The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-18 00:00:00

THAMES.

'Wednesday, two important cases, prosecuted by order
of the Board of Trade, came on for hearing before Mr.
Broderip.
In the first case, John Driscoll, a crimp, of 87, Pen-
nington-street, Radcliff Highway, was charged under
the 3d section of the Act for the Protection of

Merchant Seamen, Bth and 9th Victoria, cap. 116,
with supplying a seaman, named Joseph Battis, a man
of colour, with a berth on board a ship, he not being
duly licensed to do so by the Board of Trade, by which
he had incurred a penalty not exceeding 20/.
Mr. Pelham, for the prosecution, said the Act pro-
hibited any person from interfering to procure seamen
on board merchant ships, unless they were licensed by
the Board of Trade. No one could plead ignorance of
the Act in the port of London, because the Board had
caused placards to be printed and extensively circulated,
which contained the principal clauses in the Act, and
cautioned all persons against offending and acting con-
trary to its provisions. The Earl of Clarendon, the Pre-
sident of the Board of Trade, was exceedingly anxious
for the law to be enforced, and was determined to pro-
tect the merchant seamen of the country. The assistant-
registrar of the Board of Trade had been directed by the
Noble President to attend and prove that Driscoll was
not licensed by the Board.

Joseph Battis, a seaman, was then called, and although
he had been tampered with and threatened by the de-
fendant, he nevertheless, on being exhorted by the
'magistrate to tell the truth, and the whole truth, gave
his evidence fairly, and stated that in March last
he was accosted by the defendant in the West India
Dock, who asked him what he was ? and on his in-
forming him that he wanted a cook's berth, the defendant
shipped him as cook on board the Sir Robert Peel, bound
to St. John's, New Brunswick, and some money passed
between them.
Mr. Lack, assistant-registrar at the office of the Board
of Trade, said that no such person as John Driscoll was
,licensed to ship merchant seamen.
Burgess, a police•constable, stated that the •words
:licensed to ship seamen" were painted over the door
of the house in which Driscoll lived.
The defendant, in reply to the charge, said he was a
shipping agent before the passing of the Act,,and did
business with a great number of masters and owners.
After-the passing of the Act he did business for a li-
censed agent, named Beale, who lived in his house, and,
after that person went to prison for debt, he continued
to live in the house, and the words "licensed to ship
seamen " without Beale's name, remained. He then as-
serted that the black man had shipped on board the Sir
Robert Peel eight days before he clapped eyes upon him,
and that he was engaged by a man named Lobeck.
Battis was recall, d, and in answer to questions by Mr
Pelham, said he did not know Lobeck, and that Dris-
coll had threatened to beat him with a stick so recently
as Tuesday.
Mr. BRODERIP said, this was the first case under the
third clause which had been prosecuted in that Court,
and he was glad to hear that the Board of Trade was
determined to protect seamen, and prevent their being
robbed by persons like the defendant. There were great
difficulties to be encountered in prosecuting these cases
and, without the intervention of the Board of Trade or
the registrar of seamen, the Act would be rendered nu-
gatory. The case was completely made out, and he
sentenced the prisoner to pay a fine of 5L and the costs.