The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-25
orrxroxs ON TEE HreH srAA


Under Control.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 24-All that 20 down to
the sea in ships. all that do business In great
waters. whether merchants. mariners. or
tourists. may find moro or less interest in the
bill recently passed by the House for the pun.
ishment Of offences on the hiRh seas.
Its pith is that passengers are subjected By
Il to the same penalties for committing acts
Of violence or Indictment TO mutiny that are
now imposed by law on sailors. 1t provides
that every person. not one OF the crew. who.
alone or with others not Of the crew. upon
the high seas or other waters within the ad-
miralty jurisdiction OF the United States, and
not within the jurisdiction Of any particular
State. ION board any vessel belonging In
whole or In part to the United States or any
citizen thereof. in defiance OF the authority Of
the master or officer thereof. shall create
any riot or disorder. or shall engage in
any ARRAY. or shall commit any breach OF the
peace. or who shall hinder. obstruct. or resist
the crew in performance or execution OF any
lawful orders or commands OF the master or
officers OF such vessel" shall be punished BY
a fine not exceeding $1,000. or by imprison.
ment not exceeding one year. or by both.
Its second section imposes $1,000 fine or
i'm prisonment at hard labor not exceeding
two years. where the offence Is that Of wilful
assault. striking. or injury. Its third section
applies the penalty OF sl.oO fne or i've years.
Imprisonment, or both. now imposed by
statute upon tho crew OF a vessel foS An at
tempt or Indictment at mutiny. to any passen-
ger or other person not one OF the crew.
Finally, its further section extends to such
a passenger or other person the fine. not
exceeding s., 900. and the Imprisonment. not
exceeding ten years. now imposed on a snilor
for actual revolt or mutiny.
When this bill came up. one m EN- Der said he
understood that organized labor objects
very seriously" to it. and presented as evi.
dence OF that assertion a letter from Mr.. A
Furuseth of San Francisco. Secretary Sea-
upon a similar Senate Till:
Tn,s nnocent.looking bill has in It that which win
make organization among seauicn nearly mpossible,
by pun,shins Tor ,nc,ting to not or mu.iny any me
s SSs :%Ii :Sei tx i 'S sed ,h ,,ts se. "sGn in ' sS1sa they SS may an.s' ss
.ngss;d !. is ,ntrodue.% d to prevent any man coming
f rSia.l an. !. % yme.s = aee,.'oa r sse IN . ,h .' sou. issi.
~iis..n 10 Jerry simpson about the matte upon our
rIeas "i in NJ ! . S. pot hui ii ss ss = , in ~ ~ !. e eueiyn mens
TO passing Law %.tine !, : felony to ;ps.f 10 . :s.s
,peal to him H., 10 ne mos, polite terms Inducing him
surely ! i. enough 10 .ubjee. se.m.n to tn. earb.r-
s srs 'i sm. G.naed % SGse f t1s the Pre- pIes sa%f t;1, of asssa a'sso to
,h,s country i,m. 'a Ssl p so : : r trade I'd. G e The A a. ante. p1S,r
i /. .,is 1, i, e s,1$s.s;.%s !:s,:is;.sn; s:s:%, -! ~:
seamen from The sea.
1t took Mr.. Tom Reed Of Maine q very short
time to dispose OF this letter. and to put tho
argument for the bill. Remarking that the
apprehensions which seemed to DO enter
tanned by the writer Of the letter were not JUS
titled by the terms OF tho proposed statute. he
added that 1t was very important that the com.
mander OF n ship on the high. seas should be
in control Of it. and that it should not be un.
under the. existing law. while the crew are
amenable to the United States courts for GER
tain offences. passengers arc not. The statutes
now applicable on shore do not extend to such
cases on the high seas: and hence 1t Is i'm.
portant to enact tho proposed law. giving
commanding officers the increased control.
subject to revision after they arrive on shore.
Mr.: Reed frankly said that such q statute
would be entirely obnoxious on shore. but on
to preserve order; and that power is always
subject TO review by the law on the arrival OF
the ship in port. illustrating the necessity OF
this legislation. he said that lately passengers
had been coming from the Canadian coasts
who had given steamboat masters much
trouble. it having been found impossible to
keep them under control. The owners OF yes.
sells plying between the provinces and Boston
and Portland; It appears. desire tho aw. and
NJ. Bynum, added that 1t would also &c a good
thing for the great lakes; where there is at
boats from the large cities are out, and the
passengers engage in riot. when tho safety OF
the vessel Is threatened and the officers have
As the House passed the bill BY the strons
vote Of 49, ayes to z noes. there Ii little doubt
that. other in Its present form. or with any
modification that may b found necessary II
the senate; 1t will become q Law. and thus an.
other peril Of the high seas will be dimln.