The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-02
THE BHHRING SEA BILL
Provisions Of That Recently In
trodueed in the House
Of Commons.
By Gable to the United Press.

LONDON, April 2, 1S94.-The Behring Sea
bill, which was recently introduced in the
House of Commons by Sir Charles Russell,
contains eight clauses and two schedules.
The first clause provides that the arbitration
award, as set forth in the first schedule, shall
have effect as enacted by this act. Any one
contravening this act shall be guilty of
misdemeanor within the meaning of the
Merchant Shipping act Of 1854. Any ship
employed in contravention Of this act, to-
gether with her equipment and everything
on board, is liable to be forfeited The
court without prejudice to any other power
may release such ship and her equipment
upon the payment of fine not to exceed
e5O0
SEIZE AND DETAIN SHIPS.
The provision of the Shipping Act Of 1854,
respecting official logs shall apply to ey cry
vessel engaged in fur sealing, and any one
forging a fraudulent license or altering a
license issued under articles and Z in the
first schedule shall be guilty of a misde-
meanor under the act of 1854 the provisions
of said act enabling British officers, naval,
customs or consular, to seize and detain any
ship and bring her before any court having
admiralty jurisdiction within her Majesty's
dominlons, and apply for the imposition of
penalties, including forfeiture And any
commissioned naval officer in the Queens
service may seize ships certificate of
registry. In any case where an officer seizes
a ships certificate of registry he may retain
the certificate, giving a provisional certif-
cate in lieu thereof, or return the
certificate with an endorsement stat
ing the grounds of seizure, and
in either case he may direct the ship to pro-
ceed forthwith to any specified port where
there is British court authorized to adjudi-
cate. If this direction is not complied with
the owner or master of such vessel shall
without prejudice to other liability be liable
to fine not to exceed e100, and any British
customs or consular officer may detain such
ship until satisfactory security shall be given
for her appearance in legal proceedings in
pursuance of this act.
POWERS FOR UNITED STATES OFFICERS.
The Queen in Council may make, revoke
or alter orders carrying into effect the
scheduled provisions of this act, and anyone
centravenlng the regulations of such orders
shall be liable to a penalty of G100. The
order of the Queen in Council may provide
that such officers of the United States as are
specified in the order may exercise powers
under this act similar to those exercised by
a British naval officer In relation to Brit
ish ship, her equipment and certificate of
registry British officers specified in the
order may exercise powers under the act
with the necessary notifications specified in
the order in relation of a ship of the United
States
Any Offence committed under the act by
the master or any one belonging to ship
renders the vessel liable to forfeiture unless
it be shown that the master used due dill
gence to enforce the regulations, did not con-
nive at the offence committed and took
proper means to prosecute the offender.
EQUIPMENT DEFINED.
Equipment is defined as including boats,
tackle, fishing and shooting instruments and
all other things belonging to the ship. The
act becomes effective on May l. and is to re-
main in force as long as provided in the
scheduled provisions. In case proceedings
shall be taken against any ship sailing before
the provisions of the act shall have been
published such ship shall be freed from for
feiture.
The first schedule consists of nine articles
of the award of the Arbitration Tribunal,
and the second schedule contains the clauses
of the Shipping Act of 1854, referred to In
the bill, with the application of legal pro-
cedure under the same act.
WASHINGTON, April 2. 1S94.-The Behring
Sea bill has been reported to the Senate by
Mr.. Morgan Dem., Ala.), and is now before
the Senate for action.