CO129-274 - Public Offices & Others - 1896 — Page 345

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applies to British ships proceeding

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whether from Hong Kong

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on a voyage of seven days

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or the Treaty Ports of China

duration; and it empowers the Governor of Hong Kong to

declare whether a specific voyage come within its provisions.

A voyage of seven days was evidently considered a Bea

voyage", within the ordinary acceptation of the term, for which

the prescribed precautions ought to be enforced. The duration

of the voyage is clearly of the essence of the question, Yet

the schedule of an Act of the Hong Kong Legislature, in 1874,

provides that this may be ascertained not by fact and experi-

ence, but by assuming that a steamer can travol five miles an

hour without sails.

The basis of calculation seems absurd; permitting what

is really a three and a half days' voyage for an ordinary

steamer to be declared a seven days voyage; and so necessital -

ing the provision of appliances and the exercise of restric-

tions which would practically disqualify, on a false assumption,

ships perfectly well adapted to different conditions. For

voyages of 7 days duration are practically unknown in the China

Coast trade. It is rare for a run to exceea three and a half

days. The duration is more frequently two to three, as the

szvzval steamers call usually at euch treaty ports on their way; and

there are seven such parts on the 1,300 miles of coast between

Hong Kong and Newchwang .

The new Legislation would practically abolish considera-

tions of duration, and subject ships that are rarely more than

48 hours without entering port, to cunditions properly intended

for a long sea voyage. It may be plausibly alleged that the

new Ordinance shall not be put in force unless the assent of

all Powers be obtained to its provisions, But it may be re-

plied, without hesitation, that such assent could not be made

operative even if it were given.

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