LONDON SESSIONS, Wednesda...
The Times, 1824-07-15T00:00:00

Ianis was an appeal carrica on at the expense or the l-ort or bon- don Society for promoting Religion among Seamen, against a convlce tion under the statute 10th Geo. IT., of one Voodyer, a servant in the employ of the Port of Loadon Society, for carrying a greater number of passengers in hliS bsoat than allowed by the statute, whichi enact., that no person working or navigating any boat for gain, sliall carry in anv tilt boat or row barge more than 37 passengers, nor shall carry in any dther boat or wherry more than 8 passengers at one time, on pain of forfeiture for the first offence, dl.; aand in case any greater iminber Of perons shall be carried than allowed, and any passenger shall be drowned, the person working the boat shaii be liable to transportation The Port of London Society, as is well Icnown, have established a floating chapel off Wapping, for the purpose of affording to seamen and others of that class the means of attending divine worship on Sundays; and the appellant Woodyer is employed by them, and receives Os. for ithe day, to work the Society's boat in bringing the sailors to and from the floating cihapel. His occupation, of course, interferes with the occupation of the watermen plying at Wapping New Stairs. Complaint was accordingly made to the Watermen's Company) and the penalties sued for agreeably to the directions of the statute 11th and 12th Williafn [II., in the name of two of the rulers of tie lVatermen' (Jrtnpany, Freeman, a &Vsvnyan plying at the stairt, de"posed to seeing XVetsyer, on the 16th of Mlay last, bring 21 persons from the chapel af'ter the service was over, and saw him change foitr fi2ttelces from different persons to take one penny eaci. He described the boat as a square.stern wherry, atid not capable of carrying more ttiia 10 persons wvith safety. Graham, andther waterman also swore to Woodyer's taking 21 pen,ons, antd seeing several of them v,ying. These were the facts of the case, which, indeed, were not denied. Church, the ship leeper ot'the tioatng chapel, described the boat in question; she was 24 feet in length, 5 feet wide, and two deep she was what is calledapilot's skiff, and in his judgment could carry 30O persons well, and 2G any distance with r,afety; and as a proof of it, the watesmen had wanted to borrow her to carrty 20 per- sons, with their luggage, down to Graveend. Benjamin Tanner, Esq., one of the Committee of the Society, said it was the best boat torthe serv ethey couldprocMre formonev HeIc was a lusty nman h1mbelf, and should not be Afraidto gd t it with 25, yea o0 persons. Woodyer's directions were to carry the pefsons to and fro gratuitouslvt Hie Was pxatdbr-ise &cietv. dThe RECOflnnid thi was a case upon which there coildljeiiI doubtt Whatever the Society might think with regard to the safety of the boat, they could give no authority to carry a greater number of passengers than alowed by law. It was not pretended that this was a tilt boat or sow barge, or that it would carry 37 persons, and every other boat was limsted to the number of eight passengers. The Court accordingly ennfirmed the conviction. LONDON SEks I. .S, lediesday, Julv, 14. TllE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING RELIGrON AfONG SEAMEN.