[152] 12 & 13 Vict. chap. lxxxi.
[153] See evidence taken in 1851, more particularly questions 4244, 3878, 3879, &c.
[154] See Captain Beechey’s report on Annie Jane, pp. 61, 62.
[155] The United States Passenger Act, passed in 1855, will be found in Appendix to ‘Fifteenth Report of Emigration Commissioners,’ pp. 106, 107, &c.
[156] Great exertions were made by this country to bring about so necessary an arrangement, and in 1870, ’71, and ’72, it was nearly effected; but a question of jurisdiction has since then delayed its further progress. The pending United States election, and a question connected with consular jurisdiction, combined with a few other matters of less importance, now delay the settlement which I trust may soon be brought about, for nothing can tend so much to the advantage of two such great nations speaking the same language as free and easy intercourse.
[157] An excellent compendium of the Act; and the Act itself will be found in Willmore and Bidell’s ‘Mercantile and Maritime Guide,’ 1856, 223, et seq. The rules and Orders in Council are at pp. 244, 245.
[158] But the great cause of improvement was the introduction of steam ships especially adapted for the purposes of emigration, to which I shall refer very fully hereafter.
[159] See their annual reports.
[160] As the law is more especially applicable for emigrant ships, the “statutory damages therein named” are 30l. for each person.
[161] This power has only once been put in operation, viz., in the case of the John. Its real importance is only in the cases where the sufferers are very numerous, and too poor to bring actions for themselves. In these cases the Board of Trade acts for them.