LOCAL MARINE BOARDS.—Committees, knorm as Local Marine Boards, are established in the principal ports of the United Kingdom for the purpose of carrying into etrect, under the superintendence of the Board of Trade, the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act,1891. 'nese boards are constituted in the manner provided by the Act, and though they may generally themselves regulate the mode in which their ineetiii,e's are to be held and their business is to be conducted, vet they cannot fix a quorum of less than three, and the Board of Trade can prescribe the manner in which their minutes are to be kept. 13tit none of these acts or proceeding's is vitiated by reason of any irregularitY the election of anv of the members, or of any error in the list of voters entitled to vote at the election, or of anv irregu larity in making or revising the list, or by reason of any person not duly qualified acting on the board, or of any vacancy in the board. Every local marine board must make or send to the Board of Trade such reports and ,eturns as the Board of Trade may require ; and all minutes, books, and documents of, or used or kept by, any local marine board, or by any super intendent, or by any examiner or other officer or servant uncler the control of any local marine board, are required to be open to the inspection of the Board of Trade and their officers. The Board of 'Trade has also authority to temporarily take over the function3 of a local marine board in case, through certain circumstances, it should fail to meet or to discharge its duties. And if, on complaint being made to the Board of Trade, it appears to them that at any port any appointments or arrangements made by the local marine board are not such as to meet the wants of the port, or are in any respect unsatisfactory or improper, the Board may annul, alter, or rectify them as they think expedient, having regard to the intention of the Merchant Shipping Act and to the wants of the port.
Constitution.—Elections.—A local marine board consists of the following members, viz. : (a) The mayor or provost and the stipendiary magistrate, or such of the mayors or provosts and stipendiary magistrates of the place (if more than one) as the Board of Trade appoint ; (b) Four members appointed by the Board of Trade from among persons residing or having places of business at the port or within seven miles thereof ; (e) Six members elected by the owners of such foreign going ships and home trade passenger ships as are registered at the port. The election is held on the 25th January in every third year, calculated from January 1896, and the appointments are made within one month after the elections. Upon the conclusion of that month, and the constitution of a new board, the functions of the then existing board cease, and the board, consisting of the members then newly elected and appointed, takes its place. A casual vacancy happening in the intervals between the general elections and appointments, by death, resignation, disqualification, or otherwise, is filled up within one month after it happens ; and every person elected or appointed to fill a casual vacancy continues a member until the next constitution of the new board. 'flue mayor or provost fixes the place and mode of conducting elections, and also, in the ease of casual vacancies, the day of election, and must give at least ten days' notice thereof. The Board of Trade may decide any question raised concerning any election.
Registry and votes of electors.—Owners of foreign-going ships and of home trade passenger ships registered at the port have votes at the election as fidlows, namely : Every registered owner of not less than 230 tons in the whole of such shipping has at every election one vote for each member for every 250 tons owned by him, so that his votes for any one moldier do not exceed ten. The qualification of electors is ascertained as follows : -(a) In the case of a ship registered in the name of one person that person will be deemed to lie the owner ; (b) In the case of a ship registered in distinct and several shares in the names of more persons than one the tonna, e is apportioned among them as nearly as possible in proportion to their respective shares, and each of them is deemed the owner of the tonnage so apportioned to him ; (e) In the ease of a ship or shares of a ship registered jointly without severance of interest in the names of more persons than one the tonnage will, if sufficient either alone or together with other tonnage, if any, owned by the joint owners, to give a qualification to each of them, be apportioned equally between or among the joint owners, and each of them will be deemed the owner of the equal share so apportioned to him ; but if it is not so sufficient the whole of the tonnage will be deemed to be owned by such one of the joint owners resident or having a place of business at the port, or within seven miles thereof as is first named on the register ; (d) In making such an apportionment any portion of the tonnage may be struck off so as to produce a divisible amount ; (e) The whole amount of tonnage so owned by each person, whether in ships or shares of or interests in ships, is added together, and if sufficient will constitute his qualification. The chief officer of customs in the
port, with the assistance of the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen, makes out an alphabetical list of the persons entitled to vote at the election. This list is made out on or before the 25th December in every third year, calculated from the year 1895. It contains the name and residence of each person, and the number of votes to which he is entitled. It is signed by the Chief Officer, and copies thereof are fixed by him on or near the doors of the custom house of the port for two entire weeks next after the list has been made ; and he must him self keep two copies, and permit them to be perused by any one, without payment, at all reasonable hours during those two weeks. The mayor or provost of the port, at least twenty days before the 25th January in every third year calculated from the year 1896, must nominate two justices of the peace to fill the office of "revisors" and to revise the list. These revisors, between the 8th and 15th January both inclusive, in the year in which they are nominated, revise the list at the custom house of the port, or in some convenient place near thereto, to be hired, if necessary, by the Chief Officer ; and they must give three clear days' notice of the revision by advertising it in some local newspaper, and by affixing a notice thereof on or near to the doors of the custom house. They make the revision by inserting in the list the name of every person who claims to have his name inserted therein and gives proof to their satisfaction of his right to have his name so inserted ; and by striking out therefrom the name of every person to the insertion of whose name an objection is made by any other person named in the list, who gives proof satisfactory to the revisors that the name objected to ought not to have been inserted therein ; their decision with respect to ei cry such claim or objection is conclusive. Immediately after the revision they must sign their names at the foot of the list so revised. This list, so revised, is the register of voters at elections for three years from the 25th January then next ensuing inclusive to the 211.11 January inclushe in the third succeeding year. The revised list is then deli\ ere(' to the mayor or provost, who, if necessary, has it printed, and delivers a copy to every oter s ho applies for one. The Chief Officer, if required, for the assistance of the reNisors in revising the list, produces to them the books containing the register of ships registered at the port ; and the Registrar-General 01' Shipping and Seamen, if required, must also produce or transmit to them such certified extracts or returns from the books in his custody as may be necessary for the same purpose. The reiisors must certify the expenses properly incurred by the Chic f Officer in making and printing the list and in its rem ision, and the Board of Trade pays them, and also all the expenses properly incurred by the mayor or provost in !whiting the list, or in any election ; and the Board of Trade may disallow any items of any of those expenses in their opinion improperly incurred. Every person hose name appears on the revised list, and no other person, is qualified to vote at the election on the 2.5th January next after the revision, and at any election for a casual vacancy held at any time between that day and the next ordinary triennial election.
Qualification of memberg.----Every male person who, according- to the revised list, is entitled to vote, is qualified to lie elected a inemlivr, and no other person can be so qualified ; and if' any person elected ceases after election to be an owner of such quantity of tonnage as would entitle him to a vote he can no longer continue to act or be considered a member, and thereupon another member must lie elected in his place.
corporation owning a ship is entitled to be registered in like manner as au hidividual, with the substitution of the office of the corporation for the residence of the individual. The vote of such corporation is given by sonic person whom the corporation may appoint in that behalf, and that person is qualified to be elected a member and if the corporation ceases after his election to be an owner of such' quantity of_tonnacre as entitles the corpor ation to be registered as a voter, that person ceases to be a member, and another member must be elected in his place.