Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-21 00:00:00

LETTER 111.

TO Tun --_
.TM OF TH ionTaicla TIMM.
Sir,--Sn'aie imagine that the dissatisfaction of 014
o• •se
....mintnettang is on mistaken grounds, inasmuch
certificates of servitude are open to them svi heat further,
examination. But what are the facts ? Servitude, re
declared in ray last halter, is unmistakeably. last
subor.linate to an examination in mathematics'. •1•1
matters ;sot from whose individual pen this law origin'tt
its operation is fact. Any Shipmaster who sailed
recoil
command prior to January I, 1851, can, it is true, recoil
his " certificate of servitude," but with this painful
the
irritating and oppressive disparagement, viz.—Shotld
ship, so ably commended by a master who has only PA
a "servitude" qualification, (even though his eonenlo,°:
may have extended to 30 or 40 years, the law in opersti?e_
recognising no difference, in capability, between "I°
experience of 1 year and 40) should it, I ray, be taken °P
by Government for the conveyance of troops or seoree.°r
emigrants, the unfortunate old master, not hal
submitted himself o recent examination for what is fats
called a " competent certificate," must actually resign ,„
post to a younger man of, very probably, far less eali7o,
lance. Nor does the hardship end here, for owners, 110/14,
expectation of such employment for their ships, natun
are inclined to reject the services of their feithfni
servants, and replace them with so-celled Ci compete)
though younger, masters. I should like to Snow h°
susgeons cf long practice would like to be compelled '
pass some newly conati Wed medical tribunal; or Iwo;
ask, how clergymen, of some years standing, would lt
even to g) in again for their college examinations ? goo
few again would like to face their "little go," for exasaPw;
We should applaud their resisting such a requisitio.l2ol;
and are we to stand by and witness the oppreeel.,
(whether intended or otherwise) of men whose lives boat
been spent in toil and danger? It really seems th
many of the beet of our merchant captains are Oei7
shelved, and, in many instances, ruined. IWe
individual cases of extreme hardship, and have eati'
myself that great injustice has been needlessly done. 11°.
does the general admission, that " all changes f 0 I°o
public interest must invariably pinch " somewhere's,
jusify this measure, for, if it do the certificate 4'
" competency " will bear rigid scrutiny. Let us, 43414
try its intrinsic value by a further research. A. yolli
shipmaster (for example), who may have been 13 0
ir
months in command, reaches home. and expects a .
_if°
weeks leisure on shore. He SBB3 that "an extra mastol,o
examination is (in the words of the Bsard of Trap;
intended for such persons as wish to prove their suPerlh
gualifications:' With commendable professional zesl
determines to employ his leisure accordingly. 0117;e
what has he to do? Why, in navigation, he must be a
To work a lunar observation ;
To determine the latitude by moon and star ;
To determine the latitude by polar star off 1"'
Meridean ;
To determine the latitude by double altitude of the
sun, and to verify by Sumner's method ;
entioe
To calculate altitudes of sun or star, for the pu.e
of inners ;
To use equal altitudes for his chronometers ;
To use artificial horizon;
To apply the deviation of the compass—to find cilir;
rents from dead reckoning—to know how to of
great circle sailing—understand the law
storm.
I believe there are few first c'ass ordinary Shipmaster
of a year's experience, who are ignorant of the greater Flo
of these things, therefore, no greatly superior qualificalsch
is insured by the " extra' examination, nor is eitlbs
gained to the puhiic. s dety, because nothing need of
understood by the aspirant. No further knowledge
tea
principles is obtained by him A few evenings dei°,.„4
to his Epitome" prepares this young commanden
he accordingly takes his " extra " certificate if he P 74
also in" seamanship;" and what is this further stud/ r
seamanship, of which I spoke fully in my last letter
Why, he must be able
To heave a ship down ;
To get heavy weights, such as lower masts, &c 111er
out ;
Know how to construct rafts, &-e , in case of wrecl!•4o
And if he had never before been called upon to conesbs
these matters, who is to teach him ? so that he no
placed, in rank and privileges, above °Per and per',rs
better seamen. Why, these very older conimanc"
themselves, whom the practice of the law in its preett
state, stigmetiess as incompetent. Hence, I se)", is
unwise, although. doubtless, unintended, difference,A
made between young and old commanders, to the evi°is'",
disparagement of the latter, which justifies their compiaL
and the intrinsic value, therefore, of the present " eVP'ly
certificate is at least questionable. Before presumingi ogo
suggestions, intended fully to remedy these palPsig
defects, it is necessary to take an honest and care-i,
survey of what are called the " Wrongs of Shipmastst
and he only can enter upon the work who is o°7„-,
independent of the authorities and shipping interest
such I am, and intend to be It is but just, howo/..e„f;
towards Government, to notice that the Merchant ShiPP,l
Act, of 1854, was bat an experiment, undertaken with
O°
view to benefit mercantile commerce. Necessity fir Shs.
examination was too plainly evident, and must ever siti,
It requires extraordinary qualification in a law giver of
produce a piece of leg slative mechanicism capable of
working without " friction" and " heating" in 00°6 d
its parts. If lam not mistaken, Government Waren°
consulted shipowners, and those supposed to be *blot/ it
offer sound opinions upon the measures proposed; 0°
is generally believed that the authorities are ,
convinced of the expediency of great changes in the 16tif
but it may be well to bring the subject pronairle°
forward, in order that the public voice may (be it overly
correcing me, if mistaken,) probe the subject at onoe 0
its lowest depth, and assist Head-quarters, especialliAi
the Board of Trade has evinced their readiness to reos
consider the welfare of Shipmasters when thelissj
judieiou.ly allutle to an intention to " raise the stand
of examination " as soon as it can be done
inconvenience." the
The position and condition of commanders i 0 of
merchant navy of Great Britain have become a queetio
some national importance. They are rising in ntlolrou;
and throwing around them a wall of solid organise! os
a newly born unity, not only in themselves, 1304
encouraged by Ship-owners, is cementing together sturd
y
and eminently practical class of respectable men into
recognised brotherhood, whose voice, if raised, W°o6e
reach the throne itself. Their advance, no mesePt°ne,
can stop 'I hey unite, not te oppose the powers toes es
s
bat laudably to raise themselves in social position. dire
have complaints, a reasonable and sympathising Eger/owl
will receive those comp'aints, when constitutionally o,
respectfully tendered. There are, among Shiptit
(as before observed) men of very great irtainment. /oat
consequently, politic to place such a class of eminently cog
men in apr :per phase. This is to be dons by ad/eon;
them in the scale of society, from which their
apathetic, unassuming manners had kept them. .t,OO
No longer are they doomed to the herral 0a
retirement of a confined ill ventilated cabin, foes;
to an often demoralisino contact with 0 and
bred crew, for now everybo'dy goes everywhere, reedvoyages are shortened, and social intercouurse 141000
promoted ; their " cabins" are often the splendid 61009
in which princes might dwell at ease. Their centrtne4.
are more frequently the accomplished and the le°oo.
To see Ship rasters, then, raised to a more censisteat..,rliegt
Coin has long been my desire, and should be one roes
object of fut ire legislation. I propose, in sueceedivg
to show how this may be done effecmally.—Yourg,
S. M. S'"

MARRIAGE OF m FOr
TILE PRINCESS ROYAL,—The Times - id' A
is understood to bo her Majesty's intention to hod of
Drawing-room at St. James's Palace, the latter
January, immediately after the Princess Royal's 10%00
at which Her Royal Highness and His Royal Ott
the Prince :Frederick William of Prussia will be PT/jot'
when Her Mejssty, the Prince Consort, pz.d their
nesees will receive congratulations on this hapPY -
No presentations will take place on the occasion. gIIT4
COLLIERY r•XPLOSI)N AT BAF.NSLEY.—T'°
Ahjeh
KILLED.-0a FriLlay an explosion of fi-c-lamP,
two men were killed took place at the Straffoc,'"of,ll,
Cofliery of.tltssrs. Smith, Carr, aml Sttinvr drift,
two miles from Barnsley. Two men were driving a ifere
with a view to reach a shaft NI h.?ra some otbererept Of
at work sinking, the obj •et bin to cause a el en ore °f
air from one pit to the whet., and thus making all
goo.; vL:ntilation. From some unkuown clue:, 'be wocc
which chives the ven'ilating fan brotc,, the coseque rrbe
which was the complete stoppage of the ventiation:,st.celf
ten mon in the drift, before the recurrence Was s'o,f,ich
known, gave the usual signal for being drawn DPI up the
the en;.,,ineman immediately responded to, and dre.,,er th°
rope, but to his great surp;ise he fonni that nerttoe•
men nor the curve were a:tsched thereto. Alrho3'd cO5:-
diately after, an expins'on took place which or'eeogit,e4
durable alarm, blowing out the witdows cf colt
house, as well as the air boxes, rendering it b0th,..1, 040"
and d ingerous to descend. Still the men set to w:113 e%J;
the greatest eagerness and with almost supechno3elopse°
do's, but with all their efforts nearly five hncr34d bye
before they reached the drift where the men
workin.7, end where they found both quite de' ut, and
Smith, the trans ins partner, was early on
by his judicious and well-timed instruction9_,,,ebodievi
the sir'evdere_.
efficient aid in getting to the drift and reacbin4,`leuit. pealed
Death was in all probability instantaneetv. idow
are Turner and Chappell, the former leafing a _bildre"
eight children, and the latter a widow and tares

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