656554-1890-Circular-Despatch-re-Merchant-Shipping-Act — Page 2

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 27TH SEPTEMBER, 1890.

MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT, 1890.

981

Under sections 26 and 27 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1876 it is provided that every British ship shall have marked on each of her sides amidships a circular disc, twelve inches in diameter, with a horizontal line, eighteen inches in length, drawn through its centre, "the centre of the disc to indicate the maximum load line in salt water to which the owner Sub-sec (2.)- intends to load the ship.'

A statement, in writing, of the distance, in feet and inches, between the centre of the disc and the upper edge of each of the lines indicating the position of the ship's decks which is above that centre is required to be handed to the Collector or other Principal Officer of Customs, and the Master of the ship is required to enter a copy of the statement in the Agreement with the crew and also in the official Log Book.

Under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1890, an alteration has been made in the require- ments of sub-section 2 of section 26 and 27 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1876, the sub- section now reading as follows, viz:

(2) "The centre of this disc shall be placed at such level below the deck line

"marked under the provisions of this Act as may be approved by the Board of

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Trade, and shall indicate the maximum load line in salt water to which it "shall be lawful to load the ship.'

Provided that the position of the disc shall be fixed in accordance with the Tables framed by the Load Line Committee in 1885, subject to certain conditions set forth in section 1 of the Act in question.

Under section 2 of the Act in question, the Board of Trade are empowered to appoint the Committee of Lloyd's Register, or, at the option of the owner of the ship, any other Corporation or Association for the survey or registry of shipping approved by the Board of Trade, &c., to approve and certify on their behalf from time to time the position of such disc as aforesaid and any alteration thereof.

Since the report of the Load Line Committee in 1885, Load Lines in accordance with the Tables in that report have been assigned to a considerable number of British Ships by the Committee of Lloyds. The Board of Trade have not as yet, authorised the assignment of freeboards by any other Association or Corporation, nor have any regulations, as yet, been issued as to the form of disc or discs to be used, or the manner in which the require- ments of sub-section 2 of section 2 are to be carried out.

A copy of the Report and Tables of the Load Line Committee is also attached.

CHAPTER 9.

An Act to amend the Merchant Shipping Acts relating to Load-line.

BR

[9th June 1890.]

E it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

A. D. 1890.

of load-line.

1. The Merchant Shipping Act, 1876, shall, from and after the expiration of six Compulsory marking months after the passing of this Act, be construed as if in the twenty-sixth and twenty- seventh sections thereof the following sub-section were inserted instead of the sub- sections numbered (2) in those sections respectively:

"(2.) The centre of this disc shall be placed at such level below the deck-line marked under the provisions of this Act as may be approved by the Board of Trade, and shall indicate the maximum load-line in salt water to which it shall be lawful to load the ship."

Provided that the position of the disc shall be fixed in accordance with the tables framed by the Load Line Committee appointed before the passing of this Act, subject to such allowance as may be made necessary by any difference between the position of the deck-line marked under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1876, and 39 & 40 Viet. c. 80, the position of the line from which freeboard is measured under the said tables, and

subject also to such, modifications, if any, of the tables and the application thereof as may from time to time be sanctioned by the Board of Trade.