The Sun.
London, England, 1847-11-06 00:00:00

THAMES.

Mr. Robert Anderson, master of the British Mer-
chant, was summoned by Joseph Wilkins for a ba-
lance of 9/., and by William Henry for 11/., for ser-
vices on a voyage from St. John's, New Brunswick,
to London, under articles of agreement for 71. a
month, and 71. extra if discharged in the port of
London, for each man. They received an advance
each of 71. currency at St. John's and payment of
the respective balances was refused.
Mr. Pelham, for the master, was prepared to resist
payment of the wages ; Mr. Fearnley to support the
claims of the seamen.

In answer to questions by the Magistrate, Wilkins
said he went out in the William Payne from Liver-
pool, and was paid off from her. Ile did not receive
a certificate of service and discharge, and had not got
his register ticket. He went out for 8/. per month.
Mr. BALLANTINE—And deserted. You go out for
31. per month on a contract to return to England.
You desert, and come home in another ship for 71.
per month, and 71. extra if discharged here.
Mr. Fearnley submitted there was no desertion
charged here, nor was it to be assumed. The dis-
charge from the William Payne might be suspended
for many reasons. The wages were certainly very
high ; they always were from St. John's : but the
master was bound by the contract.
Mr. BALLANTINE said, whether the men were charged
with desertion or not, he would not order any wages
unless they could produce their certificates of service
and discharge.
Henry was then questioned by the Magistrate, and
he said he went out to New York in the packet-ship
Patrick Henry, from Liverpool, and from New York
he went to St. John's and joined the British Merchant.
He was not an American but a British seaman. He
never obtained a register ticket.

Mr. Pelham said, that Henry shipped as " waister,"
and that both were deserters from other ships. Nearly
all the crew that brought the ship home were deser-
ters from other vessels.

Mr. BALLANTINE said, Henry would have had a
register ticket if he was a British seaman, and as
neither of the men had produced their certificates
of service and discharge from the ships in which
they last served, or their register tickets, he would
order no wages. They had forfeited their wages
to the owners of the ships from which they had
deserted, if they were deserters, of which he had
little doubt.

Mr. Fearnley—Yery well, sir ; I bow to your de-
cision, though I must confess I was never more sur-
prised in my life.
Five seamen, who have just come home in the ship
Mary, of Newcastle, applied for summonses against
Mr. Doubleday, the master, for refusing to pay
their wages. They shipped at Quebec, each for 131.
per month.
Mr. BALLANTINE asked the men if they had their
discharges from the vessels in which they served be-
fore they joined the Mary ? They all answered in
the negative; on which the magistrate said, he would
grant them no summonses.
Mr. Pelham said, the men quitted the Mary di-
rectly she was moored, and had each forfeited a
month's pay for quitting the ship without leave. He
was concerned for Mr. Doubleday, the master.
The seamen said, the master surely did not want to
keep them in dock and pay them Us. per day and
their provisions.
The summonses were refused, and the men retired
quite astounded.