THE PASSENGERS' ACT AMENDMENT BILL. (Hansard, 20 May 1847)

§ LORD G. BENTINCK
said, that he had been requested by the shipping interest of Liverpool to propose some Amendments, the nature of which he would briefly explain to the Committee. The first Amendment was rendered necessary by a difference which prevailed in the mode of registering tonnage in Great Britain and America. A vessel registered at 800 tons here would be registered at only 610 tons in the United States; and, therefore, if she were to carry out passengers in proportion to her British-rendered tonnage, she would be liable to fine, and, it might be, to confiscation, according to the laws of America. The object of the first Amendment, therefore, was to assimilate the principle of registering in both countries. By his second Amendment, he proposed that fourteen feet should be allowed for each passenger, instead of ten feet, proposed by the Bill. By the American law, a child of fourteen years of age was counted as one passenger; but the Bill before the Committee proposed that two children of that age should count 1165 for one passenger. That was hardly fair; and his third Amendment proposed that two children of eight years old should count as a passenger. His fourth Amendment provided that emigrant vessels should be surveyed by Government officers, and not be allowed to sail unless they were declared seaworthy. Another Amendment made it imperative upon the owners of vessels to provide convenient ladders to enable passengers to pass to and from the hold. The last Amendment would provide, that, if a ship chartered to carry emigrants should be lost, the charterers should return to each passenger his passage money, or secure him a passage in another seaworthy ship, and also such further sum, not exceeding 5l., as would be compensation for loss of time. The clause was not according to the maritime code, by which, when the ship was wrecked, the sailors lost their wages. But the case of passengers and crew was wholly different. He could understand the policy of making the crew partly responsible for the safety of the ship; but the passengers could do nothing to prevent a disaster. The noble Lord then moved the several Amendments.

§ MR. HAWES
hoped the noble Lord would not press a portion of his Amendments; the Americans were rather hostile to emigration; but, on this side the water, he did not think it advisable to throw any additional obstacles in the way of it; he opposed the first Amendment, because it would restrict unnecessarily the number of passengers. As to the Amendment referring to the survey of ships to ascertain their seaworthiness, the object was better and more practically secured by the clause itself. With respect to the last and principal Amendment of the noble Lord, he approved of it, and would not offer it any opposition. It was the intention of the Government, in the next Session of Parliament, to introduce a consolidated Act on this subject; and he, therefore, hoped that under the circumstances the noble Lord would consent to let the Bill proceed now, and take the discussion on the clause which he had proposed when the report was brought up.

§ LORD G. BENTINCK
would give way on the minor Amendments, but when the report was brought up he would again move the clause with respect to the survey. In the then state of the House he would not press it.