The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-10-05

tesy, and has been peculiarly successful in prouet
ting himself into the affections of the feminin
portion of them, there comes to us another Eng
fish gentleman who is bent upon graver GRAND
The Hon. w. S. LINDSAY, NJ. P, who dsclaim
being sent here either as a dplomatist or as
special envoy is nevertheless DESTROYS of enstine
the co operation of our government in certain
matters relating particularly TO maritime affairs
With this view he has made it his special bushes;
to endeavor TO obtain for his plans the sanction
of the various Boards of Trade and Chambers O
Commerce Of Boston, New York, Philadelphia
and Bal timore. What weight the united repre-
sensations Of these several associations might hay
upon the policy of our government in the matter
alluded to, we are not able to say; though, as
general thing, we regret to be obliged to &C
knowledge that their influence beyond their owl
local limits has not usually been recognized TO
extent that is at all equal 10 the commercial
Importance of the classes which they represent
1t is to be feared, therefore, that Mr.. LIND
SAY has, in this respect, over-rated the value o
their aid, even if his propositions should meet
with their full or but partial concurrence. His
first suggestion is, that laws shall be passed by
both governments, limiting the liability of ship
owners for damages accrung from collisions a
sea, and similar causes to seventy-fve dollar:
tom of the vessels registered tonnage, the mer
chants Shipping Committee in England having
recommended to Parliament the adoption of
law making the equivalent Of that sum, in English
currency, the maximum amount in such cases. Ir
neither country, at present, is the responsibility o
the shp-owner limited to the value of his vessel,
and the imposition of some such restriction as the
one proposed, it is believed by Mr.. LINDSAY, would
prove mutually beneficial.
Mr.. LINDSAY further suggests that similar laws
shall be enacted by both Governments for the bet.
ter prevention of collisions at sea, by the adop
ton, at sea, OF the same rule of the road The
rule at present enforced by the UNITED STATES
being different from that laid down in England,
the consequence is that ships, in carrying out the
regulations of their respective countries, frequently
fall foul of each other, and appeal to the Judi
cial tribunals only gives rise to conflicting decs-
ions as TO who was right and who was wrong
Mr.. LINDSAY is of opinion that the rule adopted
by us is the preferable one, and that the English
Government should cause its merchant vessels TO
conform to it, in connection with uniformity of
regulations to the rule of the road, Mr. LINDSAY
breaches the question with respect to lights at sea-
He states that the ships of nearly all nations have
adopted the rule laid down in England, in this
matter and that as we have done the same, so far rs
our steamvessels are concerned, but not as regards
our sailing vessels, extension of the rule so as
embrace the latter also would, in his opinion, go
far towards lessening the danger of collision.
The next point that he takes up has reference to
the question of marine insurance. In ordinary
cases of collision, if the ship runs the ship
B, his policy Of insurance covers, in England,
the owner of ship A, under what is termed ''lhe
'Runnng-down clause which is usually insert
'ed in the policy. This clause is generally inserted
'without extra charge; but in some places an eX-
''tra premium is paid amounting sometimes to
Zone fourth and sometimes to one-haf of one
''per cent" In Massachusetts the ship-owner
is also covered by such clause; but in
some of the other States of the Union he is
not so, and Mr.. LINDSAY suggests the propriety of
having in this country Il rule rs uniformly app-
cable TO this incident of marine risk as that is
which is in force in England.
Another subject upon which Mr.. LINDSAY is
DESTROYS that the two countries shall come to a
mutual understanding, relates to the commission
of crime on shipboard. The English Courts have
no jurisdiction over hcinous crimes committed on
board of American ships entering British ports;
nor have the Courts of the United States power to
try offences committed on board of English vessels
entering American ports. 1t is therefore suggest
ed that, by mutual consent, the English and
American law officers shall be authorized, respec-
lively, to issue warrants, in such cases, for the
apprehension of the offenders, on the represen Ia
l.
have power to punish those who are found guilty
of minor offences; but where the crime is a very
grave one, their authority shall be restricted to
sending the prisoner back to his own country for
trial
An equal want of jurisdiction is pointed out by
Mr.. LINDSAY in regard to deserters, both from
English ships in our WATERS and from American
ships in British waters. 1t is proposed that both
countries shall pass laws which shall enable them
TO deal with such deserters; and further-that a
convention shall be entered into whereby disputes
between masters and seamen--on the subject of
wages, i5c.-may be settled before a magistrate
at the port where the dispute arises, under the
sanction of the Consul of the country to which
the ship belongs.
The next question touched upon is that of the
shipping of seamen. In England, we are told,
that shipping Offices have been established at each
of the great sea-ports, where seamen are engaged,
and where the articles of agreement are signed
and witnessed. In one branch of the same office,
the masters and mates undergo an examination;
whilst in another branch-which has in it a
money Office and Savings Bank-the seaman is
paid of, and may either remit the money he re-
4 he, In NAV
leave it in the Bank to his credit on deposit
These offices, Mr.. LINDSAY asserts, have been not
only boon TO seamen but, by including an ex-
animation into the qualifications of masters and
mates, have materially tended to elevate the
character of the officers of British ships He,
therefore advocates the organization of similar
offices in our leading sea-ports, and, by agree
ment between the two governments, to extend the
advantage of such offices to American seamen and
officers in British ports, and to English seamen and
officers in American ports
There can be no doubt that all of these suppes-
tons well worthy of the consideration, not only
of our ship-owners but also of our government
and that some of them might be adopted by us
with manifest advantage seems equally clear
But the last, and most important question of all,
upon when Mr.. LINDSAY treats, mas reference 10
the opening of the coasting trade of the two
countries to the ships of either unfortunately.
England throws open her coasting trade to the
ships of all nations, but exacts Lighthouse dues.
The United States, on the contrary, charges no
lighthouse dues whatever, but restricts the coast
ing trade to American vessels only. Throw open
your coasting trade, says Mr.. LINDSAY, and we
will agree to take off our lighthouse dues. In
this proposition he offers a compromise indeed
hut il is by no means equivalent. The coast
ing trade of the Great Lakes alone is equal in
value to the whole of our foreign commerce; and
l;ke tbe trade with the States seward, and fol.
loving the courses of our great rivers is annually
Increasing in importance; whilst the English
LIGHTHOUSE dues, though onerous, are fixed and
limited to certain standard, and from their very
nature must ever remain So 1t may be, and
doubtless is true, as Mr.. LINDSAY says, that our
monopoly of our coasting trade is source Of
annoyance to English ship.owners, but with this