The act of 1854 provided for the establishment in the port of London of a general register and record office for sea/nen, under the management of a registrar-general of seamen; and required returns to be made to this official by the officers of customs, and through superintendents of mercantile marine offices, by masters of ships both in the home and in the foreign trade, from which a general view might be had as to the state of our mercantile marine. Official log-books, in forms prescribed, are required to he kept in every ship, other than those exclusively employed in the coasting-trade, either in connection with or distinct from the ordinary log-book; and in these, entries must be made of numerous specified occurrences. Provision is made for the punishment of offenses against discipline and good-conduct comntitted either by seamen or by ship-mas ters, and for the trial in this country of persons charged with any crime committed upon the high seas. The act of 1871 provides that where seamen are charged with deserting or refusing to join a ship, or refusing to go to sea, and a fourth of the crew, or 5 or more of the crew, if the number of the crew is 20, allege that the ship is from any cause, as unseaworthiness, overloading, improper loading, or defective equipment, not in a fit con dition to proceed to sea, or that the accommodation of the ship is insufficient, the court before which they are charged may order the ship to be surveyed, and unless the opinions of the surveyor be disproved, shall act upon them; the ship-owner or the accused paying, the cost of the survey. according as the defense is sustained or overruled. Where the defense is sustained, the court may, under the act of 1873, make an order for compensa tion to be paid by the ship-owner or ship-master to the seamen. The board of trade may suspend or cancel the certificate (whether of competency or of service) of any mas ter or mate (1) if, after investigation, he is reported to be incompetent, or to have beeu 'runty of any gross act of misconduct, drunkenness, or tyranny; (2) if, after investigation, P .
It is reported that the loss or abandonment of, or serious damage to any ship, or loss of life, has been caused by his wrongful act or default; (3) if he is superseded by the order of any admiralty court, or naval court held abroad under the provisions of the act; or (4) if he is shown to have been convicted of any offense.
In Part IV., under the head of "Safety and Prevention of Accidents," rules are laid down FIS to the boats and life-buoys which are to be carried by sea-going ships; and it is provided that the officers of customs shall not grant a clearance to any vessel by which those rules have not been complied with. As to the use of lights and fog-signals on board ships at sea, the regulations now in force are contained in the schedules of the act of 1862; where is also laid down the rule of the road for preventing collisions between ships meeting each other at sea. Under the acts of 1871 and 1873, ships which come into collision are required to exchange names, and give other information necessary for identification; and if, after the collision, one of the vessels does not stay by and give assistance to the other, it is deemed to have been in the wrong. The persoh in charge of it may be prosecuted for a misdemeanor, and have his certificate canceled. 'Wherever one of -two vessels which have been in collision has infringed the regula tions of the shipping acts, it is to be deemed in the wrong unless circinnstances are adduced which disprove this presumption. Certain stringent provisions are made as to the build and equipment, and also as to the surveying and certificating of steamships. The act of 18'7'2, which transfers to the board of trade the powers exercised under the passenger acts by the emigration commissioners, and, in certain cases, by the home secre tary, requires that passenger steamers should undergo survey at least once a year. Under
the acts of 1871, 1873, and 1875, the board of trade is enabled, either on the information of complainants, or of its own motion, to order any vessel to be surveyed, and after survey to declare it unseaworthy, and to make an order for its detention, or for its release, only on the fulfillment of such conditions as the board may prescribe. The owner or master of the vessel must be furnished with a copy of the surveyor's report on which the order of the board of trade has proceeded, and he inay appeal to the local court having admi ralty jurisdiction, the decision of which is final. The owner of a vessel detained pays the cost of the survey, and the-complainant whose case has not been substantiated pays the cost of the survey, and is liable in compensation to the owner of the vessel; the board of trade also is liable in compensation to the owner when it has acted of its own motion, and unseaworthiness has not been established. The act of 1875 also contains the follow ing provision (s. 4): "Every person who sends to sea, or is a party to any attempt to do so. and every master who knowingly takes to sea, a ship in such unseaworthy state, that the life of any person would be likely to be thereby endangered, shall be guilty of a mis demeanor. Emden laid on the adcused of proving that he did all he could to insure seaworthiness, or the ship going to sea in such unseaworthy state was, in the circum stances, reasonable and justifiable." Any person prosecuted under this provision is enabled to give evidence on his own behalf. The act of 1873 contains provisions as to Abe carriage of dangerous goods, and goods suspected of being dangerous; and the act •of 1875 provides for the carrying of grain.
For the provisions as to pilotage, in Part V., we refer to the acts themselves. See :RIM PILOT.
Part VI. deals with the subject of light-houses. See Liorrr-nousE; TRINITY HousE; and NORTHERN LIGHT-HOUSES.
Part VII. relates to the mercantile marine fund.
Part VIII. makes provision for cases of wreck, casualties, and salvage. An inquiry is to be ,made whenever any ship is lost, abandoned, or materially damaged on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom; or causes loss or material damage to any other ship on or near such coasts; whenever, by reason of any casualty on board of any ship, on or !near such coasts, loss of life ensues; and whenever any such loss, abandonment, damage, or casualty happens elsewhere, and any competent witnesses thereof arrive at any place in the United Kingdom. This inquiry is to be made by the inspecting officer of the .coast-guard, or the principal officer of customs of the place at which the occurrence in ,question happened, or of the place at which competent witnesses of it arrive, if it has happened abroad, or can be conveniently examined; or by some other person appointed .for the purpose by the board of traile. Such officer or person, if be thinks fit, or if the board of trade so directs, may have the matter formally investigated before two justices .or a stipendiary- magistrate; an..1 the board of trade may appoint some person of nautical skill and knowledge to act as assessor to such justices or magistrate. If the conduct of . any master or mate is in question, the magistrates may require him to deliver up his cer tificate pending the inquiry; and the certificate may be canceled or suspended by the board of trade upon their report, The board of trade has the general superintendence .of all matters relating to wreck, and has power to appoint a receiver of wreck in any *district.