Birmingham state herald., 1896-12-13

AN ACT.
No. 79.

To amend section 1885 of the code of 1876, as amended by an act of the general
 assembly of Alabama approved Decem-
 Der 12, 1882, entitled An Act to amend
 sections 1885, 13SS 1893, 1895, 1896, 1899 of
 the code of Alabama, containing regula-
 tions of pilots and pilotage in the bay
 and harbor of Mobile" and further, to
 amend section 1886 of the code of Ala
 bama of 1876, as amended by an act
 of the general assembly of Alabama,
 approved February 9, 1895, and en-
 titled An Act to Amend Section 1886
 of the Code of Alabama of 1S76," relat-
 ing to certificates of appointment and
 oaths of pilots
 Section 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Alabama, That section 1885 of the code of 1S76 as amended by an ace approved December F, 1882, entitled An Act to Amend Sections 1885, 1888, 1893, 1895, 1896, 1899 of the Code of Alabama, containing regulations of pilots and pilot age in the bay and harbor of Mobile, be, and the same is hereby amended so as to read as follows Section 1885. Pi- lots, how licensed At no time shall there
 
 valid branches or licenses to serve as Mobile bay or bar pilots. At any time when there shall be less than thirty of said pilots and the commissioners of pf- lotage, or a majority of them, shall be of opinion that the necessity of com- merce demand an increase of the actual number serving as such pilots, they shall have the power to branch or license sufficient number of bay or bar pilots to meet such necessity, provided that the number so branched or licensed shall not increase the total number of such pilots to exceeding thirty, and provided that no person shall be so branched or licens- ed who has not made due application and been regularly examined and certi- fled to be competent to fill such appoint ment as hereinafter required. No per son shall apply for a license or branch as bay or bar pilot who has not served at least one year as an apprentice, or boat keeper, on board a pilot boat, in commission as such on the Mobile bay and bar, and who has not also assisted as pilot, on at least one entire trip a week for twelve weeks within continu- ous period of six months in company with some licensed Mobile bay or bar pilot, or on a sea going ves- sel or tug; and the Mobile bay or bar pilots shall always keep upon the pilot boats not less than three apprentices or boat keepers; and no Mobile bay or bar pilot apprentice or boat keeper shall be discharged ex- cept for cause, and any such apprentice or boat keeper so discharged shan have the right to appeal from such discharge to the pilot commissioners, and should the commissioners upon investigation, find that such discharge was without sufficient cause they shall have the pow CT to annul such discharge and rein state such apprentice or boat keeper. Every application for license or branch IN. w.s@t ,tAl certificate of the registered master of @ pilot boat, that the applicant has served his apprenticeship as hereinabove re- quired, and by an affidavit by the appli- cant, that he has made the trips herein provided. Before an applicant is branch ed or licensed the commissioners of pi- lotage must prepare in writing suitable questions to test his knowledge and com potency to become such pilot and must require him to answer the same in writ ing without any aid from any other per son and without having been informed as to what questions would be propound ed to him; when the applicant has re- dueed his answer to writing he shall sign the same and deliver them to one of the commissioners, and the commits sioners must cause such answers to be copied legibly but without the name of the applicant. The commissioners shall then appoint three fair, impartial and competent nautical men as a committee to examine the answers of the appli- cants. The applicant or applicants may name one of these, the existing pilots name another and the commissioners or a majority of them shall name the third. Said committee shall examine the copies of the answers of the applications. and shall endorse upon the answers of such of the applications as they find sufficient the following certificate, We hereby certify that the foregoing answers are satisfactory. and that in onr opinion the applicant making the same is well acquainted with the pilot grounds and knows how to handle both steam and sailing vessels and is competent to perform the duties of a bay or bar pilot.' When such certificate is duly signed and delivered to the commissioners the ap- plicant shall be deemed qualified to re- eeive a license.
 Section ?. Be it further enacted, That section 1886 of the code of Alabama of 1876, as amended by an act ap- proved February 9. 1895, entitled An act to amend section 1886 of the code of Alabama, of 1876, be amended so as to read as follows: Section 1886. Certifi cate of appointment and oath of pilots. The commissioners of pilotage shall issue to each pilot licensed and branched by them, an original and a duplicate certiG- cate of his appointment, competency and authority to act as such pilot and as to the extent thereof, and shall reissue du- pllcate ceftlncaIeS rom t1fne 10 time, as the, occasion may require; such original and duplicate certificates to be signed by a majority of the commissioners ,or by their chairman by their direction and each bay or bar pilot holding license or branch, must keep upon his person, when offering his services to any vessel, his duplicate certificate, and must upon de- mand of the proper officer of the vessel ex- hibit the same, and allow such officer to inspect,it. Before issuing an original ii- cense or branch the commissioners deliy- ering the same to the appointee, shall Ire quire him to take and subscribe in writ ing. an oath as follows, to be administer ed by such commissioners: l., A. B., do solemnly swear Cor affirm) that will faithfully and according to the. best of my skill and judgment perform the du- ties of a pilot for the bay and harbor of Mobile; that I will at all times, wind and weather and health permitting, use my best exertions to repair on board all vessels which I shall see and conceive to be bound for, coming into or going out oe the harbor or bay of Mobile. unless am well assured that some other licensed pilot is then on board the same; that I will at all times make the begt dis patch in my power to convey safely every vessel committed to my charge coming into or going out of the bay or harbor