The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-04 00:00:00

The house then went into committee on the navigation
laws, when
Mr. CARDWELL said—l rise to move for leave to bring
in a bill to give effect to that passage in the Speech from
the Throne in which the Queen proposes that we should
strike off the last fetter upon free navigation, and that we
should consolidate and amend those various laws which,
since the repeal of the navigation laws have been passed for
the benefit of British shipping. With regard to that
second bill, it will not be necessary for me to trouble the
house at any length. That consolidation was intended to
have been carried into effect by my right hon. friend the
member for Taunton (Mr. Labouchere), and it engaged the
assiduous attention of my right hon. friend the member
for Oxfordshire (Mr. Henley.) The bill which I shall, with
the leave of the house, have the honour to lay on the table
will be a bill of no ordinary dimensions ; it will contain
many changes ; but it will affect subjects whiCh have either
been already disposed of by the house, or have been much
discussed by the persons interested in them. •I
shall endea-
vour to follow the advice given me on a former evening by
my hon. friend the member for Liverpool. I am most
anxious to obtain the best opinion of those most competent
to judge of these matters. We shall, when we come to the
second reading, ascertain, what their sentiments are, and I
shall bethen better able to see what is the best way to prc-
ceed, whether in a committee of the whole house, or, as is
sometimes most advantageous in the case of measures of this
kind, by referring the bill to a select committee up-stairs.
I will content myself with saying that the first part of
that bill will refer to questions of the registry of ships, and
the measurement of ships, and it will contain a novelty which
I hope will meet with the acceptance of the house, I mean
the substitution of a new and more scientific mode of mea-
surement for that which now subsists. The mode to which I
refer is well known by the name of the person who has
written a description of it—Mr. Moorsom. It is believed
to attain these advantages, that while it arrives at the
same general average of tonnage it ascertains the contents
of each ship with greater aczuracy, and therefore fairness.
It takes away all encouragement by the mode of measure-
ment to antiquated and inferior models of construction,
and by going of an accurate internal measurement of capa-
city it favours strength of model and thereby safety of
navigation. This mode of measurement has been referred
to the surveyors and assistant-surveyors of the navy, to
the naval assistants of the Board of Trade, to the Trinity-
house, and several eminent persons, and I believe to the
Shipowners' Association of Liverpool and London. It is
of course only upon a concurrence of nautical authorities
that a change of that kind can be carried through the
house, as there are but very few members who could ven-
ture to say that they were able to describe the advantages
which would follow the adoption of this peculiar mode o
measuring ships, or who would like to hazard an opinion
upon a matter so purely technical. The next subject upon
which I propose to consolidate the law, is the question of
discipline—the law by which provision is made for the
subordination of the crew to the master, and for the com-
fort of the crew on board ship. This is a subject which
has particularly attracted attention during the last three
years, and with respect to which I have derived the
greatest assistance from the labours of my predecessors.
in fact, I found a bill already prepared on this subject
when I entered office ; and here I have had to go over a
work already accomplished. I have gone over it neverthe-
less, and have made some changes, which will of course be
the subject of fair and dispassionate discussion and con-
sideration. The next subject is one which lam sure
cannot be mentioned in the house without exciting
the greatest feeling of sympathy. lam sure that no
ono who hears me has failed to sympathise with
the grief which has been generally felt at the lamentable
cases of catastrophe at sea, of which, within the last few
days, we have unfortunately witnessed so great a number.
It will be our duty to consolidate, and, I hope, to amend
and improve, the machinery entrusted to the Board of
Trade, for the purpose of limiting, as far as possible,
the occurrence of accidents of this kind. The particular
change we shall introduce into that part of the law is this.
It is known to the committee that no master or mate can
now leave the country in a British ship engaged in the
foreign trade without having obtained a certificate of his
competence to be trusted with the care of valuable pro-
perty and with the lives of those committed to his charge.
But no such provision exists with respect to the home
trade. Now I think it reasonable that, with regard, at
least to that part of the home trade which is connected with
the conveyance of passengers, such a provision should
exist. I think that if we are called upon to be respon-
sible for the survey of the hull of vessels, and of the
engines which are placed on board, it is only right that wo
should endeavour to have that security for the good con-
duct of masters and mates engaged on the shores of this
country which the law has entrusted us with the means of
obtaining as to those engaged in the over sea trade. (Hear,
hear.) The difficulty of holding the inquiries which it is
our duty to hold in cases of this kind is exceedingly
great, when the number of accidents is so great as
has recently been the case, on account of the diffi-
culty we have in sparing of, the officers of the board,
whose time is fully employed, to be absent on this duty. I
am, however, happy to be able to state to the house— and I
am sure the house will rejoice to hear—that I have re-
ceived a communication from the elder brethren of the
Trinity-house, expressing generally their willingness to
assist the Government in conducting inquiries of this kind.
(Hear.) I shall take the liberty of introducing into the con-
solidation bill one provision, in which I hope I shall carry
along with me the sympathy of the house. The house is
aware that great and benevolent efforts have been made—
chiefly by the subscriptions of private individuals—to esta-
blish the means of saving lives perilled by shipwreck onthe
coast of this country. Upwards of one hundred—l think
altogether one hundred and twenty—life-boats have been
established at different points. and in some places they are
maintained with so much regularity, energy, and ability,
that they contribute materially to save life. Liverpool is
I a case;of this kind ; and there are also life-boats, of which
the same may be said, at Shields, Yarmouth, and other
places. Nor should I omit to remark that to the Duke of
Northumberland the country is indebted for the most
praiseworthy exertions on the subject. I have thought it
My duty to communicate with an officer whose zeal and
ability on this subject are well known—Captain Washing-
ton—as to whether it is not possible at a moderate expense,
to do a great deal in the promotion of the important ob-
ject of saving lifes at sea. I have received communications
on this subject from CaptainWashington,from the deputy-
master of the Trinity-house, and from the commander of
the Coast-guard ; and they, in conjunction with the naval
members of the Board of Trade, are considering whether it
might not be possible at a very small expense to introduce
order, system, and regularity, where heretofore there has
been negligence and confusion, and thereby to render those
means of saving life efficient and productive of good. lam in-
dined to think that,with a' view to securing this end, the
Board of Trade may well propose to expend a small sum of
money annually, and I believe that for this purpose asmaller
sum will be sufficient than we shall economise and save
from the other arrangements which are to bo introduced.
The bill then, I may state in general terms, will consolidate
the law with respect to the discipline and comfort of the
seamen, with respect to measures for ensuring their safety,
and with respect to a subject that was disposed of last
year—that of lights and pilotage. I shall, as I said before,
be happy to give the utmost consideration to all sugges-
tions that may be made, and all communications which
may receive either in or out of the house, for the object of
the bill is not so much to make changes in the law as to
bring the existing law into a consolidated shape, into that
shape in which it may most subservo the interests that
great mercantile community, for the promotionit of
adopted
welfare it is intended. In the form of draught
for the printed bill I shall endeavour to direct attention as
much as possible to those parts which are new, and after
s
time shall have been given for the consideration of its pro-
visions, and a discussion taken on the second reading,
, will be ample opportunity to put it into such a shape
is
not bill of this kind should wear. I have said that this bill
not intended to make any great change in the law, and the
house may perhaps expect that I should take this oppor-
tunity of giving some account of the mode in which
those changes have operated which it has been my duty in
Rawer years to submit to Parliament; The house will rg.