}
TELEPHONE NO.
4868 CENTRAL, LIVERPOOL.
OFFICIAL.
&i{
QAM
The Merchant Service Guild.
(CAPTAINS AND OFFICERS)
CO.
36193
# 001 051
MSC
Ket
354
ADDRESS TELEGRAMS DOLPHIN, LIVERPOOL.
SECRETARY: CAPT. JOHN G. MOORE.
The Arcade, Lord Street, Liverpool.
9th October 1905.
The Under Secretary of State
Colonial Office,
London, S.W.
You
24716/1905.
sir,
I beg to inform you that your letter of the 21st July novering copy of Despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong with regard to the case of Captain Bell Smith and to the constitution of the Marine Magistrate's Court in that Colony has received the careful consideration of the Guild.
To refer to the second paragraph of the Report of the Governor of Hong Kong, we observe that he does not consider the Police Court prosecution of Captain Bell Smith as parallel to cases heard before the High Court in Admiralty Jurisdiction.
It affords considerable satisfaction to know that, in
the Marine Court at Hong Kong constituted under Section 19 of
the Merchant Shipping Ordinance, it is customary to appoint three
Masters of the Mercantile Marine as Assessors. As the principle
is recognized in the Marine Court, the Guild feel that it should
equally so be recognized in the Police Court where cases affecting
merchant ships occur, and where seafaring technicalities are
bound to arise.
Referring to the third paragraph of the Governor's
Report, it appears that Captain Barnes Lawrence, before whom the
case of Captain Bell Smith was tried, holds a Master's certificate
and has served in the Mercantile Marine, Captain Barnes lawrence.
being a retired Royal Naval Commander, the Guild were under a
wrong/
I