SCRIP is a provisional certificate given to the subscriber to a loan issued by a government, corporation, or public company, and upon which certificate is indorsed a receipt for the payment of each instalment of the subscription. When the final instalment has been paid the subscriber is entitled to a bond in exchange for the scrip. This certificate is not a security for the payment of money, but merely an acknowledgment of a right to a further and more formal document which would be such a security. Nevertheless, a scrip is a negotiable instrument even though issued by a foreign government, and accordingly any person who takes it in good faith obtains a title to it independent of the person from whom he took it. It is a rule of the Stock Exchange that bargains in the scrip of a new loan, as in the shares or other securities of a new company, are contingent on the appointment of a special settling day ; but this rule does not apply to foreign loans officially quoted in their own country.
54 Geo. 3, c. 56, every person who makes any new and original sculpture or model, or copy or cast of the human figure, or of any bust or part of the human figure clothed in drapery or otherwise, or of any animal or part of any animal combined with the human figure or other wise, or any subject being matter of invention in sculpture, or of any alto or basso relievo, or any cast from nature, of man or animals, whether separate or combined, &c., has the sole right and property of the whole of such new and original sculpture, &c., for fourteen years, putting their name and date thereon, from the first putting forth or publishing ; and this term is extended to models, &c., protected by a former Act. Persons (not having purchased the property in the original) making, importing, or selling pirated copies or casts of such sculptures are liable to damages. An additional term of fourteen years is given to the proprietor, if living, and not having assigned his property. No registration is required. See COPYRIGHT.
SEA the part of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, relating to the expression " is defined to mean a vessel of whatever size, and in whatever way propelled, which is for the time being employed in the sea fishing service ; but, save as otherwise expressly provided, that expression does not include a vessel used for catching fish otherwise than for profit. The expression " second hand" means with respect to a fishing-boat, the mate or person next to the skipper in authority or command on board the boat. The expression " voyage " means a fishing trip commencing with a departure from a port for the purpose of fishing, and ending with the first return to a port thereafter upon the conclusion of the trip; but a return due to distress only is not deemed to be a return, if it is followed by a resumption of the trip. The Act contains provisions for the registry of fishing-boats, and rules as to their being equipped with boats and life-buoys and as to the carriage of passengers, and imposes penalties in the case of breaches of these provisions.
seaman lawfully engaged to serve in a fishing-boat, or an apprentice in the sea fishing service, may be punished, as mentioned, if he commits any of the following offences :—(a) For desertion,—he is liable to forfeit the effects he leaves on board, and all or any part of the wages he has then earned, and to satisfy any excess of wages paid by the skipper or owner from the fishing-boat deserted to any substitute engaged at a higher rate than that stipulated to be paid to him ; (b) for absence without leave, that is, for neglecting without reasonable cause to join or to proceed to sea in his fishing-boat, or for being absent without leave at any time within twenty-four hours of his boat's sailing from any port, either at the commencement or during the progress of the engagement, or for being absent at any time without leave and without sufficient reason from his boat,—if the offence does not amount to desertion, or is not treated as such by the skipper, he is liable to forfeit a sum not exceeding two days' wages, and in addition for every twenty-four hours of absence, either a sum not exceeding four days' wages, or the expenses incurred for a substitute; (c) for wrongfully quitting the boat without leave after her arrival in port, and before she is placed in security,—he is liable to forfeit a sum not exceeding two weeks' wages ; (d) for wilful disobedience, that is, for wilfully disobeying any lawful command during the engagement,—he is liable to imprisonment for four weeks, and also to forfeit two days' wages ; (e) for continued breach of duty, that is, for continued wilful disobedience to lawful commands during the engagement, or continued wilful omission to do his duty during his engagement,—he is liable to imprisonment for twelve weeks, and also to forfeit for every twenty-four hours' continuance of the offence either six days' wages or the expenses incurred for a substitute ; (f) for assaulting any skipper or second hand,— he is liable to imprisonment for twelve weeks ; (g) for unlawful combination with any of the crew to disobey lawful commands, or to neglect duty, or to impede the navigation of the boat, or the progress of the trip,—he is liable to imprisonment for twelve weeks; (h) for wilful damage of the boat, or embezzling or wilfully damaging any of her stores or cargo,—he is liable to forfeit a sum equal to the loss thereby sustained, and also to imprisonment for twelve weeks; (i) for smuggling, that is for any act of smuggling, of which he is convicted and which caused loss or damage to the skipper or owner,—he is liable to forfeit a sum sufficient to reimburse the same. And a
skipper is liable to punishment, as if he were a seaman, for desertion, absence without leave, wrongfully quitting the boat, wilful damage, and smuggling. The Court may order any money so forfeited to be deducted from wages, and may order the forfeiture to be applied for the benefit of the person by whom the wages are payable or of the person injured. The provisions relating to the offences of wilful disobedience, continued breach of duty, assault, and unlawful combination, extend to apprentices in the sea fishing service, and to sea fishing boys, whether on shore or on board. A seaman or apprentice is not relieved by his refusal or neglect to go to sea, or by his desertion, from being liable to punishment for the above offences ; and in addition to any such punishment he is also liable to be punished for the offence of desertion or absence without leave. These provisions do not take away the civil remedies of an owner or skipper. Forfeitures are applied in reimbursing the owner or skipper, and subject to that reimbursement are paid into the exchequer.