Daily Republican., 1881-08-06
TESTING THE PILOT LAW.
A DELAWARE PILOT LIBLES A
SHIP FOR HIS FEE.
A Test Case ON the Half.PilOtaSe Q
4uesIiO"-The Case OF the
civilian Law"

A lible has been filled in the Unitet
States District Court here on behalf o
Peter Chambers, pilot, against th
British snip, William Law. The libl'
is for Chambers fee of half-pilotage, thu
payment of which is required under thu
Delaware pilOtage law, and the case il
likely to test the law III several particu
lars.
Chambers, the libellant, is a well
known and experienced pilot. He was
licensed on June 10Th of this year to ac,
as q pilot of the tirst-class for the Della
ware River and Bay by the Board OF
Delaware Pilot Commissioners, existing
by virtue of act passed on April 9TH by
the Legislature of this State, and in the
article of libel just filed he states that
he still continues to be pilot under
that act.
On June 26th the British ship Will
liam Law, Shelson II. Hilton, master,
bound from Antwerp to the Delaware
Braakwater for orders came near Cape
Henlopen. She was in ballast and not
cool laden. He offered his services as
pilot, being the first pilot to apply, to
conduct her to the BreaAwater. She
was some six or seven miles from Cape
Henlopen, and sailing southwest.
His offer was Immediately afterwards
refused and the vessel proceeded to the
Breakwater for orders without a pilot.
He made application at the Breakwater
and in Philadelphia TO the Captain for
half -pilotage, to which he is entitled un-
der the law, but his request was refus. d
and he now prays that q libel issue
against the court, for his claim of ST.
Al and the costs. The vessel sailed
down tho Delaware to-day and the own.
ers appeared before U. S. Commissioner
Smith aud arranged satisfactorily for Il
hearing of The case.
The libellant is represented by E!-
ward q. Bradford, Jr., and Geo. Gray,
Esqs., and the respondent by Walter
Cummins and II. &. McMnrtril, EsqS
lhc latter is Of Ph'ladelplla.
Mr.. Chambers makes his claim un-
der Section ), otthe Delaware law which
is TO this effect:
Section j-Aud be it further enacted !:
That every ship or vessel, propelled by
steam or sails, arriving from or bound
to any foreign port or place except such
as are solely coal laden, pas sing in or
out of the Delaware Bay by way
of Cape Henl open shall bs Obliged
to receive pilHt. That every
such ship or vessel bound to the
Delaware Breakwater for orders
and not proceeding up the Delaware
Bay shall b. obliged to receive IA pilot;
provided she is spoken outside the Cape
Ilcnlopcn Light House bearing south.
west; and the master of every of the
said ships or vessels after he is spoken
or plot offers his services shall refuse
or neglect to take pilot, the master,
owners or consignees Of such vessel shall
forfeit and pay to any such pilot suing
for the same a sum equal TO the pi-
lotage for such vessel, to be re-
covered by suit in our State Courts
or before Justice Of the Peace for
such pilot may procure his remedy
therefor by Il libel in admiralty in one
Of the United States Courts, as such
pilot may see fit and proper to do.
The case is likely to come up in a
short time and will excite n good Bit of
interest, in Delaware and Philadelphia.