The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-17 00:00:00

Our Mercantile Navy.

Last evening Capt. H. Toynbee read before the
members of the Society of Arts a very interesting
and most valuable paper on '• Mercantile Marine
Legislation, as Affecting the Number and Efficiency
of British Seamen." He said, " Having spent the
last 33 years of my life among seamen, I have been
struck with the importance of some of their wants,
and have been trying for some years to get those in-
terested in their welfare to take up the question of
their social position, and deal with it iu a broad and
comprehensive manner. The scarcity of British
seamen, and the tendency to discontent which is
showing itself in the east end of London and in se-
veral of our seaports, make it more ,important that
those who understand them thoroughly should come
forward and explain what really is wanted."
The following is a brief summary of the impor-
tant changes proposed by Capt. Toynbee :-
1. That Government shall establish a pension fund
and life insurance adapted to the circumstances of
seamen and their families in connexion with shipping
offices, and join on to them a benefit fund, the prin-
cipal of which shall be the sums which Government
has received and is still receiving as unclaimed effects
of deceased seamen ; also that the act be so modified
that the wages and effects of deserters shall go to
this fund, and that they will consider in what way
they can discourage giving a month's advance be-
fore starting, except as a payment into the pension
fund or life insurance.

2. That Government shall put a stop to scurvy in
the mercantile marine by calling for and entering in
the beading of the " articles" a new scale of provi-

SiODS.

3. That they shall increase the space given to sea-
men to 15 superficial feet of deck, and not less than
90 cubic feet of air; also that they shall require it
to be properly lighted, drained, ventilated, and pro-
tected from the sea as well as from the gas which
rises from cargo. Safe glazed lamps and oil to be
provided for their use ; and these rights of seamen
to be entered in the heading of the articles of agree-
ment, and a copy hung in the forecastle.
4. That dock clerks be attached to shipping offices
whose duty it shall be to visit ships on their arrival,
see that the crews get part of their pay, and, if they
wish, send them to their homes, promising to send
the rest of their pay and papers after them.
5. That shipping-masters shall be empowered to
order the inspection of all ships' forecastles and pro-
visions, or at least those of any against which there
is a reasonable complaint. Again, that shipping-
masters abroad be empowered to make a commander
ship another man immediately in the place of one
discharged ; also that vessels engaging crews to be
discharged abroad shall be bound to provide them
with another ship or pay their passage home.
6. That Government be moved to provide for the
admission of English boys into the mercantile ma-
rine, as a means of national defence in case of war,
as well as an honest employment of subjects, instead
of allowing them to be supplanted by foreigners.
Lastly. That Government beasked to grant pub-
lic lands in our seaports for married sailors' homes,
sailors' clubs and institutes, and to encourage in
every way the social improvement of seamen, who
suffer great temptations from the peculiar circum-
stances of their profession.
With regard to the first suggestion, for making
our seamen provident, Capt. Toynbee said—For 104
years Government required each merchant seaman
to pay ls. a month, and each master 25., towards the
Merchant Seamen's Fund " for the relief and sup-
port of maimed and disabled seamen, and the widows
and children of such as shall be killed, slain, or
drowned in the merchant service'." For 87 years
half the money went towards the support of Green-
wichlWo Hospital, the rest being left in the hands of
l committees to manage, whose rules were based
on defective calculations, and got into difficulties,
which
ch led
Government iu 1834 tc give up taking a
part for Greenwich Hospital ; but even this was not
a sufficient remedy, and in 1851 the last resource
was to give up compelling seamen to subscribe, and
only continue a modified benefit of the fund tothose
who were wise or hardy enough to subscribe volun-
tarily for the future, after being told that the fund
was bankrupt, giving no compensation to men who
did not continue to_ subscribe even tough they
might have paid towards it nearly all their' lives.
The instrument by which this change in the law was
carried out is called " An Act to amend the Act re-
lating to the Merchant Seamen's Fund, and to p ro-
vide for winding-up the said fund." It, tells us that
it " can no longer be carried on with benefit to Bri-
tish merchant seamen," and that the Queen acts by
the advice and consent of the. Lords spiritual and
temporal and Commons. How these gentlemen
soothed their consciences before giving such cruel
advice is more than I can understand. Au explana-
tory paper was circulated, but many seamen never
think of examining even their accounts, so that no
doubt thousands never knew that any change was
made, and it would require a long expla-
nation to prove that Government did not virtu-
ally promise to give to each seaman the bene-
fits set forth in the rules of the fund when it
compelled him to subscribe to it. Some millions
were paid by the country to buy off slaves, and it
would have been but equal justice to have kept
faith with her seamen. This is only mentioned as
an argument to prove that our seamen have a strong
claim for a well-devised pension fund and life assur-
ance to support themselves and their families, and
there are good reasons for believing that Government
is preparing to establish them in connexion with
shipping offices, so that now is the time for practical
suggestions. They should be adapted to the circum-
stances of seamen by allowing long-voyage men to
pay "lump sums," each payment being a closed
transaction ; a provision should also be made for the
payment of advance notes into the fund or life insur-
ance, instead of to the seaman. Unclaimed wages
and effects of deceased merchant seamen (which it is
not necessary to retain for the purpose of satisfac-
tory claims) amount to about £7,000 a-year. This
is paid into the Consolidated Fund of the United
Kingdotn,where it must have accumulated to a very
large amount since Government first received it.
Surely the United Kingdom might allow this to
form a benefit fund to meet the distressing cases
which abound in sailors' families ? The author of
the paper next alluded to scurvy, which has increased
threefold in the last few years in our merchant ships,
and suggested a new scale of provisions, which would
have the effect of eradicating this disease. In speak-
ing of the quality of provisions far seamen, he said
soldiers and emigrants have good salt provisions, as
well as limejuice, pickles, preserved potatoes, &c.,
and these improvements must be introduced into the
dietary scale of seamen. There are men of high
principle among shipowners, who, whether they own
only half a ship or a whole fleet, are determined to
act justly towards those they employ ; to them it is
only requisite to suggest required improvements ;
but there are others whose one object is money, and
the question is, how are these last to be prevented
from endangering the existence of British seamen
by their treatment of them. In the author's search
after facts he went to one of the best provisioners
and asked the price of beef that would pass inspec-
tion for troops ; the dealer answered £9 ss. per
tierce of 3361 b., which for the ordinary tierce of
3041 b. would be about £8 7s. He then asked the
price of beef supplied to crews of ships, and was
answered £5 10s. to £6 10s. per tierce of 3041 b.
With regard to pork the dealer said that in London
it ranged from £4103. to £5 15s. per barrel of 2001 b.,
but he showed him (Capt. Toynbee) a list of prices
from another English port, where it ranged from
£3 ss. to £3 155., but the dealer remarked, " It is
stuff that you could squeeze through your fingers
like lard." Capt. Toynbee next strongly advocated
the better ventilation and comfort of the forecastles,
which he thinks should be under the control of Go-
vernment. lie has himself seen forecastles and sea-
men's chests in first-class ships black from the gas
which rises from cargo, and which smells like sewage,
which is especially the case in sugar ships. He has
seen a place containing two packs of foxhounds and
three horses, which received half its ventilation by
a hatch which opened into the sailors' forecastle.

We are informed that the Address in the House
of Commons in answer to the Queen's Speech will 1,0

moved by Lord Holmesdale, tho member for West -Kent
and seconded by Mr. S. li. Graves, the member for Liver.
pool,