"Height," "complexion," are duly noted.
"Marks on person" likewise go inexorably
down. The refined reader marvels at this
item, perhaps; but our tars tattoo themselves
most fancifully. It is a real old Saxon custom.
Harold (vide Sir E. B. Lytton's novel) adopted
it. So, "John Starbowline's " decorations—
"anchors," " flags," " initials," " portraits,"—
according to the amount of poetic fancy and
Indian ink visible on his form—go down likewise.
Masters are fined for taking him without
this document (which he gets gratis, in
the first instance); a due counterpart, or
duplicate, is preserved at the Registrar's
Office; a list of tickets " cancelled " by death,
desertion—or tickets " not in possession of the
persons to whom they were issued "—is
strictly preserved and exhibited in every
Custom-house and shipping office. The number
of the ticket is required, also, to be set
forth in every " return " made by a master;
consequently, the register-books at the Office
contain the " number," description, name, and
voyages of each seaman. The Registrar-
General is, besides all this, empowered by the
Act to make every master of a British vessel
produce his log-book, muster-roll, &c. &c., under
a penalty of twenty pounds. Such is a brief
summary of this organisation, the important
effects of which must be felt through our
whole future naval and mercantile history.

Let us see what this " Merchant Seamen's
Act " further did. It determined that no
seaman should be taken to sea without a
written agreement being drawn up between
master and seaman; and duly read over to
the seaman; and signed by both; and, that
this agreement must, on arrival home, be
delivered to the collector, or comptroller, ot
customs. Also, it enacted, that seamen having
refused to join, or proceed in the ship, or
absenting themselves after agreement, may be
apprehended by a justice of the peace, or his
warrant, and committed to gaol, or sent on
board. It inflicted forfeiture of wages, to a
rated amount, for absence, and refusal to
perform duty, and desertion, and, likewise
inflicted a penalty for harbouring deserters.
It obliged masters to give men an allowance
for short provisions; and to give them
on their discharge their register-tickets, and
a certificate of service—under a penalty of
five pounds. It established a summary mode
of recovering wages under twenty pounds by
order of a justice of the peace; and ordered
the maintenance on board of a due supply of
medicines and lime juice. It compelled
masters of ships in the home and fishing
trade to return lists of their crew, half-yearly.
It largely provided for the entry and
registration of parish and other apprentices,—
providing for the hearing and summary
disposal of their complaints. It further enacted
that the ships' agreement, indentures, and
register-tickets, should be deposited on arrival at
foreign ports with the consul, and at colonies
with the officers of customs. It gave consuls
and officers of customs considerable powers of
inquiry, and of surveying provisions, and
signifying necessary changes in them to the
master—subjecting him for neglect to the
penalties of a misdemeanor.

Here, then, was an important body of law,
subjecting a merchant ship to control at
home and abroad, from its leaving the docks,
to its final discharge of cargo and crew. The
half-yearly lists from the home trade clearly
give Government an opportunity of readily
knowing our nautical resources in case of
what is expressively called a " contingency;"
the authority of the consuls, too, we observe
to be largely increased. In short, the meshes
of law now began to draw gradually, but very
surely, round the nautical leviathan. I am
inclined to believe that the process was, for a
long time, scarcely felt by that noble animal;
but the "Mercantile Marine Act" has put
him thoroughly up to it.

In the interval between these two
important Acts, a very useful little one passed
(8 and 9 Victoria, cap. 116,) called the
"Seamen's Protection Act." This one summarily
put the procuring of seamen for merchant
ships into the hands of the Board of Trade.
This was a deadly blow at the " crimps," who
formerly acted as agents between masters
and seamen, and who derived enormous
profit from cashing the seamen's advance
notes of wages at exorbitant rates. By the
consent of all authorities, these individuals
are of a peculiar infamy of character in every
way, and clearly belong to the " offal of
mankind." Accordingly, this Act gave the Board
of Trade the power of licensing proper persons
to engage and hire seamen; forbade the
employment of those otherwise engaged; and
inflicted due penalties on all breaches of its
provisions. It is impossible to read this Act
without seeing the absolute necessity of direct
interference with the condition of seamen for
their protection. The " crimps," it must be
understood, had and have a direct interest in
their folly and sin, and it was peremptorily
necessary to deal absolutely in the matter.

At last, the "Mercantile Marine Act"
received the Royal assent, and came into
action on the 1st of January in the present
year. This is a decided development; it
professes the " improving the condition of
Masters, Mates, and Seamen, and maintaining
discipline in the Merchant Service." The
Board of Trade is fairly appointed a Mercantile
Admiralty, though, at present, it only
boasts two naval members.

Touching the " machinery " of this Act, I
cannot do better than make an extract or two
from the " Shipmaster's Guide " of the
Registrar General:

"By this act the superintendence of all matters
relating to the British Mercantile Marine is
transferred to the Board of Trade

"And the law is to be carried into force by
means of Local Boards at sixteen of the principal
Ports of the United Kingdom—