which their services would be more than usually valuable. This was a suggestion which had occurred to his mind, and, doubtless, to many Gentlemen

who sat on the Committee last year, the object of which was to inquire into the causes of accidents in mines. Frequently, in cases of explosions in mines, the state of the mine was such that no person could descend, and the bodies were not found for a long time afterwards, when the opportunity for obtaining information had escaped. The institution of coroners' courts was a very valuable one, but they were introduced in a very different state of society to the present. It was a most extraordinary circumstance that, although this was one of the most important of our courts, it was the only one which had a judge who was quite irresponsible, or who had not received an education of a highly legal character. In many cases, too, the juries chosen to make the investigation were interested to mislead, and to shelter the guilty authors of the calamity. Any measure which could be introduced by the Government for the consideration of the whole question of coroners' inquests he considered would be a highly valuable one, and would probably lead to a means of detecting and remedying the causes of those accidents which they all deplored.

predicted by a gentleman of great experience, Mr. Lindsay, in a pamphlet recently published by him. He had told them that the coasting trade was a doomed trade. Under the ordinary circumstances of the freights which had prevailed during the last ten years, the competition of the railways would not certainly affect that great nursery of British seamen; but if the present high rates were maintained for six or seven years, then he believed that Mr. Lindsay's prediction would be accomplished. The railways being by Act of Parliament confined to a maximum rate, while the ships arbitrarily advanced their freights, the result would be a vast injury to, if not a complete transfer of the coasting trade to the railways. Let them try the effect of admitting foreigners, and they would find that very few would enter into competition with them. It had been found during the last year that when freights were very high, and there was an impossibility of getting vessels, the great safetyvalve was the being enabled to obtain foreign ships. An instance of the inconvenience of the present system had come to his own knowledge. It so happened, that in the northern districts of Scotland the crop of potatoes had been excellent and abundant.

There was a failure in the

MR. LAING said, he begged to thank the right hon. President of the Board of Trade for the introduction of this measure, and he would take the opportunity of say- south of England, and the consequence ing a few words in illustration of its ne- was, the price of potatoes was very high; cessity. The practical bearing of this but it was impossible to get shipping to question had been brought before him du- convey potatoes to the London market. ring the past year, and he had been At that very time there were Norwegian strongly impressed with the vast amount and Prussian vessels, which had brought of commercial inconvenience and injury cordage, timber, and other articles to the from the extravagant rate to which freights Scotch ports; but they could not take a had risen in the coasting trade. This had freight of potatoes on account of the opemainly contributed to the serious losses to ration of these laws. Now he thought which individuals had been subjected who nothing could be more obvious than the had entered into contracts, owing to the expediency of cultivating amity and friendphysical impossibility of getting vessels to ship with these northern nations. Sailors carry on their trade. It was not a ques- were, no doubt, citizens of the world; but tion now whether they should have their he was sure that no apprehension need business carried on by British ships and by be entertained that the country could not British seamen exclusively, but whether command their services. If they were not they could get ships at all. He thought able to get a sufficient body of men to that was the true answer to the objections man their fleets, he, for one, should feel made by the hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. it his duty to ask the right hon. Baronet Liddell), who said that if they destroyed to increase the rate of wages, or to give the monopoly of the coasting trade, they a bounty, and he was sure they would would destroy the great nursery for British then get quite as many seamen as they seamen. He (Mr. Laing) believed the very required. opposite. If these high freights were kept up, he believed that the coasting trade would be destroyed and transferred to the railways. That result had been already

MR. APSLEY PELLATT said, he wished to remind the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade that one of the great causes why the price

VALUATION OF LANDS (SCOTLAND)

of coals was so high in the port of London, was the local laws which they had in the Tyne and other places. These regulations were injurious to free trade, and in the case of the Tyne they had a law which was called the turn of the tide, or something of that sort, the result of which was that no ship could be loaded out of her turn before another, and the detention of vessels from this cause averaged three weeks in the voyage. That, of course, raised the price of freight. Many persons contemplated the propriety of building screw steamers, in order to make the voyage more expeditiously; but that could not be done unless the party was the owner of the coal mine as well as the owner of the ship, because the law prevented his going any earlier than any other ship.

MR. CARDWELL said, he thought it better to lay the Bills on the table of the House, and have them printed before any formal discussion should take place. There was only one point which he should notice now, and it was this:-It had been said that a colourable transfer had been made of Russian vessels to a British name, and he was asked whether he had any information on the subject. He only wished to say that it would occasion considerable embarrassment to those who ventured to do so.

Resolved

"That the Chairman be directed to move for leave to bring in a Bill or Bills to open the Coasting Trade of the United Kingdom to the Ships of all Friendly Nations, and to consolidate and amend various Laws relating to Merchant Shipping and to Pilotage."

Resolution reported.

Bill or Bills ordered to be brought in by Mr. Bouverie, Mr. Cardwell, Sir James Graham, and Mr. Chancellor of the Exche

quer.

House resumed.

THE QUEEN'S ANSWER TO THE
ADDRESS.

VISCOUNT DRUMLANRIG, Comptroller of the Household, appeared at the bar with Her Majesty's Answer to the Address,

BILL.

He

THE LORD ADVOCATE said, he would now beg to move for leave to bring in a Bill for the valuation of Lands and Heritages in Scotland. It was well known that they had had no valuation of real property in Scotland since 1670, and at the present moment the assessments and local charges were taken upon that valuation. The object of the Bill was to provide for the uniform assessment and valuation of property throughout the entire country. He proposed that the commissioners of supply in counties and the magistrates of boroughs should constitute a machinery by means of which, in the next year of the passing of the Act, the valuation of the real property shall take place, that valuation to be revised year after year. proposed, in connexion with this, to abolish the mode in which the poor-law assessment was laid on. At present it was optional to lay it on in three different modes; but he proposed to put it entirely upon the real value, one half upon the landlord, and the other half upon the tenant. With regard to the prison rate, he proposed that it should be assessed upon the real value of the property. As regarded the expense, his own opinion was that neither the counties nor the boroughs would be put to greater expense than at present. On the contrary, he believed that by the introduction of a uniform system facilities would be given for the collection of the rates, and that the commissioners of supply and the magistrates of boroughs would be able to work it more economically than under the present system. His only wonder was that they had been able to go on in Scotland so long without it.

MR. CUMMING BRUCE said, he was

glad to hear that his right hon. and learned Friend had taken up this difficult question. There was certainly very great confusion in the mode in which the valuation was made at present. He hoped that time would be allowed to the people of Scotland to express their opinions on the measure, and he had no doubt that Scotchmen generally would co-operate with him in improving and simplifying the law. regarded the assessment for the poor, he was not prepared for such an announceIt will always be My earnest desire to co-ment, and would not now give any opinion operate with you in measures calculated to promote the industry of My people, and to strengthen the Institutions of the State."

which he read as follows:

"I have received with much satisfaction your loyal and dutiful Address :

[ocr errors]

As

on that point. It was a matter of serious consideration, and he therefore hoped ample time would be given for that purpose.

MR. HUME said, he wished to ask which a translation had been furnished to whether the right hon. and learned Gen- the House of Commons, in a return delitleman meant to allow the valuation to be vered upon the 15th of August last, had made by the magistrates and country gen- been adopted, altered, or cancelled? And tlemen alone? He knew many instances whether Her Majesty's Government were in which the country gentlemen valued prepared to furnish any further information their own properties, and in those cases of their intentions in the matter? the public interests were not attended to. He would therefore suggest whether some public officer, appointed by the Crown, should not form one of the commission, so that no favour should be shown to individuals occupying large tracts of land. In some districts, three or four individuals possessed the whole property, and in these cases the value of the property was not half what it ought to be. That was the case both in England and Scotland; and all he wished was, that there should be no partiality shown, but that the tax should be fairly levied upon a just valuation.

THE LORD ADVOCATE said, the hon. Gentleman's suggestion was entitled to a good deal of weight. What he proposed was, that assessors should be appointed for the purposes of the valuation, and that they should be sworn. He proposed, also, that there should be an appeal against that valuation to a court held by the commissioners of supply and the magistrates. He thought, by the power of appeal, there was a likelihood that justice I would be done. At the same time, he should be glad to consider the suggestion of the hon. Gentleman.

Leave given: Bill ordered to be brought in by the Lord Advocate and Viscount Palmerston :-Bill read 1°.

The House adjourned at a quarter before Nine o'clock till Monday next.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE said, he should be most happy to afford his noble Friend the fullest information in his power upon the subject. At the close of last Session a question had been raised in the other House of Parliament affecting the Criminal Code of Malta. That code was a matter, as their Lordships were no doubt aware, which had been under the consideration of successive Governments, as well as the Legislative Councils of Malta, for many years.

any

In the course of

that time there had been numerous at-
tempts made to reform that code; but
the greatest difficulties had always inter-
rened, and it was not until the end of last
Session that
effort for that purpose
had been successful. A code, however,
was then adopted, and, under the circum-
stances of the case, although objections
had been taken to a portion of it, the Go-
vernment felt that it would be most unde-
sirable, unless it should be absolutely
necessary, to throw back upon the island
the consideration of the whole code, more
particularly as the objections which had
been taken to it here applied to one chap-
ter only, which related to offences against
religion. It would be remembered that
power had been reserved to the Crown to
enact ordinances upon this subject by an
Order in Council. A Bill was now before
the Council for that purpose, and he had
advised that the code, as it had been sent
home, should be re-enacted, with the single
omission of the chapter relating to offences
against religion.

POST-OFFICE ARRANGEMENTS

QUESTION.

LORD VIVIAN called the attention of the noble Lord at the head of the Post Office to the irregularity of the mail trains on the several railways, and asked whether it was the intention of the Government to apply to Parliament for more stringent powers?

VISCOUNT CANNING said, that no one could be more sensible than he was of the extreme inconvenience to which the public were exposed by the irregularity of the mail trains; but, as the powers which Parliament had given to the Postmaster

K

« EelmineJätka »