The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-25 00:00:00

(Hear, and laughter.) Notwithstanding his being judge,
be was not able to give a verdict himself if the accused
party was innocent. If the man was guilty, it was all
right—(laughter)—but if not, the assessor had to report
to the Board of Trade, and wait for its sanction to declare
him innocent. The speaker strongly condemned the
oonstitu tion of the Board of Trade, and after several hu-
mourous allusions to its anomalous conformation and inca
pecity, concluded amid loud, applause by seconding the
resolution.

-Captain James Field, after a few energetic sentence, m
which he declared Mr. Labouchere the father of all

evils complained of, asked how long the petition would
remain for signature ?
The Chairmaa 'aid it would lie for signature aboatthree
seeks.

Mr. Henry Chapman said that while entirely agreeing
with the petition, so far as it went, he did not think the
commanders and officers of the mercantile marine were
quite doing themselves justice unless they brought under
the notice of parliament the fact that there were duties to
be performed on the part 'of shipowners, towards the
officers of the mercantile marine, which had been hitherto
entirely overlooked. He alluded to the circus: stance, that
in ail courts of inquiry with regard to commanders of
merchant ships, no question was ever put as to the sea-
worthiness of the ship, or the equipment of • the
ship. (Hear, bear.) They were all assumed to be
what they ought to be. (Hear, hear.) No question was
ever put as to whether the shipowner oug'it to provide, or
did provide, proper Admiralty charts, and whether he
supplied his officers, who were now usually educated and
scientific men, with chronometers or barometers ; or
u bother the vessel was sent to sea with compassei certified
and fit to go to sea with: (Hear, hear.) Unless the
the duties of shipowners towards commanders were
&fined in some way, he apprehended they would be
placing themselves in a very false position, indeed. He
begged to ask whether the shipowners now usually supplied
the captains with -proper instruments, or whether the
captains had to procure them-ior themselves ?
Several gentlemen stated that the captains generally
had to find their own chronometers.

A Voice: " It is according to agreement."
Mr. Chapman said the competition was not equal where
one owner provided a first class ship and first class
equipments, and another provided both of a very inferior
charac er. He was very much struck with the fact that
at the late enquiry in Liverpool, Captain Walker put no
question upon these points. (Hear, hear.)
The resolution was then unanimously adopted.
Captain Andrew Boyd proposed the second resolution,
the effect of which was that the council be called upon to
carry out the resolutions of the previous meeting by pro-
viding suitable rooms as soon as the funds of the association
would warrant, and that the meeting pledged itself to use
every exertion to obtain subscriptions and donations.
Captain Ponsonby seconded the resolution, which was
also carried unanimously.
Mr. Ralph Brocklebank, being requested by the chairman
to address the meeting, then came forward, and said he had
attended merely as a spectwor, to give his countenance to
the proceedings which had been carried out that day.
They had now launched their association. When
a ship was launched, they all knew that a great degree
of excitement pievailfd, and many hurrahs were heard.
Their ship waa launched in that room at the first meeting
under similar excitement, and am'cl the cheers of a multi-
tude. But after a ship had been launched a great deal
st 11 remained to be done, She had to be copperud and
rigged, and to have her sails set, and many other thiners
done before the ship was fit to go to sea. Although tee.,
had launched their association, a great deal had to be
done yet before its object could be carried our, They must
subscribe their money, and they must call upon those who
were able to help them. At the same time tney must have
a great amount of self-reliance, because if they had not,
they could never carry out such an undertaking .to any
beneficial end, either for themselves or for the shipowners
of Liverpool. (Hear, hear) He believed that there was
a community of interest between shipowners and
shipmasters, and he felt greatly indebted to the
shipmasters as being the source in a great measure
of the position he now occupied. He was quite sure that
the association which was about to be organised would.
never degenerate into a club. (Hear, hear.) He felt
that it would never become a body for the purpose of
coercing in any way, either as regarded wages or in any
other species of dictation, the owners of vessels. (Hear,
hear.) He believed he was dealing wi'h an honourable
body of men who would never make any such attempts.
(Hear, hear, and cheers.) It was upon that ground that
he appeared before them upon that and the previous occa-
sion, to assist them as far as he was able, both pecuniarily
and with his personal services likewise, iii carrying out
the resolutions passed at the former meeting. (Hear, hear,
and cheers.)
Mr. Fernie, 'who was also called on by the chairman,
said he felt satisfied that if the objects of the
association were strictly attended to and carried
out, the result would be exceedingly beneficial.
If such an organisation had taken place a few
3 ears ago, when Mr. Labouchere brought forward his first
measures connected with the mercantile m‘rine, those
measures would have been defeated. (Hear, hear.) He
heartily agreed with the gentleman who said that these
measures were the beginning of all the important and
evil effects upon the mercantile marine. (Hear, hear.) He
felt satisfied, as Mr. Brocklebank had said, that that
association would never degenerate into a club. It would
be conducted in a thoroughly strieghtforward manner,
which would show that the shipmiteters of the port felt
that their interests were identical with those of the ship-
owners. (Elea; hear.) For himself, he should be ready
taco-operate, as far as practicable, in carrying the objects
of the association out. (Hear, hear, and applause.) He
hoped Mr. Chapman, in his remarks, did not mean to
suggest any further subjection to the Board of Trade. .There
'was no sort of property ia that country which was so little
under a man's own power and control es that of shipping.
The ship owners could not appoint masters, could not ap-
point maths, could not send them upon particular voyages
without being under the control of the Board of Trade,
having to consult it and attend to its dictates, whatever
they might be. (Cheers.)
A vt to of thanks was then passed to the Chairman,
after which, the gentlemen pre.ent proceedelto affix their
signatures to the petition.