The Sun.
London, England, 1835-05-28 00:00:00

MERCHANT SEAMEN'S BILL.

The House then went into Committee on the further consi-
deration of the Report on the Merchant Seamen's Bill.
Clauses from 18 to 28 were carried, some with a few ver-
bal amendments, of a technical character, and without any
general interest.

On clause 29 being put,
Mr. ROBINSON said on this clause he should divide the

Committee if the Right Hon. Baronet did not consent to an
alteration of one part of it. He believed that the merchants
had no objection to the clause, as far as it forced them to carry
a certain number of seamen on board of their vessels, but they
did object to the compulsion of taking so great a number
of parish apprentices.
Sir. J. GRAHAM said that there was nothing new in the
present clause except as far as it relaxed the old law. By
the 2d and 3d of Ann, every captain of a ship of thirty tons
is compelled to take a parish apprentice. Now the present
Bill only compels the owners of ships of eighty tons to take a
parish apprentice, so that all vessels of a tonnage between
thirty and eighty tons will be relieved from that compul-
sion. But all may relieve themselves by paying 101. to the
parish.
Mr. YOUNG opposed the clause.
Mr. HUME opposed the clause, on the ground that the in-
troduction of parish apprentices went to exclude the sons of
respectable persons, who would otherwise go into the merchant
service.
_ _

Mr. WALLACE opposed the clause.
Mr. A. CHAPM AN opposed the clause.
Mr. C. WOOD supported the clause.
Mr. INGHAM said a few words against the clause.
Mr. O'CONNELL complained that by clause 24 any
youths from the age of thirteen to eighteen, if they beg, or
their parents beg, are liable to be sent to sea at the discretion
of the overseers of a parish. This would have a bad effect in
Ireland.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that clause 24 did not extend to
Ireland.

Mr. EWA RT opposed the clause.
Mr. PEASE also said a few words against the clause.
Captrin BERKELEY supported the clause.
Alderman THOMPSON opposed the clause.
Sir J. GRAHAM should withdraw this clause if the Com-
mittee would agree to the 30th and 51st clauses.
After a few observations from Mr. Young and Sir James
Graham,
Mr. ROBINSON said that if shipowners were allowed to
fill up the required number of apprentices in the manner most
agreeable to themselves, his objections were obviated.
The 29th clause was then struck out.
The clauses from 30 to 44 inclusive were then agreed to,
after a brief discussion.
On clause 45 being read, which permits sailors on board
merchant vessels to quit them, and volunteer into the King's
service,

Mr. G. F. YOUNG could not help expressing his most
decided objection to the clause. It involved the infraction of
one of the first principles of justice, and tended to the demo-
ralization of the seamen, whom it encouraged, after they en-
tered into a solemn agreement with the shipowners to serve
for a stipulated time, to break through their compact and vo-
lunteer into the King's service. He would divide the House
on the clause.
Sir J. GRAHAM thought that the seamen should have the
right of changing from the merchants' to the King's service
if they chose, or saw any advantage in so doing. As they
entered voluntarily into the merchant service they ought to
have the power of quitting it when they pleased for the King's
service. It was impossible to overrate the advantages of this
clause, and he would rather renounce the Bill altogether than
give up this clause.
Mr. ROBINSON was sorry to disagree in opinion with
the Hon. Member for Tynemouth. Though he was a ship-
owner he would allow the clause to pass in consideration of the
great question of public policy it involved.
Captain ALS AGER stated it had often occurred to him to
have a great portion of his crew, as many as thirty at a time,
leave him in foreign ports just at the time he most required
their labour, and go on board the King's ships, induced to do
so by being told they would have less to do and better recom-
pensed. He thought the clause, if it passed, should be so
framed as to compel sailors to finish their work on board
merchant vessels before they were allowed to engage in the
Royal navy.
After a few words from Mr. BUCKINGHAM and Sir J.

GRAHAM,
Sir E. CODRINGTON expressed his approbation of the
clause.

-0• INA •

Mr. G. F. YOUNG opposed it, as calculated to demo-
ralize the British seamen. He should wish at least to have it

applied only in time of war.
Captain BERKELEY knew an iastance in which so mail
sailors were impressed from an Indiaman that there were
not left sufficient to work the vessel. She was, in con-
sequence lost, and the amount of the cargo recovered upon
an action.
Sir E. CODRINGTON said if an Officer under his cora-
inai,J took so many men from a merchant ship as left an in-
sufficient number for working her, he would call him to
account.
Captain BAG SHAW said four men were the usual s
num-
ber for every 100 tons. Three, therefore, to each 100 ton
ought to be left.
After a few words from Mr. RUTHVEN the H°'
divided—

For the Clause
Against it
Majority for the Clause
The other clauses were agreed to.—Report on Mo'ndg•t
Mr. ELPHINSTONE obtained leave to bring in a n
to limit the poll at elections to one day.
OATHS ABOLITION BILL.
On the motion of Lord STANLEY the Oaths Abolition fill
was read a third time, and passed.
Dr. BOWRING then rose for the purpose of presenting s
petition, when
Mr. ROB IN N said that as it was contrar yto the rule
laid down that petitions should be presented at so late an hour
he must move that the House be counted.--( Cries of << Order'
order.") He contended that he was perfectly in order.
The SPEAKER suggested that the clerk should be allow
to read the petition.
Mr. ROBINSON must persist in the motion that the House
be counted, although he objected to the practice. That court,
however, had been taken on a former evening with himso
when in the act of bringing under the attention of the HI,
a subject of considerable importance, and, therefore, as he
be
lieved the Government were privy to the proceeding, .
should, during the remainder of the session, move the adjours
meat of the House whenever forty Members were not present;
Mr. F. B A RING did not believe that the Governaleu
were concerned in the counting out of the House on the occs:,.
sion referred to, and as for himself he had come down Pw
posely to contribute towards forming a House.
The Gallery was then cleared, and, forty Members not*
ing present, the House adjourned at One o'Clock.

LIST OF THE MINORITY ,
Of 35 (Tellers included) who voted in support of Mr. lq,?l,ad
tion for introducing a Clause into the Great Western .31:4;40
Bill for preventing travelling on that Railroad during the
of the Lord s Day.
Agnew, Sir A.
Alsager, Richard
Bonham, Francis R.
Fruce, C. L. C.
Buckingham, J. S.
Chichester, Arthur
Crewe, Sir G.
Dundas, R. A.
Finch, G.
Forster, C.
Fremantle, Sir T.
Goulburn, Mr. Serjt.

Greisley, Sir It. Pryme, G.
Handley, H. Sinclair, G.
Hardy, J. Smith, Hon.
Hughes, H.
Jackson, J. D.
Kearsley, J. H
Langton, Col. G.
Law, Hon. G.
ry
Lefroy, A.
Pelham, John C.
Plumptre, J. P. v
vTvvl Vaughan,vree evekss,
117.rLic,ej
.nei
Miles, W.
Po lington, Lord I glis, Sir R.

LIST OF THE MINORITY gook
Of 15 ( Teller included), who voted for Mr. G. F. Youni,ll eir eal.'"
that British Seamen should not be at liberty to break
gagements by entering his Majesty's service.
Alsager, Richard Marsland, H. Trevor, A. .
Bowring, Dp•
Dr. Pease, Joseph Tulk, Charles
Bridgman, Hewitt Ruthven, E. Walker, R.
Buckingham, J. S. Thompson, Ald.
Ewart, W. Thorneley, Thomas Tailart.
bisborne, T. Young, 0, F.

ELECTION COMMITTEES•

THIS DAY.

ENNIS. .11, 00
The scrutiny in this case is proceeding very slowlb C„300
vote, that which was under discussion when the CC §d-
adjourned yesterday, being as yet decided, and against k
ting Member on the ground of non-occupancy. raise°
Another vote to which a similar objection had been
is now under consideration.
CARLOW. clistell
The Committee met to-day at 11 o'clock, and imm fer
entered into a deliberation of this case. After renlaw"7lete
nearly two hours in consultation, Counsel and Agents iutioll
called in, when the Chairman announced the rete
of the Committee to the effect, that owing to oeuties,
proper conduct of the returning Officer and his DePittiog
and to the delays occasioned by the agents of the ,e„ for
Members (Messrs. Brien and Kavanagh), the eleent'lfrit
Pr'
the county of Carlow was null and void ; and that tier
should be issued for a new election, to return two

bers to serve in Parliament for the said county.
YOUGHAL.
The Resolution which the Committee came to last 0.
declaring that it was competent for freemen to Vrresi'
mediately after being registered, and that six mont"9day
dance in the town or borough in which any free $Ol
"
propose to vote, is not required by the Reform Act
t,
again taken into consideration, the Committee consen
hear the question re-argued. a tb°
Mr. AUSTEN, in a very powerful argument, impeaohe.o (il-
legality of this decision, which, he contended, No Bill
rect contradiction to the principles of the Reform ctee9,
totally unprecedented in the annals of Election Couotivioula
and one which, when the alarming consequences thattd, ha
result from it, if generally acted upon, were oonside
respectfully submitted ought to be reversed. ingenuity
Mr. HARRISON at great length and with much °-
maintained the propriety of the decision.
he Committee were in deliberation on the question bea
we left.

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