The New York herald., 1866-04-21

The Loss OF the vera Cruz-Heeessity OF
an Admiralty Board.
We publish this morning an interesting
description Of the wreck Of the steamer
Vera Cruz, on Body Island, North Carolina,
but we are still in measure unable to
account for the accident Captain Murray,
who had command Of the vessel, had the
reputation Of being q good seaman, and
we are inclined to believe that he lost his
ship through 0ver-confdence In his own
knowledge Of the coast 1t Is evident that
the Vera Cruz was not befogged; but that the
Captain lost his reckoning. and neglected to
feel his way constantly with the deep sea line.
Clearly, then, he ought to be held account
able, not only to the owners of the vessel
but to the public, for having allowed his ship
he was sailing for Havana. The very fact that
there is no way in which captain may be
held to this public accountability suggests the
necessity Of an Admiralty Board, like
that which is in practical operation
in England, and we urge Congress
to pass law to create such q board
during the present session. Our mer-
chants demand it; our shipowners request it;
the safety Of the travelling public requires it,
and no good seaman can possibly object to it.
Were an Admiralty Board In existence now
Captain Murray would be able to show his in
nocence Of any fault or neglect in regard to this
wreck, if he be innocent, or he could be de-
- - = sokr ko
be guilty.
In England there is an Admiralty Board
which examines and grants certificates to the
officers Of the mercantile marine If q steamer
be wrecked or injured the captain surrenders
his certificate to the collector of the port at
which he lands, and be cannot go to sea again
until the board has investigated the ca, Sc Of
the accident and decided as to his responsible
ty. For example: When that splendid seaman,
Captain Stone, ran the Arabia on q rock of Cape
Race, he was suspended for six months by the
Admiralty Board, on the ground that there was
seeming negligence on his part in the manage
ment Of the vessel Captain Kennedy, another
excellent officer, was deprived OF his certificate
for ono year for losing the City of New York
in Queenstown harbor. Captain Walker was
tried by the Admiralty Board for the accident
which crippled the Great Eastern, but was hon
orably acquitted. We notice that the captain
of the Scotland, an English steamer, has just
been suspended for two years for apparent ig-
norance or negligence. Surely, it requires no
argument to show that the effect of board
like this is to make captains more careful. The
commander of an English steamer, when re-
quested by his impatient passengers to take the
risks and run into port during fog, very
promptly replied, "If were Yankee captain
would do so, for my owners would hold me
blameless. But there is the Board Of Admi-
rally, and If any accident were to happen
could not 20 to sea again In year." Evi-
IDENTIFY, then, the creation Of an Admiralty
Board would give our travelling public one
more safeguard, and would induce all officers
Of vessels to be less heedless of their important
responsibilities.
We now make the application Of these
remarks 10 Captain Murray and the loss Of the
Vera Cruz in order to Insist that there
ought to be some authorised tribunal before
which he could rppear and explain his case
Let Congress take the English Admiralty Board
a. . model, and the necessary bill 6an be
framed in day and passed In week, 80 as TO
reach all such cases in future. The matter Is
greatly simpliHed by the fact that we have NO
similar institution in existence, and conse-
quently nothing TO repeal or abolish. There
is . shipmasters' association in this city that
processes to grant certificates but 1t Is an old
fogy concern, Of no practical utility. Ship
owners pay no attention to 1t, and seamen
| care nothing about it The five dollars which
1t secures for its licenses and the one dollar a
| year that is charged for their renewal, are all
that keep it alive, If 1t have any life. Per-
haps 1t would be very good institution Il
it had the power to enforce Its provisions; but,
being powerless, il is useless The Admiralty
Board, on the other hand, could compel obedi-
ence to it, regulations. Nobody could employ
q captain unless he had certificate from the
board, and no captain could procure a certif-
cate unless he were . competent seaman.
| When an accident occurred the owners might
| be satisfied that the captain was not to blame
but unless he could also satisfy the Admiralty
Board the owners could not employ him again
until bis certificate was restored to him. Thus
the Board wonld represent and defend the
public, in contradstnction to the owners Of
ships, who are often too lenent with their cap
tains, and too apt to overlook occasional mis-
haps In the interest Of the public, therefore,
we call the attention Of Congress TO this SUBJ
ject, and we are sure that the member who
takes 1t up and has the Admiralty Board bill
passed will be entitled 10 and will receive the
thanks and the gratitude Of the country.
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