The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-18 00:00:00

of an Act, which, with all its faults, was sincerely
intended for their benefit, is open to all the ordinary
and irresistible objections applicable to strikes and
combinations of workpeople ; objections which were
so forcibly stated the other day in Mr. COOPER'S
case, by that eminent master of good sense,
Chief Justice Cvmeina.L. But this admitted;
these outbreaks do not, we must add, surprise us ;
for they are very much attributable to the precipi-
tancy and the eagerness with which the Board of
Trade legislated on a subject about which it was
obviously ill informed, and would not listen to those
who knew better, and warned it accordingly.
Nevertheless the British seaman, with professional
qualities and capabilities unrivalled, is an ignorant, in-
subordinate, and suspicious fellow. Down to the lost
session of parliament he was not subject when afloat
to any proper discipline, and in the coasting trade to
little competent or morally responsible command. He
had been patted and protected and made much of by
legislation, until his insubordination and general bad
conduct was jeopardising the maritime reputation
and profits of England. Of late years, seamen had,
too, been made the objects of several philanthropic
and sentimental experiments by the Board of Trade;
these, of course, they did not understand; and, not
understanding, grew alarmed at and were teased by.
With minds and old associations unsettled, and gene-
rally indixposedtoconfidenee,theNavigationLawswers
repealed ; that repeal Jack, in his deplorable igno-
rance, believed, as his owner, assured him, was meant
to take the bread out of his and put it into the fo-
reigner's mouth. And before he had recovered from
this fright, the act of last session came upon him.
The act was well meant; it aimed at raising the
character of the mercantile marine by insuring a
higher class of masters and mates, by protecting sea-
men against crimping and other frauds, and by en-
forcing discipline at sea: all admirable objects. But
it proposed to do this in a meddlesome, fussy, costly
• and indiscriminate way: trying to force sailors ut
lonce into habits of order; not gradually weaning
them from habits of disorder. And it was unse-

companied by several other measures absolutely
necessary to render it popular with either owners,
skippers, or sailors.
The statute contained many provisions for
which sailors ought to be most thankful ; it gave
to Advance Notes fur wages a legal character,
which ensures their being cashed without the usu-
rious assistance of crimps ; it provided for the
better accommodation of seamen on the long
voyage, fur their proper food and for due medical
attendance; and these are provisions which it is
very ungrateful in seamen to overlook or to de-
preciate. On the other baud, it laid down very strin-
gent regulations for enforcing discipline and heavy
penalties for its breach ; and these it is that are so
obnoxious to sailors; hut their dislike of them is a
proof, if it were wanted, how much they were misled.
The act also provides for such a system of registra-
tion as on its face will show from the reports of ship-
masters the general character of the men registered.;
so increasing the value of good, and placing at their
real worth had men. This, of course, is not popular
with the latter.

The Board of Trade's original bill required all
agreements to be made at the Shipping-offices; its
bill No. 2, now the law, however, limited this re-
quirement to foreign-going vessels. It left the
coasting trade to make its agreements as before; pro-
vided they were in writing and contained certain
particulars set forth in the act. But, whilst thus ex-
empting these agreements from the regulation of the
Shipping- offices, it stupidly subjected the coasting
trade to the payment of Shipping-office fees. In
consequence. the sailors in that trade now pay much
higher fees to this: offices, which arc of little or nu
service to them, thou seamen engaged iu the lung
voyage..
'fake, as an example of the operation of this stupi-
dity and injustice, the ports of the Tyne and the
Wear, where nine-tenths of the shipping are col-
lier*. making from twelve to fourteen voyages a year.
Them crimping was unknown ; for the men had
their homes in the ports, and were accustomed to
hire direct with their skippers. They continue to
do so still; yet for each outward voyage one shilling
is deducted from their wages in the shape of a fee to
the Shipping-office; and the same amount for each I
homeward voyage. So that, if aShields collier makes
14 voyages a tear, each of its sailors is taxed to the
extent of 255. to maintain a system from which he
derives no benefit. Whilst seamen on the long
voyage from Liverpool or London, where the
Sliipping-oftlets interpose between them and the
crimps, making one or two voyages a year, only pay
two or four shillings in the shape of fees, as the ease

may be.
ft is against this injustice that the Tyne seamen
rose ; and in its favour Captain BEEctiEY—the
" proper person" aforesaid—has not a word to say.
He confessed the fees are far too high ; and he promises
to recommend their reduction to his superiors. But
surely a Board bold enough to assume " the general
superintendence" of the mercantile marine of
this gnat country must be very incompetent for
the duties it has undertaken, when one of its very
first acts involves so much injustice as to have roused
the seamen of the most active ports in the kingdom
to meet and mob against their administration of the
statute.
Though in this respect the sailors complaint is
reasonable enough, we cannot say that in several of
their other alleged grievances there is the same force.
Their tickets will, we are persuaded, prove of infinite
use to them; and to describe themselves. because of
their issue. as " ticketed negro slaves," is a piece of
very foolish exaggeration, which can only damage
them when they Lave real evils to be redressed. But
the jealousy, the suspicion, and the ignorance of sea-
men constituted facts which aßoard undertaking this
" general superintendence" ought to have foreseen
and provided against. Instead, the Board of Trade
sought large and general powers, which it has pre-
cipitately and ignorantly carried out, as if it were
dealing with machinery, and not with excitable,
foolish, and inflammablC human beings. Hence the
sailors' strike.

SPORTING.

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