The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-10 00:00:00

NEW PASSENGERS AMENDMENT BILL.

DEPUTATION TO TIIE BOARD OP TRADE.

A deputation from the General Shipowners' So-
ciety, comprising Mr. G. F. Young, Mr. Anthony Ridley,
Mr. Wm. Phillippe, Mr. G. Marshall, Mr. Wm. Bona!
(secretary), with Mr. Henry 11. Willis, bad an interview
yesterday with Lord Stanley of Alderley, the President of
the Board of Trade, at the Board of Trade, Whitehall, ott
the subject of the Passenger Amendment Bill, which had
been introduced in the House of Commons last January by
Viscount Palmerston and Mr. F. Peel.

The deputation represented that the shipowners were ex-
posed toe continual alteration in the law, and they submitted
that it would be better to leave the last act undisturbed, and
allow it to work. The new bill was filled with new pains and
penalties, increasing the liability of owners considerably,
adding to tho expenses of the ship without giving any corre-
sponding advantages, and altogether its clauses were of such
a strict and opprebeive character, that, if persevered in,
would have the effect of driving many of the most respect-
able owners out of the trade. The deputation trusted that
the government would not proceed with the measure until
the shipowners had an opportunity of going over the bill
with the Emigration Commissioners, pointing out the ob-
jectionable and unnecessary parts, and generally to fully
consider the wholo scheme. It was submitted that
there was no reasonable ground for introducing any new
measure on the subject ; and the arbitrary character
of the clauses of the proposed bill was explained.
If • captain should, by any unfortunate omission,
fail to procure • certificate, the ship would not only
be liable to forfeiture, but the owner to a penalty of 5001.
Again, if provisions were not distributed by two o'clock,
which might be p ted by a hurricane, a penalty of 501.
could be imposed. As much as 5,0001. might be enforced
on the owner, according to the power sought to be estab-
lished in the bill. The former one was considered to be
rather severe, but this one was much more so. Under
those circumstances the deputation asked that the measure
' - nersevered in until the shinnben— - -

might not be persevered in until the shipowners had had
full opportunity of expressing their objections to it.
The President of the Board of Trade said he would give
the measure, and what had transpired, his best considera-
tion; and he might say that the bill would not be pushed
forward until the shipowners had ample opportunity of en-
peening their opinions with regard to it.
The deputation then withdrew.

THE CIVIL SERVICE.—Mr. M. H. Foster, senior
clerk at the Paymaster-Generars office, Whitehall, has
been appointed to the new office of accountant to the
Treasury. Mr. T. E. Wickens, one of the clerks in the
finance department of the Treasury, has been appointed
assistant to Mr. Foster. Mr. G. Russell, junior clerk in the
Treasury, Whitehall, has been appointed private secretary
to Mr. Wilson, secretary to the Treasury. Capt. Henry
William Gordon has been appointed superintendent, and
Mr. G. 0. Munro, Ordnance clerk at the Tower, assistant-
superintendent of the Ordnance corps about to proceed to
the Crimea on particularservice. The duty to be performed
by these gentlemen and the staff who accompany
them is to collect and take charge of the immense
quantities of Ordnance stores now being wasted,
destroyed, and distributed in various parte of the
Crimea. Mr. D. Gibbons, formerly clerk at Montreal, has
been appointed clerk on the establishment of the store-
keeper's office at Portsmouth. Mr. W. H. Chambers has
been appointed to a temporary clerkship at the Tower, vice
Gibbons promoted to Portsmouth. There are several
vacancies in the Ordnance Department at the Tower for
temporary clerkships. The appointment of surveyor of
tarn at Taunton is vacant, caused by the dismissal of Mr.
John Lockstone. The appointment ofjunior clerk is vacant
in the Paymaster-General's office, caused by the appoint-
ment of Mr. Foster to the Treasury ; in the gift of the
Treasury. Mr. W. C. Crealeck has been appointed secre-
tary to the Admiral Superintendent at the Devonport Dock-
yard. Mr. Biddlecombe has been appointed assistant master
attendant for service at Keybam Deckyard.—Civil Service
Gazette.
THE DECIMAL SYSTEM IN SWEDEN.—A eerie-
@pendent writes from Stockholm, ou the 26th ult.:—" I have
already informed you of the publication of the new law for
the introduction of the new weights and measures en the
decimal system, and am now able to add that the Issuugls: •
menu are completed for bringing a bill before the Battered
Diet for extending the said decimal system to die waisaaty
of the kingdom. The unit on which it is base dfis the Rix.
dollar (equal to about lb pence sterling), whieh at wisest
contains 48 sekillings, but which is in future frrbi divided
into 100 ores. The lore will, it is true, havenegjOihritaly •
small, almost imaginary value, but still be considers* Amer
lthan the French centime, and nearly double It. "Om eJ. •••••
' the Weak bytes." '
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