The Portland daily press., 1873-12-24
The Shipping Law,


We have been requested to publish the fol-
lowing letter of shipmaster on the shipping
law, taken from an exchange Published in
Philadelphia:
Let me ask why it is that shipping law
should be passed by the Congress OF the United
States prohibiting shipowners and shipmasters
from engaging men for their ships and. at the
expiration OF a voyage, paying them their wa
GEES? Is it because shipowners and shipmas-
tiers are so much more dishonest than all other
classes that this special law should be made for
them? l have been connected with ships for
more than thirty years. and yet have not
known more than two or three shipinasters to
abscond with the owners money. The ship
master is placed IN command of a ship that is
worth hundreds of thousands Of doila,s
and cargo often equally valuable. This
large amount of property he directs to all
parts of the globe. How seldom we hear of
fraud in his business transactions; while, on
the other hand officers of town, county, State,
or nation, entrusted with public money, with
all the guards you can throw around them, are
daily pilfering from the public crib. Even the
great and systematic Bank of England has been
robbed by her cashier. Within the last week
an old and respected shipmaster, who has had
charge of ship for nearly a quarter of GEN.
Jury, arrived at this port aud supposine that
part of the law was repealed, viz: as far as the
West Indies and British Provinces are con-
cerned, appointed an hour when his crew
always done, to there pay them their just and
lawful wages What was the result? On the
next morning the United States Commissioner
came down and inquired for the captain. Said
commissioner then told the captain that he was
criminal. He was arrested and fined, and if
he had not paid his fine would have been cast
into prison. And for what? Because he met
his liabilities; because he wished to paw every
man his just aud lawful Dues Such proceed
Ings are an outrage aud an insult to every ship
nvU or n6 al ofar in tto Init
ship my own son on board of my own ship
and pay him his wages at the end of the vOy-
age, without going before commissioner, the
law makes me criminal and felon. Every
manly iostinct of my soul rises with indigna-
ton against such despotism. Can Congress
cDnstitutiOnally make a law prohibiting any
man from employing whomsoever he peases
and at the expiration of the term of service
paying him his wages? Every jot and title of our
being is republican. Every man has right to do
This law would do for the Dark Ages, but not
for this enlightened age.
Does Congress aud the public suppose that
We feed our men as meanly as this law
permits us to do? A penny's worth
fee, hard bread and beef, and three quarts
of water per day. is the principal food provided
in this humane law enacted for the benefit of
seamen. American ships in general are well
found We do not use hard bread at the pres
ent day; we have some on board in case Of
emergency. We get the best provisions in the
market for our ships. as seamen are as
worthy of good living as any other class of
men. by experience among seamen has been
most pleasant. In my long sea life Of thirty
Years have never had man struck or one in
iSo,s Let the public in general recognize the
seamen as men possessed with immortal souls
created by the same Divine hand that we are,
and throw an influence around them to lead
them in paths of virtue. Seamen will then be-
come much better class of men than the ma
jority.of them are to-day. In my opinion Con
-ress should immediately modify this law or
rike it altogether from the statute books of a
flee and enlightened nation.
A SHIPMAsTER.