ORDINANCE No. 6 OF 1852 . 275
Desertion of Seamen.
left his house on that day after being a lodger or boarder therein, and such other
particulars as the Harbour Master may direct ; and every keeper of a boarding-house
shall, before ten o'clock in the morning of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in each
week, send to the Harbour Master's office a list copied from his book of the seamen on
that day boarding or lodging in his house, and of those seamen boarders or lodgers who
left his house on any or either of the intermediate days , and shall also particularize in
such list those seamen who wish for immediate employment, and place opposite to the
names of those last named, the names of the ships from which they were last discharged ;
and the Harbour Master shall keep the lists so furnished to him constantly in view,
and in a conspicuous part of his office for the convenience of masters of ships requiring
men, and shall also post in a similar manner, if required so to do , such notices for the
supply of men by masters of ships as the said masters shall furnish .
9. Provided always that nothing in this Ordinance contained shall prevent masters Masters and
mates may board
and lodge else
or mates of ships from boarding or lodging elsewhere than at licensed boarding-houses . where, than in
such houses.
10. That no seaman who shall have been actually shipped by the Harbour Master No seaman ship
ped under this
Ordinance shall,
or his deputy on board any vessel in compliance with this Ordinance, shall, during the during the term
for which he is
time for which he is then shipped, be liable to be arrested on civil process, unless the shipped, be liable
to arrest on civil
debt or demand shall exceed the sum of five hundred dollars ; provided always that by process, in cer
tain cases.
the term seaman in this section shall be meant only a person who has within the space of
one year previously served on board a ship for wages as a seaman, and that the
protection from arrest hereby granted shall not be held to extend to any person or
persons not coming within such definition.
11. That the Harbour Master, or person deputed by the Harbour Master for that Harbour Master
or deputy may
purpose, before granting a port clearance to any ship, may, if he have reasonable grounds require, before
granting a port
clearance to a
for belief that any deserter from a merchant vessel be concealed on board of such vessel, the master
thereof to search
vessel, proceed on board of such vessel and then and there require the master thereof for suspected de
serters, and to
to institute due and diligent search for such deserter, and further, if he deem it make declaration
of such search.
necessary, require the said master to make oath or solemn declaration that to the best
of his knowledge and belief, after due and diligent search, no such deserter is concealed
within or about his ship ; and any master of a vessel refusing or unnecessarily delaying
to comply with such requisition or requisitions of the Harbour Master, or such deputed
person, shall be liable upon conviction before any Magistrate to a fine not exceeding Penalty for not
complying with
forty pounds sterling, and to imprisonment until such fine be paid. such request.
12. That any person who shall forge or alter any ticket, certificate, document, or Penalties for
forging of docu
matter or thing named in this Ordinance, shall be liable to be imprisoned for a term ments, and for
false descriptions
and statements.
not exceeding three months with hard labour ; and any seaman or other person who
shall give a false description of his services, or shew, or make, or procure to be made,
any false character, or shall make false statements as to the name of the last ship in
which he served, or as to any other information which may be required of him by any
person having lawful authority to demand such information , shall be liable to a penalty
not exceeding ten pounds sterling.