The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-05 00:00:00

THAMES.

ALLEGED MORTALITY AND CRUELTY ON BOARD A
MERCHANT SHlP.—George Harris Quinton, master of
the ship Regina, from Hong-Kong, now lying in the
West India Docks, was summoned before Mr. Ballan-
tine by five of his crew, on three separate and distinct
charges, which will be better understood from the fol-
lowing particulars :
The first charge was for neglecting to furnish his crew
with lime juice and sugar, which is strictly provided
should be done by Act of Parliament.
Mr. Pelham, who appeared for the several complain-
ants, said the humane provisions of the Legislature had
been entirely disregarded by Captain Quinton, and, in
consequence, sickness and death had occurred to an
extent which was truly frightful to think of. On sailing
from Hong-Kong the crew consisted of twenty-seven
Manilla men, subjects of Spain, and thirteen Europeans.
Through the neglect of tht captain three men died on
the passage, and eighteen others were now in the Dread-
nought in a dreadful state of disease and suffering.
When the vessel arrived in the Downs, another crew
was employed to work the ship up the river in conse-
quence of the sickness on board.
Mr. Cullen, the ship's surgeon, confirmed this state-
ment, and said that limes abounded in China, so that the
captain might have provided for the necessities of his
seamen. In extenuation it was urged that no lime juice
had been placed on board the vessel, so that the master
could not serve out that which he had not on board. It
was also urged that neither lime nor lemon juice could
be procured in China.
The magistrate regretted there was an obscurity in
the Act, which made it impossible for him to convict.
The owner was liable to a penalty of 201. for neglecting
to provide lime juice, &c., and the master would be sub-
ject to a penalty of 5/. per day if he neglected to serve it
out. In this case no lime juice was put on board, so
that he was compelled, although reluctantly, to dismiss
the summons. At the same time, he felt bound to say
that the m
ond char en had been greatly neglected by their captain.
The secge against the master was for admi-
nistering one-third less provisions than agreed upon in
the articles between the owner and crew, which was ac-

counted for by a statement that
sent on board off the island of Ascension ;
gistrate said the captain was bound to provide exti..
food for the extra passengers, so that the captain agreed
to, pay all hands fourpence each per day, for every day
they had been so kept upon short provisions.
The.third and•last charge was for having flogged the
cook of the vessel with a cat-o'-nine-tails, on the ground
of his having spoilt some coup, and also that he was
filthy and insolent, contrary, as was alleged, to the
present custom Of the merchant service, which service
never adopted that mode of punishment.
The MAGISTRATE thought that n• man ought to be
flogged on board a merchant ship except in cases of very
great necessity, such as mutiny ; and that no punish-
ment should take place till all the officers were con-
sulted, and the offender called upon for his defence. If
the man was a bad cook, and incompetent to do his duty,
it would be a reason to reduce his wages ; but to flog a
man because he spoiled a dinner was, in his opinion,
an abuse of authority not to be tolerated. He should
send this case before a jury, and he called upon the de-
fendant to find bail himself in 301., and two sureties of
101. each, to answer the charge at the sessions.

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