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

manning the ship by foreigners ; big he did not think the
verdict was quits conclusive on the subject, because the
jury were simply silent upon the point. He (Mr. Liddell)
was not a naval man, but still he did think, under all
the circumstances, there ve se points disclosed in the evi-
dence which required explanation. The right honour-
able gentleman (Mr. Cardwell) had that night intro-
duced two bills • and with regard to that which re-
pealed " the last rag of protection"—(ironical laughter
from the Ministerial benches)—such was the uncertainty
of the law as it at present stood as to what was constituted
" a British ship," that lucid though the right honourable
gentleman's statements were, he (Mr. Liddell) wished he
would on some future occasion define to the house what
did constitute " a British ship" in the eye of the law ;
because at present it appeared that a ship, if it only be-
longed to a British shipowner, though navigated by a
foreign commander and foreign seamen, might claire and
possess all the advantages attaching to the British flag.
In the present posture of affairs he earnestly hoped thet
the repeal of this " last rag of protection" might not in-
volve us in consequences more serious perhaps than many
might anticipate ; that the spirit and courage of the
British seamen might not be affected by the universe'
competition to which he was subjected ; and that in the
hour of trial, should it come, we might not look in vain
for that prowess which had made England heretofore the
mistress of the seas. (Hear, hear.)
Sir G. PECHELL complained that the house and the
country remained as much in the dark as to the real causeat
of the loss of the Tayleur as if no inquest had been held
all. The captain of this fine shin, of 1,974 tons, with his
double-class certificate, declared himself perfectly satisfied
with her, and yet it appeared he could not turn her round
in the sea in less than an hour, and in a less space than
five miles. It also came out on the captain's croas-exami-
tion, that it took twenty men an hour to full the mizen
topsail. He also stated that be formerly commanded the
Australia, a very large vessel, which took forty minutes
and a space of three miles to turn in. Those circumstances
ho (Sir G. Pechell) confessed astonished him ; and if any
honourable member could elucidate, what was now en-
veloped in so much mystery, he would be doing a great
service to the country.
Mr. HENLEY reminded the house that when the repeal
of the navigation laws was fir_st.. propounded he expressed
his astonishment that the coestin,, tree(' was excepted—
(hear)—and having stated that as his opinion at that time,
of course now he could not object to the introduction of
a bill for doing
away with such an exception. The rea-
sons, too, for its abolition had been of late very much
strengthened by the enormous demand which had sprung
up for shipping to carry on the intercourse between the
gold regions and every quarter of the world ; and so long
as the gold discoveries continued there could be no doubt
that there would be, in connection with them, a very ex-
traordinary absorption both of shipping and seamen. He
was surprised, however, that there had not been a greater
accession to the number of apprentices; because when la-
bour became dear masters looked out for apprentices, both
on the ground of economy, and because they knew they
could command their services. With respect to life-boats,
ho did not know whether the Government intended to sup•
ply them, or only to regulate the use of those which were
now supplied by private benevolence and subscription. If
the latter, he hoped that no discouragement would be given
to those voluntary efforts, which, though not now so per-
fect as could be wished, were still exceedingly valuable in
emergencies. (Hear, hear.) He was happy to find that,
under the proposal plan, boys would have the opportunity
afforded them of receiving a good nautical education, if
they choose to avail themselves of it. The question of
passing tolls was one which he considered deserved the
serious attention of the Government. (Hear, hear.) Tolls
were now paid in many ports the revenue derived from
which was not applied in any way towards the benefit of
the shipping interest. When the question of dues of all
kinds were looked into, he hoped the passing tolls would
not be lost sight of, for it was absurd, when the country
had decided upon making changes in its commercial policy,
that certain corporations should still be allowed to levy
tolls granted to thorn when another policy existed. He
was glad to hear that it was the intention of the Govern-
ment to abolish the system of register tickets, for a greater
curse and nuisance to merchant seamen was never devised
than that of these tickets. With respect to the proposal
to consolidate the laws affecting the mercantile marine
there could be no doubt that the completion of such a
measure would confer a great benefit upon the shipping in-
terest, and he should be happy to afford every assistance
in his power in making such consolidation as complete
and as perfect as passible. He was glad to hear that a re-
duction of the light dues was also contemplated ; but it
was duo to the Trinity-house to state that the corporation
always acknowledged that the revenue was increasing, and
that the buoyancy which existed in them, notwithstanding
previous reductions, had led to the expression of their
opinion that other reductions would be made from time to
time. (Hear, bear.) _ _ _ •

Mr. LA.BOUCHERE observed with great satisfaction
the reception which the house had given to the pr poials
of the Government, the total absence of anything like
party spirit, and the general desire which had been ex-
pressed to co-operate in giving effect to important mea-
sures allecting the interests of our mercantile marine. In
the hill for the repeal of the trsigation laws, which he (Mr.
Labouchere) had propcsad, the coasting tra,- e was i eel uded;
for, indeed, he could see no reason why, if they threw open
their general trad.,, they ,hunld not act in the same man-
ner with the coasting trade. Tie could understrmil that
persons might feel 3,!ipreliensive as to the competition of
foreign ship in the fOreinn or colonial iz:ule, but whatever

laws might be passed, there could not be a doubt but
that the coasting trade of the country would always, in
the main, rest iu the hands of the Lish shipowners.
He believed that any attempt to p:i.e a bill consolidating,
while it at the same time proposed to arnend, the law af-
fecting the commercial marine, would be attended with
considerable diffieul cee and he would suggest whether it
would not be more advisable to pass, in the first instance,
a bill proposing to efLet, such amendments as were thought
desirable, and at ale ter period of the session to pass a
simple consolidating bill. Thet was the course which had
been usually adoptd in similar cases, and he thought it
might be adhered to with advantage. He thought that
the proposal to encourage the formation of nautical schools,
although an exceedingly important one, was, at the same
time, one which required to be cautiously dealt with, for,
since the passing of acts which required qualification on
the part of captains and seamen, a great many private
schools had sprung up in different parts of the country,
which afforded the necessary amount of instruction. It
was desirable that in any step taken by the Government
nothing should be done calculated to counteract the bene-
ficial influence of these schools. (Hear, hear.) During the
last session he had ventured to express some doubt with
respect to the propriety of totally removing all restrictions
on the manning of the ships. He was not actuated in this
opinion by any fear that it would have the effect of lower-
ing the wages of seamen, but because he thought that in
the event of war it would be found that vessels essentially
foreign would, upon the mere colour of British ownership,
be claiming the protection of the British flag, and involv-
ing the country in disputes, which might be excessively
inconvenient. (Hear, hear.) His fears, however, were par-
tially removed by the opinion of Dr. Lushing,ton, that he was
not apprehensive of any difficulty arising from that source.
But it appeared that, under the apprehensions which
existed at this moment ofe war with Russia, certain Russian
ships at Liverpool had been transferred to English ship-
owners, and that the English purchasers of these ships had
been so accommodating as to take also the captain and
crew as part of the bargain. (A laugh.) These ships,
therefore, which a day or two since were Russian ships,
were now, to all intents and purposes, English ships. • It
would be satisfactory to know, whether in the event of
war such a course would produce any difficulties. (Hear,
hear.) All the measures proposed appeared to be in the
right direction, and he believed that the house could
scarcely employ itself in a more useful or more honourable
manner than by doing all that lay in its power to promote
and encourage that great branch of the service of the
country; upon the prosperity of which its power and
greatness mainly depended. (Hear, hear.)
Admiral WALCOTT concurred in the opinion expressed
as to the impropriety of confiding British carriage, capital,
and honour to the keeping of the crews of vessels entirely
foreign. He doubted, indeed, whether it would be possible
to secure subordination among such motly and heterogeneous
crews as those of which many vessels were now composed.
With reference to the loss of the John Tayleur he would
call the attention of the right honourable the President of
the Board of Trade to the consideration, whether, it would
not be desirable that the Government should take care
that no ship should go to sea without having it made
clearly manifest to some competent officer that there was a
sufficient number of able seamen on board properly to na-
vigate the ship. If there was one point more than an-
other which gave him pain in connection with the loss of
the Tayleur, it was that, with scarcely an exception,
the whole of the women and children on board had
perished. It was always considered the first point of the
profession to which be belonged, that officers and seamen
should always disregard their own lives, when they could
give succour to a woman. [Hear, hear.)

Capt. SCOBELL considered that the throwing open of the
coasting trade was but the natural consequence of repeal-
ing the navigation laws. He saggested that, as captains
and masters of vessels were compelled to undergo an exa-
mination, it would be desirable that- steps should also be
taken for ascertaining whether the crews of vessels were
fit to go to sea, for he had no doubt but that it would turn
out that an insufficient crew was the main cause of the
loss of the John Tayleur. A larger proportion than one-
third of landsmen would be found in working the ship to
bo positively in the way, and a greater hindrance than as-
sistance. He regretted that the laws as , affecting appren-
tices in the navy had been repealed for they might as well
expect to reap without sowing, as expect-to obtain a suffi-
cient and constant supply of men, e pecially in time of
war, except the apprenticeship system were encouraged,
and every vessel was bound to have a certain number on
board. One of the results of the act already passed had
been, as was stated, that Russian ships had been enabled
to register under the British flag. These vessels might be
insulted bv American, Spanish, or Portuguese ships. not
a single t nglishman might be on board ; but England
would be compelled to come forward to avenge th 3 insults
offered to the honour of her flag, and which she had placed
entirely in the hands of foreigners. (Hear.
'h• PHILLIPPS was understood to suggest that ves-
sels engaged in foreign or colonial trade should be com-
pelled to leave Milford Haven instead of Liverpool, as by so doing they would avoid many of the risks to wich they-
were e •
N'eel in getting clear of the coast of Ireland.
Mr. Is •
,!.1! stated that at Shields and other ports
on the Tyne
certificates of
by
of voluntary examination of
the shipowners, s, who
sea-
menawardehdad
showed a due amount off competence
Ato such persons as
had also been enZerPerdoififioenbycy. h. voluntarywnengage-
menteriti e
re-
spect to providing the most. etfficienttha 11)Dooats. The use of
these life-boats had scareely ever been unsuccessful, except
in one unexplained and melancholy instance, iu which the
boat upset, and twenty-one out of twent three lives were
lost.
A day or two after this sad oe„uery„- ee,
the life-boat
was required to put out again on its errand of mercy, and
the first man to volunteer and jump into the boat, was
one of the two seamen who had so narrowly escaped a day
or two previously. (Hear, hear.) Durings the late les
-
there had been not less than 120 vessels t ga ebetween the
Tees and the Clyde, and although a large number of life-
boat stations were provided along the whole of the coast of
Northumberland, they were unable to afford that amount
of assistance which it would have been desirable to pro-
vide. He hoped that the attention of the Government
would be directed to the absolute necessity of. providing
some harbour of refuge on the coast, into winds eels&
overtaken by storm, might run with safety.
Mr. LAING desired to express his thanks to the Preei-
dent'of the Board of Trade for the measures he intended
to introduce, and the strong sense he entertained of the
'practical benefits which they were calculated to produce.
During the past year the whole bearings of this question
had been brought before him in a variety of ways, and he
was strongly impressed with the vast commercial inconve-
nience and injury which had been sustained from the ex-
travagant rates to which freights had risen in the coasting
trade. Great loss had been sustained by individuals en-
gaged in the trade from the entire 'mpossibility which
ex-
isted of materials from place to
plagetting vessels to transport
ee' It was not, therefore, the question now whether the
coasting trade should be carried, eIA by British ships and