CO129-332 - Public Offices & Others - 1905 — Page 356

}

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