Act Amendment Act, 1862, are to be carried to the Mercantile Marine Fund (s. 2).-It is enacted that (doubts in regard thereto having been expressed) the powers conferred by sec. 31 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, on the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, or person administering the government of a British Possession, shall include (a) power to approve a port or place within the Possession for the registry of ships, and (b) power to appoint surveyors within the Possession to survey and measure ships for registry or re-registry as British ships, in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1887 (s. 3).-Documents which under s. 277 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, &c., are to be recorded by the Registrar-General of Seamen, are to be deemed public records (s. 4).—In the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, and amending Acts, "lighthouse" shall include sirens and all other descriptions of fog-signals, and "new lighthouse shall include the addition to any lighthouse of any improved light, siren, or any description of fog-signal (s. 5).-Repealing clause (s. 6), viz., s. 48 of 14 & 15 Vict. c. 102, and s. 4 of 43 & 44 Vict. c. 22.

51 & 52 VICT. c. 18 (5th July, 1888).

[As to an International Convention respecting the Liquor Traffic in the North Sea.]

THE NORTH SEA FISHERIES ACT, 1888.

1. The Convention in the schedule is confirmed, and the articles thereof shall be of the same force as if herein enacted.

Secs. 2, 3, and 4 enact as follows in regard to the specified offences committed "within the North Sea limits but outside territorial waters."-Any person belonging to or on board a British vessel who supplies spirituous, liquors to any person belonging to a seafishing boat shall be liable

(a) if the liquors are supplied in exchange for any article not
belonging to the person supplied, to a fine not exceeding
£50, or, in the discretion of the court, to imprisonment not
exceeding three months, with or without hard labour; and
(b) if the liquors are sold otherwise than by way of such
exchange, to a fine not exceeding £30, or, in the discretion of
the court, to imprisonment not exceeding three months
with or without hard labour.. (Sec. 2)

Any person belonging to or on board a British sea-fishing boat who purchases spirituous liquors, shall be liable—

(a) if he gives any article not belonging to him in exchange
for the liquors, to a fine not exceeding £50, or, in the
discretion of the court, to imprisonment not exceeding
three months, with or without hard labour; and
(b) if he purchases the liquor otherwise than by way of

exchange, as aforesaid, to a fine not exceeding £10

(sec. 3).

Any person belonging to or on board a British vessel who deals with any person belonging to or on board a sea-fishing boat in any provisions or other articles for his use, except spirituous liquors, without a license granted pursuant to Article Three of the Convention, or without carrying on his vessel the mark agreed upon pursuant to that Article, or in contravention of any conditions of a licence so granted, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £20, and his licence may be revoked (sec. 4).

5. The Queen may, from time to time, by Order in Council, make, vary, and revoke regulations

(a) for prescribing the authority by whom licences under Article Three of the Convention are to be granted, renewed, and revoked; and

(b) for prescribing the mode of application for such licences, and the conditions under which, and the time for which, the licences are to be granted; and

(c) generally for giving effect to any of the provisions of this Act, or any of the articles of the Convention.

6. For enforcing this Act in the case of British and foreign vessels, whether within or beyond the North Sea limits, all British and foreign sea fishery officers respectively within the meaning of the Sea Fisheries Act, 1883, shall have the powers, and be entitled to the protection they have and are entitled to for enforcing that Act in the case of British and foreign sea-fishing boats respectively.

Provided that in the case of a vessel not being either a sea-fishing boat, or a vessel habitually employed in dealing with fishermen, the power of a sea fishery officer to take the vessel to any port shall not be exercised unless the sea fishery officer is satisfied that its exercise is necessary for the suppression ot grave disorder.

7. Secs. 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 of the Sea Fisheries Act, 1883, shall apply to offences, fines, and legal proceedings under this Act, as they apply to offences, &c., under that Act.

8. Section 17 of the Sea Fisheries Act, 1883, shall apply.to any formal statement drawn up pursuant to Article 7 of the Convention as it applies to any document drawn up pursuant to the Convention in Schedule 1 to that Act.

'terri

9. Defines the expressions used. "North Sea limits," torial waters," ""sea fishing boat," "vessel" (ship, boat, lighter, and craft of every kind, whether navigated by steam or otherwise), 'spirituous liquors."

(2) The pro

10. (1) As to the commencement of the Act. visions of this Act as to the sea fishery officers of foreign States bound by the Convention in Schedule 1 to the Sea Fisheries Act, 1883, shall continue in operation notwithstanding the termination of that Convention as respects that foreign State. (3) So much of this Act as has effect outside territorial waters shall, if the Convention ceases to be binding on H.M., cease to apply to the vessels and officers

of any foreign State bound by the Convention, but, subject as aforesaid, this Act shall continue in force notwithstanding the determination of the Convention.

11. Title of the Act (as above).

SCHEDULE.

CONVENTION RESPECTING THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC IN THE NORTH SEA.

The foreign States entering by their representatives into the Convention are Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, and the Netherlands.

I. The Convention shall apply in the North Sea, outside territorial waters, and within the limits fixed by Article IV. of the Convention of the Hague of the 6th May, 1882, respecting the police of the fisheries to every person on board a ship or boat of any one of the Contracting Parties.

II. The sale of spirituous liquors to persons on board or belonging to fishingboats is forbidden.

The purchase of those liquors by such persons is forbidden.

The exchange of spirituous liquors for any article, and especially for products of the fisheries, gear or equipments of fishing boats, or fishing implements, is forbidden.

Every liquid obtained by distillation, and containing more than five litres of alcohol per hectolitre, shall be considered a spiritous liquor.

III. The liberty to deal with fishermen in provisions and other articles for their use (spirituous liquors excepted) shall be subject to a licence to be granted by the Government of the country to which the vessel belongs. This licence. must specify the following amongst other conditions :

:

(1). The vessel may not have on board a quantity of spirits greater than what is deemed requisite for the consumption of her crew.

(2). All exchange of the articles above indicated for products of the fisheries, gear, or equipments of fishing-boats, or fishing implements, is forbidden.

Vessels provided with this licence must carry a special and uniform mark to be agreed upon by the Contracting Powers.

IV. The Contracting Parties engage to take, or to propose to their respective Legislatures, the necessary measures for insuring the execution of the present Convention, and especially for punishing, by either fine or imprisonment, or by both, those who may contravene Articles II. and III.

V. The Tribunals competent to take cognizance of infractions of Articles II. and III. are those of the country to which the accused vessel belongs. If vessels of different nationalities should be implicated in the same infraction, the Powers to which such vessels belong will mutually communicate to each other the judgments given by the Tribunals.

VI. Prosecutions for infractions shall be instituted by the State, or in its name. Infractions may be verified by all means of proof allowed by the Legislation of the country of the Court concerned.

VII. The superintendence shall be exercised by the cruizers of the Contracting Parties which are charged with the police of the fisheries.

When the officers commanding these cruisers have reason to believe that an infraction of the measures provided for in the present Convention has been committed, they may require the captain or master to exhibit the official documents establishing the nationality of his vessel, and, where the case occurs, the licence. The fact of such documents having been exhibited shall then be indorsed upon them immediately..

Further, formal statements of the facts may be drawn up by the said officers, whatever may be the nationality of the accused vessel. These formal statements shall be drawn up according to the forms and in the language used in the country to which the officer belongs; they may be used as means of proof in the country where they are adduced, and conformably with the laws of that country. The accused and the witnesses shall be entitled to add or to have added thereto,

in their own language, any explanations which they may think useful. These declarations must be duly signed.

Resistance to the directions of Commanders of cruizers, or of those who act under their orders, shall, without taking into account the nationality of the cruisers, be considered as resistance to national authority.

The Commander of the cruizer may, if the case appears to him sufficiently serious to justify the step, take the offending vessel into a port of the nation to which she belongs.

VIII. The proceedings in respect of infractions of the provisions of the present Convention shall always take place as summarily as the Laws and Regulations will permit.

IX. The Contracting Parties will communicate to each other, at the time of the exchange of ratifications, the Laws which shall have been made in their respective countries in relation to the object of the present Convention.

X. States which have not signed the present Convention may adhere to it on making a request to that effect. This adhesion shall be notified through the diplomatic channel to the Government of the Netherlands, and by the latter to to the other Signatory Powers.

XI. Relates to the time of commencing, and the continuance, &c., of the Convention.

The remaining Article (XII.) is formal.

51 & 52 VICT. c. 24 (10th August, 1888).

MERCHANT SHIPPING (LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES) ACT, 1888.

1. The owner and master of every British ship is to see that his ship is provided, as per rules under this Act, with such boats, life jackets, and other appliances for saving life at sea as, having regard to the nature of the service on which the ship is employed, and the avoidance of undue encumbrance of the ship's deck, are best adapted for securing the safety of her crew and passengers.

2. (1) For the purpose of preparing, &c., such rules, the President of the Board of Trade is from time to time to appoint a committee, the members of which shall be nominated by him as per the First Schedule to the Act; (2) Each member is to hold office for two years from his appointment, but to be eligible for re-appointment; (3) There shall be paid to the members out of the Mercantile Marine Fund, such travelling and other allowances as the Board of Trade from time to time may fix; (4) The Queen may from time to time, by Order in Council, alter the First Schedule to the Act.

3. The Board of Trade may, from time to time, make, rescind, and vary rules respecting the matters mentioned in the Second Schedule to the Act. All rules under the Act are to have effect as if enacted in the Act, and are to be judicially noticed, and are to be laid before Parliament as stated, and are not to come into operation until they have so lain, for forty days during session.

4. (a) If any ship required by rules under the Act to be provided with appliances, for saving life at sea proceeds on any voyage or

excursion without being so provided, in accordance with the rules applicable; or (b) If any of the appliances with which she is provided are lost or rendered unfit for service in the course of the voyage through the wilful fault or negligence, of the Owner or Master; or (c) If, in case of any such appliances being lost or injured in the course of the voyage, the Master wilfully neglects to replace or repair the same on the first opportunity; or (d) If such appliances are not kept so as to be at all times fit and ready for use; then, if the Owner appears to be in fault, he shall incur a penalty not exceeding £100, and if the Master appears to be in fault, he shall incur a penalty not exceeding £50. Such penalties may be recovered, &c., as provided respecting penalties by the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, and the Acts amending it.

5. To enforce compliance with the rules

(a) Any surveyor appointed under Part IV. of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, or such other person as the Board of Trade may appoint, may inspect a ship for the purpose of seeing that she is properly provided with such appliances pursuant to the rules, and shall have the powers given to inspectors by section 14 of the Merchant, Shipping Act, 1854:

(b) If he finds that a ship is not so provided, he shall give to the master or owner notice in writing, pointing out the deficiency, and also what is in his opinion requisite to remedy the same:

(c) Every such notice is to be communicated as the Board of Trade may direct, to the Collector of Customs at any port wherein the ship may seek to clear or at which her transire is to be obtained, and a collector to whom such communication is made shall not clear a ship outwards or grant her a transire, or allow her to proceed to sea, without a certificate of one of the said surveyors or persons, to the effect that the ship is properly provided with appliances pursuant to the rules.

6. The rules under this Act shall not apply to any sea-fishing boat which is for the time being registered in pursuance of the Sea Fisheries Act, 1868.

7. (1) Nothing in the Act shall prevent any person from being liable under any other Act, or otherwise, to any other or higher penalty or punishment than is provided for an offence by this Act; but he is not to be punished twice for the same offence; (2) If the court before which he is charged under this Act thinks that proceedings ought to be taken against him for the offence under any other Act or otherwise, it may adjourn the case to enable such proceedings to be taken.

The remaining sections (8, 9 and 10) relate to the repeal of former enactments, and enact that the expressions in the Act shall have the same meanings as in the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, and Acts amending it, and as to the title of the Act.