This was received with howling and laughter.
If the anecdote be not true, it is certainly
like truth; it beats (if fiction) Marryatt and
the naval novelists, hollow.

Another very characteristic part of his
speech, was that in which he spoke of how
the men ought to act in case of a strike in
London. He was telling them that if they
were natives of the north country, they must
get back there without shipping on board any
vessel.

"How did I travel?—the best way I could.
Why, I've walked before now, one hundred
and seventy miles on a chaw of baccy! I
went into one house and asked for a glass of
water; and they told me they did not
encourage beggars, and I never asked anybody
again."

There is a natural manly pathos about this.
I hope the worthy who did " not encourage
beggars " will see this account; if he has
blood enough to muster a blush with, the
occasion offers an excellent opportunity of
investment!

These were the most striking points; whenever
he spoke of a personal matter, he was
excellent. One of his metaphors was remarkable
enough. Talking of the quietness of
the sailors hitherto, he said, "Yes, we've
been still enough; but still water's deep;
and if you sound far enough, you 'll find the
devil at the bottom!" All these touches were
received with tremendous applause, and a sort
of encouraging halloo from the crowd. I
noticed, meanwhile, one veteran who looked
like a skipper who did not join in this, but
with a countenance " more in sorrow than in
anger," looked musingly on.

Now, however, apropos of the skipper; it
is time, that I should give my readers some
account of the causes of this extraordinaiy
agitation, and its real bearings.

All our legislation as regards seamen of
the last few years, may be said to have had
this object and upshot; viz., the organising of
the whole body, and bringing it under
Government control. It is clear that an
increased facility in manning the Navy has
been kept in view throughout. Hence have
been established the registry, shipping offices,
shipping masters, local marine boards, and
finally, such clauses in the mercantile Marine
Act as 6, and 16, and 32, bearing respectively
these significant titles —  " New duties and
powers generally." " Certain functions of
Admiralty may be transferred to Board of
Trade." And " Transfer to Board of Trade
of control over Registrar " *—show clearly
enough that the Board of Trade bids fair to
be an Admiralty of itself, by and by.

* See the Acts of Parliament on these subjects, in " The
Shipmaster's Guide." By the Registrar-General—a book
of great utility.

The great and important measure, which is
the foundation of all the new maritime
legislation, is the above-mentioned " Registry."
For a long time we, whose seamen are the
best in the world, knew least about them; we
were without statistics and accurate information
on the subject. On a general average, we
have usually two hundred thousand mercantile
mariners, spread over the world, at work.
But till a comparatively late period, they may
be said to have been in the condition of
wandering tribes with regard to us. They
migrated, like other birds of passage,
uncounted and unknown, many of them changing
their names as they changed their ships—
Ishmaelites of the sea! When a war broke
out, instantly a press-gang began to " poach"
for them. The first shot sent them all
running like rabbits into their holes.

In the years 1833 and 1834, this state of
things began to receive decided attention.
Sir James Graham, who was then " First
Lord," brought in two bills. The first
encouraged " voluntary enlistment into the Royal
Navy, by limiting the time of service, and
augmenting the bounties; " the other
"consolidated the laws relating to Merchant
Seamen," and contained a " comprehensive
scheme for registering." This scheme was
"a precursory measure of registration," it not
being considered advisable at that time to
carry out fully all that had been suggested
towards facilitating the manning of the navy
in case of war.

Of these two bills of Sir James Graham's
introduction, the last (7 and 8 Victoria,
cap. 112), commonly called the "Merchant
Seamen's Act," was very important. With
regard to our present topic—the " Registry"
—it established the Register and Record
Office, and appointed the Registrar of Seamen:
it enacted that every person intending to
serve on board a ship (except as master or
physician, surgeon or apothecary) should
provide himself with a register-ticket—being
compelled to answer certain questions, giving
ample information about himself, before he
was entitled to receive it. This was an
excellent, business-like basis to build on. The
Act further compelled masters to bring
indentures and apprentices to the office for
these tickets. It made " altering the register-
ticket " a misdemeanor; made a negligent loss
of ticket a fine, and false answer on the
subject, a misdemeanor. It compelled every
master to send in a list of his crew to the
Comptroller of Customs, with the numbers of
their tickets. It fined masters for neglect,
and duly fortified the law with a chevaux-de-
frise of penalties.

The reader now begins to see the important
nature of this measure. The seaman presents
himself at the Registrar's Office, nearly opposite
the Custom-house, or at any Custom-house
in the outports. Out comes a parchment,
with it's blue-ink printing, the lion
and unicorn calmly presiding at top. Down
goes " John Starbowline," —  " born at—-, in
the county of—- ." Capacity, " so and so."
Eyes?—" blue, grey, squinting, or like the
fish-pools of Heshbon," as the case may be!