The Express.
London, England, 1866-12-08 00:00:00

SEAMEN FOB THE MERCHANT SERVICE.

The deficiency of British sailors for the supply of
our mercantile marine is, month by month, assuming a
more serious aspect, and the causes which lead to this de-
ficiency are daily becoming more clearly manifest. Few
more emphatic examples of cause and effect can probably
be found, and it requires no nautical or scientific
knowledge to discover that the evils existing are beyond
the reach of cure by the establishment of training ships
alone. A memorial from 170 seamen belonging to the
north-east ports of the United Kingdom has been
forwarded to the Registrar-General of Shipping for
transmission to the Board of Trade, containing an enu-
meration of grievances appertaining specially to colliers
and coasting vessels. Among these grievances are found
the undermanning of shies, five hands being employed
in vessels of from 154 to 19ii tons, whereas seven is the re-
cognised and proper number ; that these vessels are very
commonly unseaworthy, being leaky in the hulls, and de-
ficient in canvas and cordage, and that, as a consequence,
the pumps are constantly at work, and the running gear
continually in want of repair, to the exhaustion of the
scauty crew employed ; that the boats are frequently worth-
less, and useless as a means of saving lite ; that the
forecastles are deficient in length, width, and height, so
that in some cases a man must go to the hatch for room
to put on his clothes. The memorial goes ou to observe
that the various sections of the Merchant Shipping Act
of 1554 have remained, to all intents and purposes, a dead
letter, andthat inconsequence of the continued existence of
these evils, " we (skilled labourers as we are, and valuable
ones) gladly take any employment on shore, where even the
farm labourer, although he runs little or no risk to life
and limb, gets better paid." So much for the coasting
trade. Is the tale better as to our ocean-going ships?
During the past two years upwards of 200 accredited cases
of scurvy have been brought into this port alone, in so
bad a state as to require immediate treatment in hospitd,
this very inadequately representing the number of victims
to the disease, as the superintendents of Sailors' Homes in
London and elsewhere can attest. Several inquests have
been held during the present year on the bodies of seamen
who have died from this malady, at one of which it was
proved that the mixture served out at sea was not lime-
juice at all, and useless as an anti-scorbutic ; and, in con-
sequence of the verdict pronounced at another, the master
of a vessel was convicted and fined at the Thames police-
court for not having a sufficient supply of that article on
board. During the pant three months. no less than 20
ships have arrived in the Thames bringing cases of
scurvy, and, in some instances, from 20 to 70 per cent.
of the crew were practically disabled by that disease
from efficient duty. The root of this increasing evil
is mainly due to the fact that it is the exception
rather than the rule to carry drinkable, far less pure, lime
or lemon juice on long voyage ships. A want of variety
and deficiency of qual,ty in provisions is sometimes
a helping cause, but of direct causes the above is first and
foremost. 4o medical question is involved in the matter,
or anything about which doctors can differ, inasmuch as
no scientific arguments, however sound, or theories, however
plausible, are required to establish a fact that has been
known for the last two centuries, and acted upon for the
last seventy years ; that fact being that, if good lime or
lemon-juice be vegularly given to the crew of a ship, that
crew will remain free from scurvy for a period of twelve
or eighteen months, a far longer term of water-passage
than is ever reached by any of our seagoing ships (except
; I whalers) in the present day.—Times.
the I

SEVERE STORM AT BELFAST. —A telegram from
Belfast, dated last night, states that there had been •
severe storm there, during which several houses were
blown down, and others partially destroyed. The channel
steamers were late. Wolfhill Mill, near Belfast, had been
burned, the damage being about 8,000/.
MR. MILL, M.P., ON METROPOLITAN MCNICIPAL
REFORM.—The Metropolitan Municipal Association, esta-
blished to promote the better local government of the
metropolis, intend to hold a meeting at St. Jaines's-hall,on
Tuesday evening next, at seven o'clock, under the presi-
dency of Mr. Chas. Buxton, M.P. Mr. John Stuart Mill,
M.P., was invited, and at the usual weekly meeting of the
association held yesterday at the offices, 6, Whitehall, the
following letter from the hon. member for Westminster
was read by the secretary :—" Avignon, Dec. 1,1866.—
Dear Sir,—l have only just received your letter of the 26th
ultimo. The time has decidedly come fora move in
advance, and I highly approve the project of • public meet-
ing and a deputation to the Home Secretary. The intended
resolutions seem to me strong and judicious. Were I in
England I should make a point of attending the meeting,
and should be quite willing to take part in the proceedings;
but as it is I must content myself with helping you all I can
in the House of Commons. It would be very wise thing
in the present government, both for their interest and for
that of the public, to bring in a good bill for the municipal
government of the metropolis, but if they do not, other
people must, and that too in the coming seecion.—l am,
yours very truly, (Signed) J.S. Fowler, Esq."