208
(See S.S.12 of Section 16 of Ordinance 26 of 1891.)
I propose amending Section 21 by striking out
clause (c) and substituting the following clause.-
(c) Whenever any seaman, other than a Chinese,
is discharged from his ship in this Colony without the sanc-
tion of the Superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office or
his deputy, and without reasonable provision being made as to
his subsistence,or,not being a deserter, is wrongfully left
behind in this Colony.
As regards Sections 22 and 23, they were intend-
ed to protect the pockets of the rate-payers from having to
provide for the maintenance of destitute persons brought into
the Colony by Ships, British and Foreign.
In many cases they have to be admitted to the
Hospital at once. In others they sponge upon the benevolent
for a time until, finally, the rate payers have the choice of
supporting them or allowing them to die from starvation and
fever.It is certainly no more hardship upon the shipowner who
has imported the destitute man, and pocketed the fare, that he
should have to provide for him for a time, than it is upon the
innocent rate payer to have to maintain the person thus foist-
ed upon him.
The shipping community naturally complained of
their liability to pay in cases where the destitute man came
as a stoway, against the Master's will, and, to meet that com-
plaint, the Stoways Ordinance (No.7 of 1897) was passed.
wa
The
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