APPENDIX No. 13.
Acts of Parliament passed between 1849 and 1875 inclusive, relating to Merchant Snips and Seamen, with a note of the more important Parliamentary Papers issued in regard to the Navigation Laws or Mercantile Marine of Great Britain.
| 1849. | Emigrant Ships. Passenger Acts, 12 & 13 Vict. c. 33. |
| ” | Repeal of Navigation Laws, Foreign Trade, 12 & 13 Vict. c. 29. |
| ” | Pilotage, 12 & 13 Vict. c. 88. |
| ” | Mercantile Marine Act, 13 & 14 Vict. c. 93. |
| 1851. | Mercantile Marine Act Amendment Act, 14 & 15 Vict. c. 96. |
| ” | Steam Navigation Act, 14 & 15 Vict. c. 79. |
| ” | Seamen’s Fund Winding-up, 14 & 15 Vict. c. 102. |
| ” | Wages, &c., of Deceased Seamen. Parl. Paper, 143, 1875. |
| 1852. | Passenger Acts, 14 & 15 Vict. c. 1. |
| ” | Foreign Deserters, 15 & 16 Vict. c. 26. |
| 1853. | (Emigrant Ships) Passengers Acts, 15 & 16 Vict. c. 44. |
| ” | Pilotage Laws Amendment Act, 16 & 17 Vict. c. 129. |
| ” | Merchant Shipping Act Amendment Act, 16 & 17 Vict. c. 131. |
| ” | Colonial Lighthouses. |
| 1854. | Commission on Local Charges on Shipping. Parl. Paper, C. 1836, 1854, C. 1911, and C. 1967, 1855. |
| ” | Repeal of Navigation Laws (Coasting Trade), 17 & 18 Vict. c. 5. |
| ” | Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, 17 & 18 Vict. c. 104. |
| ” | Ship Registry. |
| ” | Merchant Shipping Act, 17 & 18 Vict. c. 104. Tonnage. |
| ” | Wrecks. Wreck Register, Parl. Paper, C. 1260, 1875, p. 302. Liability. Legal Procedure. Seamen’s Money Orders. Parl. Paper, 161, 1875. |
| ” | Meteorology. |
| 1855. | Merchant Shipping Act Amendment Act, 1855, 18 & 19 Vict. c. 91. |
| ” | Emigrants, 18 & 19 Vict., Passenger Act, c. 119. |
| ” | Seamen Deserting Unseaworthy Ships. Parl. Paper, C. 853, 1875. |
| 1856. | Shipping Dues. Parl. Paper, 225, 1856. |
| ” | Seamen’s Savings Banks, 19 & 20 Vict. c. 41. Parl. Paper, 161, 1875. |
| 1857-8. | Harbours of Refuge Committee. Parl. Paper, 344 and 344 i. 1858. |
| 1859. | Harbours of Refuge Commission. Parl. Paper, C. 2474, and C. 2506, Sess. 1, 1859. |
| ” | Commission on Manning the Navy. Naval Reserve; Training Ships. 22 & 23 Vict. c. 40. |
| 1860. | Anchors and Chain Cables. Parl. Paper, No. 182, 1860. |
| ” | Committee on Merchant Shipping. |
| ” | French Treaty. Parl. Paper, C. 2644, 1860. |
| 1861. | Harbours and Passing Tolls Act, 24 & 25 Vict. c. 47. Parl. Papers, 457, 1862, and 176, 1871. |
| ” | Bristol Channel Pilotage Act, 24 & 25 Vict. c. 236. |
| ” | Lighthouse Commission. Parl. Paper, C. 2793, I., II., 1861. |
| 1862. | Merchant Shipping Act Amendment Act, 1862, 25 & 26 Vict. c. 63. Examination of engineers. Inquiries. Rules as to lights, &c. Duty in case of collision. Steamboat passengers. Pilotage. Local lighthouses. Liability. Tonnage. International arrangements. Salvage jurisdiction. Delivery of goods. Repeal of law as to deck loading and for bulkheads. |
| ” | Commercial Code of Signals. |
| ” | Harbours transfer, 25 & 26 Vict. c. 69. |
| 1863. | Emigrant Ships. Passengers Act Amendment, 26 & 27 Vict. c. 51. |
| ” | Naval Reserve (officers), 26 & 27 Vict. c. 69. |
| 1864. | Chain Cables and Anchors, 27 & 28 Vict. c. 27. Parl. Paper, 139, 1864. |
| ” | Surveys in cases of Desertion. Questions 246 to 272, and App. No. 5 to Report of Unseaworthy Ships Commission. |
| 1866. | Timber Duties Repealed, 29 & 30 Vict. c. 36. |
| ” | Crown Land Act, 1866, 29 & 30 Vict. c. 62. Parl. Paper, 18, 1867. |
| ” | Meteorology. Storm Warnings. Report of Committee, 14, 145, 1866. Parl. Paper, C. 1307, 1875. |
| 1867. | Merchant Shipping Act, Health of Seamen, 30 & 31 Vict. c. 124. |
| ” | Local Dues Exemption, 30 & 31 Vict. c. 15; 33 & 31 Vict. c. 59. |
| 1868. | Colonial Shipping, 31 & 32 Vict. c. 129. |
| ” | County Courts Admiralty Jurisdiction, 31 & 32 Vict. c. 71; 32 & 33 Vict. c. 51. |
| ” | Sea Fisheries, 32 & 33 Vict. c. 45. |
| ” | Merchant Shipping Consolidation Bill. |
| ” | Merchant Shipping (Colonial), 32 & 33 Vict. c. 11. |
| ” | Coasting Trade of Colonies. Colonial Examinations. |
| ” | Merchant Shipping Consolidation Bill, No. 267 of 1869. |
| 1869-70. | Opinions of Consuls on British Ships and Seamen. Parl. Paper, C. 630, 1872. |
| 1870. | Compulsory Pilotages, No. 343, 1870. |
| ” | Consular connection with the United States. |
| ” | Merchant Shipping Code, No. 24 of 1870. Parl. Paper, 26-173, 1870. Scale showing draught of water. Survey in cases of Desertion. Record of draught of waters. Misdemeanour to send unseaworthy ships to sea. |
| 1871. | Merchant Shipping Code Bill, No. 15, C. 287, 1871. |
| ” | Merchant Shipping Act, 34 & 35 Vict. C. 110. Unseaworthy ships. |
| ” | Chain Cables Act, 34 & 35 Vict. c. 101. |
| 1872. | Merchant Shipping Act, 35 & 36 Vict. c. 73. |
| 1873. | Commission on Unseaworthy Ships. |
| ” | Merchant Shipping Act, 36 & 37 Vict. c. 85. Parl. Paper, C. 1152, 1875. |
| 1874. | Chain Cables, 37 & 38 Vict. c. 5. |
| ” | Tonnage Bill. Parl. Paper, C. 943, 1874. |
| 1875. | Combustion in Coal-laden Ships. Royal Commission. |
| ” | Fog Signals at Lighthouses. Parl. Papers, 119, 1873; 188, 1874, and 224, 1875. |
| ” | Marine Insurance. Parl. Paper, No. 304, 1875. |
| ” | Merchant Shipping Bill, No. 116, 1875. |
| ” | Unseaworthy Ships, 38 & 39 Vict. c. 88. |
| ” | Board of Trade and its Staff. Parl. Paper, 482, 1871. |
It would thus appear that, since the Navigation Laws were repealed in 1849, Government has passed no less than forty-one Acts of Parliament, and introduced seven Bills not yet passed, many of them great and important measures, besides laying before Parliament numerous instructive and interesting papers, all of them devoted expressly to the purpose of improving our merchant ships and the condition of our merchant seamen. It is idle, and worse than idle, after these facts, to charge the respective Governments, since 1849, with having neglected the interests of our mercantile marine, and the best answer to such mischievous and unjust charges is the present very high position in all respects of our merchant fleets as compared with those of all other nations.