PILOTAGE BILL. (Hansard, 15 August 1853)

§ The EARL of HARDWICKE
proposed to add words to the clause to delay its operation in respect to Liverpool for a year. He believed that if their Lordships passed the clause as it stood, the result would be the loss of many lives before the next meeting of Parliament. The river Mersey had peculiarities such as belonged to no other river in the kingdom, its navigation being rendered extremely difficult by the shifting of the sands, and therefore the safe pilotage of vessels required the aid of men constantly attending to the state of the river and the changes which continually occurred. Nevertheless, the clause under consideration would enable large steamers trading to Ireland and other ports of the United Kingdom, also ships in the foreign trade, foreign vessels, and vessels in the American trade, to be piloted in the Mersey by their own masters on taking out licences. This would not only be the cause of great danger, but it struck a fatal blow at the pilotage system and the pilots in the port of Liverpool. It might be well to have such a provision for vessels always running up and down the Mersey; but when vessels were absent for two or 1711 three months together, a heavy gale of wind might in the meantime have totally changed the position of the sands. All the authorities of the port of Liverpool were against the clause as it stood, and he trusted the Government would not persist in it as regarded Liverpool, as they had already expressed an intention to appoint a Committee to inquire into all matters connected with the pilotage of the United Kingdom.

§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEY
said, that the necessity for introducing this clause had arisen from the determination of the Liverpool pilotage authorities not to conform to regulations passed by Act of Parliament, and not to afford those facilites for examination in reference to pilotage certificates which had been conceded by every other port. It was contended that danger would arise from masters, long absent from the Mersey, navigating their own vessels in that river; but, upon this point, the Liverpool authorities had conceded the whole principle, for they had expressed their readiness to allow vessels trading with Scotland, Ireland, and London to have masters' licences; and a steamer might go to London one day, and might afterwards go to Boulogne or Bordeaux. It was not likely that owners of valuable ships would consent to trust them to incompetent persons, and he hoped their Lordships would not agree to the Amendment. The noble Earl was mistaken in supposing that a Committee was to be appointed to inquire into all matters relating to pilotage, for the Government thought that the present Bill would provide all the means necessary to enable them to propose whatever legislation might be required to amend the laws relating to pilotage.

§ LORD COLCHESTER
supported the Amendment.

§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEY
said, the examination would be conducted by persons belonging to the port, and fully acquainted with all the intricacies of the navigation.

§ The EARL of HARDWICKE
said, the masters of vessels never could be competent pilots for the Mersey, because when they returned from a sea voyage all the features of the river would probably have changed.

§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEY
said, that the objection would hold good against any harbour where there were shifting sands at the mouth.