MERCHANT SEAMEN'S BILL. (Hansard, 8 August 1844)

§ Mr. S. Herbert
moved that the Lords' Amendments to the Merchant Seamen's Bill be agreed to.

Admiral Dundas
was opposed to the Bill altogether. It was a most unfair thing to press forward a measure of that nature at that period of the Session, when seamen had had no opportunity of expressing their opinions on the subject. They would, in the course of next Ses- ^*The effect of this is, that the Lords do insist. 1923 sion have the Table covered with petitions praying for a repeal of the measure.

§ Mr. S. Herbert
said, that the Bill had been well considered, and so far from the merchants or seamen being displeased with the measure, he had received several letters expressing their approval of it, and thanking the Government for having introduced it.

§ Captain Pechell
, although he admitted that much misapprehension existed regarding this measure, thought it was most unreasonable to press it forward at the present time. It was impossible to discuss it properly, or to ascertain the opinions of seamen and shipowners respecting it. It was very well for hon. Gentlemen opposite to say that the interests of landlords and that of agricultural labourers were identical — that fallacy had been pretty well exposed by his hon. Friend below him; but the agricultural labourers were now beginning to be awake to their own interests, and to discover that their interests were concerned in having cheap bread. So the seamen were well aware that their interests were not identical with the interests of the shipowners. The House of Lords, by one of their Amendments, had reduced the amount of remuneration to be awarded to seamen for loss of their provisions from 1s. to 8d., thus depriving the seamen of 4d. This, he apprehended, was interfering with a money clause, and was an Amendment which the Lords had no right to introduce. He should wish the Speaker to settle that point. The hasty manner in which that measure was pressed forward was calculated to excite suspicions that there was some object in view, which the Government was afraid should come to the knowledge of the seamen. Meetings had been held on the subject of the seamen at Newcastle, at Liverpool, and at Bristol, and he protested against the Bill being pressed forward in that manner.