HC Deb 22 June 1863 vol 171 cc1275-7

Bill considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.)

Clause 3 (Definition of "Passenger Ship" enlarged).

MR. CAVE

proposed to leave out the words "in all," because the words rendered the meaning doubtful as to whether cabin passengers might not be included.

MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE

assented.

Clause 8 (Horses and Cattle may be carried in Passenger Ships under certain Conditions).

MR. CAVE

said, he had given notice of an Amendment to the effect that animals might be carried below. He had once been in a steamer in a gale of wind which caused her to strain very much, and the passengers were far more inconvenienced by the washing from the pens through the seams of the deck than they could have been if the animals bad been carried below. His hon. Friend had assented to the principle of his Amendment; but as he preferred his own words, he (Mr. Cave) would not move his Amendment, but leave his hon. Friend to move his.

MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE

then moved that Condition 1 run thus— That animals be not carried on any deck below that on which passengers are berthed, nor in any adjoining compartment, except in a ship built of iron, and of which the compartments are divided off by watertight bulkheads extending to the upper deck.

Amendment agreed to.

MR. CAVE

moved in the 2nd condition, that "ten" be substituted for fifteen. He said that by the Passenger Act a space of five superficial feet on deck was considered enough for each passenger, and it would surely be enough to double this when a few animals were allowed to be carried.

MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE

said, that the Bill was chiefly a relaxation of the law in respect to passenger ships; still the comfort and safety of the passenger ought to be the first consideration. He thought, however, that the space proposed by his hon. Friend would be sufficient, and he therefore assented to the Amendment.

MR. CAVE

then moved that in Condition 3 "fifteen" should be substituted for ten. By the Passenger Act fifty passengers might be carried to a hundred tons; fifteen, therefore, could not be too many when there were animals.

Motion agreed to.

MR. CAVE

then moved that in Condition 4 "ten" be substituted for "six," as the number of cattle which might be carried.

Motion agreed to.

MR. CAVE

then moved this addition to Clause 11— Provided that cabin passengers shall not be entitled to recover, under the said section, more than half the money which may have been paid on account of their passage. He said that cabin passengers' stores consisted chiefly of live stock and perishable articles, which, if not used, would often be lost or wasted, whereas ordinary passengers' provisions resembled the common ships' stores, which would keep good, and might be used for the crew. In some of the small ports a man might, if he changed his mind about sailing, get a certificate of sickness for a shilling; and if all his pas- sage-money was to be returned, great loss must be inflicted on the shipowner.

MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE

concurred in the justice of this view, but would prefer, instead of his hon. Friend's Amendment, these words—"Provided that in the case of cabin passengers so landed, only one half the passage-money be recoverable."

MR. CAVE

could not object to his hon. Friend's preferring his own words, which were substantially the same as the Amendment he had himself proposed.

Remaining clauses agreed to.