longing to any foreign power, or to any foreigner, are shipwrecked, discharged, or left behind, and are found in distress in foreign ports. Foreigners who have served in British ships, and who in the course of such service are by reason of shipwreck, or otherwise, left in distress within the limits of the Consulate, may be relieved and sent back, either to their own country, or to the country in which they were shipped, whichever may be the cheapest or most convenient, in the same manner as British seamen, provided that they cannot obtain relief from their own Consuls, to whom application should always be made. But relief must not be given to foreigners unless their distress is immediately consequent upon and owing to their employment under the British flag. The Consul will also take care not to charge to the Board of Trade expenses incurred on account of any person whatever, not coming within the description above given, or to order a passage for them to this country. The Consul will also take care not to afford relief to any persons, except such as are destitute and without any money or other means of subsistence.

sick.

66. Men falling or being sick while their ships are in port Men falling are not to be considered as on that account entitled to relief, s. 224. but are to be cured as far as practicable by the means with which, under the 224th section of the Act, every ship must be provided. The Consul may, however, take charge of any such sick seaman, if for the purpose of preventing infection, or otherwise for the convenience of the ship, it is considered desirable that he should be temporarily removed from the ship. Should the seaman subsequently return to his duty, the expense of removal and of providing the necessary advice and medicine, and of his subsistence while away from the ship, must be paid by the master, in the manner mentioned in paragraph 67. If, however, the man should continue ill to the time of the vessel sailing, and it appears that he is unable to proceed to sea in the vessel, the Consul may treat him as a person who is left behind on the ground of inability to proceed on the voyage.

in service of

67. For any expense the Consul may incur in respect of Men injured men and boys injured in the service of the ship, whether for ship. medical advice, subsistence, or burial, the masters and owners SS. 228, 229. Form (C. 18) are liable. If such expense is not repaid on the spot by the in Appendix. master, the expense and repayment must be entered in the accounts. If the expense is not repaid, separate vouchers

Men shipwrecked.

are to be rendered with the quarterly account and an account in the Form (C. 18) is to be transmitted to the Board of Trade, in order that the amount may be recovered from the

owner.

68. In cases of shipwreck of British vessels, where the Form (C. 18) master or crew apply to the Consul for assistance while in Appendix. engaged in remaining by the wreck for the preservation of the property or for the collection and disposal of the materials and stores, they are while so employed not to be considered as distressed mariners to be relieved at the public expense, but as seamen entitled to wages and maintenance. When the service is concluded, they will be treated as seamen discharged abroad, and their wages must be paid accordingly. (See paragraphs 45 to 64.)

Foreign seamen in Bri

If the Consul finds it needful to advance money for their subsistence before their discharge, he may do so on obtaining a written undertaking from the master to repay the amount advanced. If the master does not fulfil this undertaking, the Consul is to charge the amount in his general quarterly account with the Board of Trade, together with a separate account, Form (C. 18) in the Appendix, and vouchers, in order that the sum advanced may be recovered from the owners. 69. If foreigners are employed in British ships they are, so tish ships. long as they are in the service of the ship, to be treated as British seamen, and must not be discharged in Foreign Ports without the sanction of the British Consul. If such men are shipwrecked or left behind in distress, the Consul is to refer them to the Consul of their own nation; and if he does not relieve or send them away, Her Britannic Majesty's Consul may do so, sending them to the country in which they were shipped, or if it can be done as cheaply, but not otherwise, to their native country.

One shilling a day the

sistence

money.

S. 211.

70. The sum which the Board of Trade have fixed as the limit of sub- limit of the allowance to be given to a distressed seaman is 18. per day. If a sufficiency of the necessaries of life for a day cannot possibly be obtained for the above allowance, the men are to be relieved upon the most reasonable terms in the Consul's power. If, however, a sufficiency of the necessaries of life can be obtained at a less rate, no more than is absolutely requisite to purchase the same is to be allowed, since it is clearly not the intention of the Legislature or of the Government to grant any superfluous allowance to seamen in distress, or to encourage them to idleness by too comfort

able a subsistence at the public expense. Relief is only to be given them until an opportunity offers for sending them to some port in the United Kingdom, or in the colony or other British possession to which they belong, or of otherwise disposing of them. No higher rate is to be paid for a master, mate, or other officer, than for a seaman.

such pay

be Form (C. 20)

in Appendix.

71. A voucher for all such payments is to be sent with the Vouchers for accounts in the Form marked (C. 20) in the Appendix. The ments. witness to the signature or mark of the seaman must some disinterested person, and must not be the Consul. the seaman is too ill to sign the voucher, a certificate to that effect, by some disinterested person, must be added.

If

distressed

72. If it is found more economical that the men should be Boarding boarded, than that an allowance in money should be paid, seamen althe bills and receipts of the persons with whom they are so lowed. boarded must be sent, in addition to the vouchers containing the signatures of the men.

may be sup

plied.

73. Distressed seamen may, if necessary, be supplied with Clothing clothing, but the Consul is to take particular care that they are not provided at the public expense with more than is absolutely necessary, and that no superfluous or expensive clothing is on any account allowed: they are not to be provided with boots, but with shoes only; neither are they to be allowed silk handkerchiefs, gloves, mitts, or similar articles, except in cases of pressing necessity, to be explained by the Consul. No difference is to be made in the quality of the clothing supplied to masters, mates, and common seamen. 74. No bedding of any description is to be purchased for Bedding. them, except in cases of extreme necessity, as wherever it is practicable it should be provided for them in the house where they are boarded while in the Consul's charge, and in the vessel in which they are brought to this country. If, however, this is impracticable, and the case imperatively requires it, the Consul may purchase such articles of bedding as are absolutely necessary. In such case they must be accounted for in the same way as clothing.

75. The Consul may also provide distressed seamen, when Medical asnecessary, with medical advice and medicines.

sistance.

medicine.

76. The Consul will render the account for the supply of Accounts of clothing in Form (C. 21), and for medical assistance and clothing and medicines in Form (C. 22), in the Appendix, and will transmit Forms (C. 21) and (C. 22) in therewith bills of particulars and receipts from the persons Appendix. to whom the money is paid, together with the signature or

Extraordinary expense.

mark of the seamen, in proof that they were supplied with the articles or received the medical attendance charged for; and a certificate from himself (the Consul), that the clothing or medical attendance was absolutely necessary, and could be obtained by the parties in no other way.

77. In any case of unusual expense, or when the Consul considers it absolutely necessary to deviate from his instrucForm (C. 23) tions in relieving seamen, he must be very particular in in Appendix. explaining the causes in a letter accompanying his accounts.

Subsistence

list.

Should it become necessary to continue men on charge longer than one month, a statement of the fact is to be noted against their names in every subsequent subsistence list. (See paragraph 78.)

If it is necessary to send distressed seamen from one place to another in the foreign country, the expense is to be charged in the form (C. 23) in the Appendix.

78. The names of seamen to whom the Consul affords relief of any description, or through any channel, or in any manner whatever, are to be included in the subsistence list, Form Form (C. 20) (C. 20), in the Appendix, with all the particulars thereby in Appendix. required. This list should always commence with the names of the seamen who have been continued on the list from the preceding quarter, and opposite each man's name should be entered the numbers marked against it in the register book referred to below, paragraph 79.

Register of distressed

seamen.

in Appendix.

79. A register book, in the form (C. 19) in the Appendix, is to be kept by the Consul, in which the names and other Form (C. 19) particulars of the seamen whom he takes charge of are to be entered. The numbers are to be continued consecutively, from 1st April to 31st March in each year, and to commence afresh with No. 1, on the commencement of every new financial year.

Expenses incurred by

Reference is to be made in the subsistence list, and in all other accounts of disbursements, to the number in the registry book for the respective seamen.

80. If British seamen have been saved by any Foreign foreigners in ship, and brought to the port for which the Consul is acting, relieving the Consul will, if he thinks it a case for so doing, repay to jects. the Owner or Master of the Foreign Ship any expenses

British sub

actually incurred in maintaining them. In every such case, he will represent the facts to the Board of Trade, stating the circumstances under which the men were saved, the time for which they had been maintained on board, and any other

circumstances justifying the payment. If the Foreign ship has been put to any extraordinary expense or inconvenience, the Consul will report the circumstances to the Board of Trade, in order that steps may be taken, if it is thought to be a case for so doing, to reimburse the foreigners.

life, &c., by

81. The Consul will also, in any case where the lives of Saving of British subjects have been saved by Foreigners, or where foreigners to very meritorious services have been rendered by Foreigners be reported. to British ships or British subjects, report the case to the Secretary of State, in order that Her Majesty's Government may have it in their power to consider the propriety of making some acknowledgment or bestowing some reward. When payments are directed in such cases, the Consul is to Payment of charge the total amount so paid in the quarter as a separate item in the account current, and to transmit a list of the payments with the receipts of the parties and the authority of the Secretary of State as vouchers. In every report made to the Secretary of State in such cases he will state whether any and what expenses have been repaid under paragraph 80, above.

Sending distressed Seamen home.

Rewards.

tress to be sent home as

82. As soon as an apportunity offers, and it can be safely Men in disdone, the Seamen in receipt of relief from the Consul are to be sent home, either to the United Kingdom, or to the colony soon as posor possession to which the men belong, as the case may s.211. require.

sible.

chosen for this purpose.

83. For this purpose a British ship wanting men is to be ships to be preferred, so that the men may work their passage home. The Consul will ascertain the want of men by reference to S. 211. the number of her original crew appearing on the agreement. If such a ship can be found, they should, if fit for it, be entered upon the articles of the ship as part of her crew. If there is no ship wanting men at the place, they are not to be detained for the purpose, but are to be sent as supernumeraries in any other British ship; so, however, that no one ship be required to take more than one supernumerary for every fifty tons of her registered tonnage. If the men are in health, and prefer other proper employment to being sent home, the Consul may sanction it, provided it be such employment as not to lead to their being again left in distress.

84. The Consul will indorse upon the agreement of the Indorsement ships in which men are sent home, the name of each man and

on articles. SS. 211, 212.