New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-07-20


taly and pretrneutly Indispensable On bol-d ship;
end :hirdlg The general dscoorts xhch they have 70
oucouIter ard The IMMORTALITY Of an LIKES hange "i
teii eu's III TIE majority q those Sl'h whom me!
would lave 20 associate dur.lg long voyage NotTta-
standing the gloomy aspect Oi the present clldon 81
these sns If toll Vet have cheering Indications that
the general Improvement perez pte during the present
certurJ among al classes Of the working population 10
al countries has not passed OTer a7i omitted flls o0e,
an cpuitn susccrttle of easy proof vt.ou recl-rcg
10 such distant dates those cf Snoetts novel with
their how almost incredible descriptions Of saors ia7e
and sccen uistor but very manifest change i'r tte
better hs. tsbeu place 10Th Ii the iocd provided AMI ~
o general fer the comforts al fh' 'aI0r. WITHIN
very year.. allowing confidently % anlcpAt- ah
ear day vLen in this as IN other cal.sg' regard "i
lie paid the intelligence and sell resPec, as ELL AZ -
the mechanical cspsbily Of the man engaged Aneri'
cans Vl probably then Offer Themselves candldafespr
this a. veil a. other trades; real economy Eil be e.
fec;ed for with greater skill teWer hands Vill be re,
oured and q cl.ss Of men more proyideut. who aOud
REQUIRE 10 advance II they did would 'corn - eVile
their duiie. after receiving unearned 7emnneraon
would I'll up The places OF the present scho"ii ana
With such m,n an equal amount of obedience would o.
required So much greater degree Of confidence would
be felt them by their officers 10 render these latter
le,s e1acn- and compelled 70 entirely dispense with
the punhnents now often inflicted Ignorance Is never
cbesp whatever sum NAV b. paid for ts services. AMI
il j. surprising that truth which has So long since
forced it.f IN the conviction Of all engaged IN land &C.
cpaons should lave scarcely once been entertained ~
eur0yers Of abOTcrs and that Dot one energetic
step should ever have been taken that element % Try
The effect of different system. This subject has al
ready attracted the attention OF writer in Journal fror,
which We have before made extracts during the progress
Of this series-tbe Housthoi Words, and a. his
sentiments coincide 50 entirely WITH our Own We Will re
produce them here
Al ignorant nan placed to look out f,r and requires
~ keeping Of sharp l"ok gu upon himself or he VIII 20
% sleep aid put the snip in peril through to- mere seSh ~
b. gdfy The -oEcat@G - nar n'rAy do NJ duiy,
srd rfeLr- but 'iile overlooking II j. the ignorant man
who vii trouble Lin self aud will o. glad Thsn he
can cheat the m.ie and escape little DUTY Ia setting
up q shroud or a stay, be viii max Al 50 thai LOOKS 80
cure but # not cosel, watched b. vii mot lkely II get
bis shrk the pr fsinng Of ih- end o. the
lsnyard Tte safety of The and, therefore, OF the
ve,.l mperi'ed h. may knox that, but h. knows 1t
only rate b. T. TOO stupid 10 reject upon or 20
90; upon h.s knowledge. "hen 4 general
casually happened a. tie ship y IN danger The hst
danger the span hs, d, from The gn'rtncs OF
TIE mtn His hrst anxiety viii perhaps be- 10 have the
sprii csk stove H. To prevent the men from getting IN
Il I'm md defeated IL tn 4en Jt tl- '.Eorant Non viii
be he fri rush get boats aud cot tnem away
ty which their own danger increased iou are never
tree in of emergency from the dangers OF the
Iauics o. ienor nee.
If hitherto our remarks have appeared TO weigh too
severely on the working seaman, they have not been
called forth from any desire To e1culpate the officers
from their sins of omission and commission; nor from An
rsenibit, tOthe merits OF many thousands OF the men
before the mast, whose courage, devotion and exer-
tons sometimes seli-sacrhcng 10 the loss of life,
exceed those Of any other class Of men On the con
trary We believe that rule not nearly sufficient
atteLton has been paid the comforts Of the and
that in the best their provisions (perhaps TO certain
extent necessarily such the poorest land abOrers
would reject while the treatment to which the sailor
ute cted on board great many ships,s brutal beyond
description or credence; indeed 10 such extent il
illegal punishment, inflicted 10y the officers. carried As 70
have earned tor American vessels reputation of having
more vanton cruetes perpetrated their decks than
On those of sny other LatOn tending to concordance
the nducem offered by higher rate of wages and
better scale Of provisions than to be Obtained any
other mercantile service. Sea-laring men should be
mace aware Of the fact that all corporal punishment OF
whatever hind, was forbidden by act OF Congress
passed in -J which extended equally To national vessels
ard those IN the merchant service The sole means OF
punishment placed the hands OF captains Tor cause,
such a. uutinous behavior or gross maconduct endan-
geGns the safety of the vessel is that OF placing the de-
hquens in irons for any offence not involving the
internal order of the ship and which moderate cOrrec
ton not able to correct the master must brng0r send
the offender hone for trial. Neither must the captain
allow any subordinate officer u nict or direct the IN
Fiction OF any punishment other than that allowed by the
law above quoted and any such take place, whether
during hi. presence absence he b- made RESPONSE
bic by the party aggreyed, on complaint before the
pro per authorities the end of the and m adj
dtiOn TO civil damages for abuse of authority, the cap
tain may also be- prosecuted in the criminal courts and
on conviction fined imprisoned. Indeed, the act Is
very pIecise On this point declaring that If any
or officer of the vessel shall beat wound mprison
one Of the crew or withhold suitable food noursh-
meut he liable 10 fine of not over : 900 or term of
Imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both Not
Wiihstaudng the severity of this law the most wantOn
cueltie not hy any argument capable OF construction
into the nature OF ssutary punishment, but ire
queny the offspring OF malice, created by an lnadver-
tent Of respect unlntentonal neglect 81 atten
ton to orders continually being inflicted and for the
most part with the greatest IMMUNITY, custom having
ultimately rendered itself superior 10 law. Yet the
sailors excaim that they have sufficient legal pro-
lection Ii would evidently be much correct To say
that they have not as class sufficient discernment
to avail themselves of the ample means at their disposal
to check the tyranny to shich they subjected
But has be en- suggested that there is another course
of conduct adopted frequently entaIns loss of life or
limb and which the sailor cannot demonstrate az Inst,
though the existence OF many man has been sacrificed
thereby but We are willing believe that IN such
tie result is brought about rather by criminal want of
consideration than from any other worse motive We
refer Ia tie loud complaints of the that they are
often needessy exposed u danger in of storms
and that usDy of them either killed or hopelessly
manned BY the rottenness other deficiencies OF the
sIsrs or rigging causing them in their breaking 10 be
carried overheard precpltaet violently 10 the deck
practical writer on this subject has suggested that
in the place OF mere entry IN the log stating part OF
the facts ury we're empanelled the return of the
vessel 10 port as the OF accidents land and
regular inyestg made in all cases, with the officers
and crew witnesses and damages could be recovered
in the case OF loss of life limb where the accident
either from the deficiency OF any of the ships gear
or from the improper and unnecessary orders issued
WaItony ndsDgerng the safety of the sailor aud INV ting
an evil result great number Of valuable lives would
he spared As II Is it Is perhaps rather an exception
than otherwise for q vessel 10 20 out on tveyemOnhs
vOysee aud return without the loss enduring ameness
OF ~ least one Of the hands
Another just Of complaint among the men, aRd
IL -. l.E.- Il. Ina