The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-10-18
THE MARINE CONFERENCE.
GOODRICH, OF AMERICA, AND
HALL, OF ENGLAND, TALK.
The Discussions Yesterday We're
Upon Rules for the Prevention
of Collisions at sea Issued bo
Our Treasury Department.

Upon Rules for the prevention
of Collisions at sea Issued Do
Our Treasury Department.
WAsHINGTON, d. G., October 17.-rhe
members of the international Marine
Conference upon assembling foI business
to-day were found to have discarded
their gold lace epaulcttes and dccora-
tions, and were clad in the more sombre
garb of the civilian. The aSScnlblage
had the general appearance of a meeting
of business men who were gathered for
purpose which they knew how to Sc
cure. 1t was soon manifested that the
two talking members OF the Conference
were Goodrich, Of the United States dele
cation, and Hall, of the British Both
are leading admiralty lawyers, and fully
Informed as to the subject i'll hand. The
British delegates, except Hall, main
tained Il perfect silence. He is their au-
thorized spokesman; and while he is
present, the others have nothing to say.
GOodrich'S colleagues, however, occa-
Sionally found il desirable to supplement
his efforts by remarks of their own.
The delegates from Norway and Sweden
promise to become important members
OF the Congress. To-day they labored un-
der the disadvantage of having no inter
prefer but that will be rcmedicd to-mor-
row, it is promised. The discussion to-
day was nascd upon revised interna-
tional rules and rc9uluiDrIs for the pre-
vention OF collisions a. sea, contained i'll
Il circular iSsvrd by the United States
treasury department in September, 1887.
This was adopted al the suggestion oi
American delegates as = basis for action.
because ii W 5 i'll convenient shape,
and afforded Il good starting point.
Votes upon suggestions or propositions
of change are seldom taken for the rea-
son that after the regulations shall have
been thoroughly discussed, they will be
put into shape for final acceptance by
the committees appointed for that pur-
pose, and who will be guided in their
work by the expressions OF the Confer
ence. 1t is the opinion Of the delegates
that the Conference will not be able to
consider all the questions proposed in the
program in the time which its existence
is limited by the act authorizing it.
1t. Cotton of the United States navy
was to-day elected principal secretary,
and MessrS. Rice English, Nibiere
French, and Blaess, German, were ap-
pointed additional secretaries. Nj.
Hall, English, stated that the English
delegates had been instructed that the
programe mapped out by the American
delegates was too comprehensive for the
time of the duration of the Conference,
and he had therefore to inform thc
Conference that he and his colleagues
thought it best to contine the discussions
of the Conference of divisions and 3
of the programe. General division re-
iers to marine signals or other means oil
plainly indicating the direction in which
vessels are moving in fog, mist, falling
snow, and thick weather and at night,
and rules for the prevention of collisions
and rules of road.
Division No. refers to the draft
to which vessels should be restricted
when loaded. Hall further stated THAI
Her Majesty,s government would not
consider as binding any Of the rcgula-
tions or conclusions adopted by the
Conference.