not deny that annexation was very popular. It was popular in that House and in the country; but, for his part, he objected to all those wild expeditions, enterprizes, and annexations. Each seemed to him to be more senseless than the other. In Abyssinia, after spending millions of money, we managed to get the crown of King Theodore; in Ashantee we secured an old umbrella; and he wished to know whether the warclub of King Thakombau was worth the £40,000 which it was now proposed to give. He moved to reduce the Vote by that amount.

death of some of the leading inhabitants and chieftains, on whom the Government had, in the main, depended for carrying out the measures connected with the annexation of the Island, had thrown additional burdens upon the Executive Government. He should addthat this grant was to be repaid at some future time. [4 laugh.] His hon. Friend seemed to be incredulous; but he might observe that only the other day £10,000 was repaid on behalf of the Settlement of Lagos, which showed that better days were in store as regarded colonial loans. He thought the House would see that in regard to an extraordinary outlay of this character they could not fairly call upon the Governments of New South Wales and of New Zealand to contribute any portion of it; but those Governments had rendered very valuable assistance in various ways with respect to the annexation. The assistance of the Governor of New South Wales and some of his judicial staff had already been placed at the disposal of the Government. He hoped his hon. Friend would not feel it necessary to press his Motion.

primitive innocence and simplicity. They pretended to be actuated by the highest motives of Christianity when they annexed these countries; they sent out missionaries there who really were like the gentlemen mentioned by the hon. Baronet, simply rum merchants in dis

MR. J. LOWTHER said, he had DR. KENEALY sincerely hoped that understood the hon. Baronet to require the hon. Baronet the Member for Carlisle him to justify the annexation of Fiji. would press this matter to a division. He He need hardly remind the House that, found that annexation was invariably although the annexation was carried followed by this unhappy consequence to out on the entire responsibility of the the islanders annexed-that there was Government, without Parliament being an influx of European vices and demoraliasked in any way to share that responsi-zation which tended to destroy their bility, it nevertheless happened that on a Motion which was brought forward in that House a very general approval was expressed of the policy of that annexation. That approval was not rendered the less valuable on account of the arguments in a contrary sense having been most ably put before the House-guise; but the real object of all their as any arguments coming from his hon. Friend always were-by the hon. Baronet the Member for Carlisle himself. Therefore the House had not decided ex parte upon this matter. As to the special point now raised he had to state that the £40,000 was required, in the first instance, to promote the erection of buildings, the construction of roads and telegraphs, and other works, which might fairly be classed under the head of capital account. But owing to the terrible visitation of measles a decrease in the revenue of the colony had unfortunately occurred; and further, the Sir Wilfrid Lawson

annexations was to give more patronage and power to the holders of office at the Treasury, who cared not what might be the result so long as they were able to provide for their own friends in these distant countries where they could do exactly as they pleased. The hon. Member for Carlisle was engaged in a crusade of most glorious and honourable description, and he certainly would add to the respect which was felt for him wherever the English language was known if he would adopt in his programme of reform a resolution against the system of taking possession of Islands like Fiji

without the slightest regard to truth and | nexation a considerable amount of Engjustice, and keeping them up at great lish machinery had been forwarded to expense to the taxpayers of this country. Fiji with a view to the manufacture of SIR WILFRID LAWSON said, that sugar, which would not have been sent if he was to understand that the Vote out if no annexation had taken place. was a loan, and that steps would be MR. M'ARTHUR hoped that the hon. taken to get the money back, he would Baronet would divide. not trouble the House to divide.

not good, that it would necessitate raising | be inseparable from any measure on the the roadway at Constitution Hill, and subject. The first of the three clauses the making of a deep cutting, while it which he had to lay before the House would besides interfere to some extent provided that every British ship regiswith the use of the Park for pedestrians. tered after the 1st of January, 1876, Now, it was, he thought, possible to hit should be conspicuously marked with upon some scheme which would not be lines of not less than 12 inches in length open to all those objections, and he and one inch in breadth painted longitrusted, therefore, his noble Friend tudinally on each side, so as to show the would act upon his suggestion. position of every deck above water. This clause was not to apply to ships employed in the coasting trade, or in fishing, or to yachts. There were in the 2nd clause provisions with regard to the marking of a load line, a statement of the position of which would be required from the owner of every British ship before entering his ship outward on any voyage, showing the distance in feet and inches between the load line and the deck next above it, while he would also be bound to enter a copy of the statement in the articles of agreement with the crew and in the official logbook. There were, he might add, certain Amendments which he proposed to make in the clauses as they stood on the Paper. In compliance with the wish of the hon. and learned Member for Durham (Mr. Herschell), he had altered the date at which the Bill was to come into operation to November, 1875, instead of January, 1876. The right hon. Gentleman concluded by moving the following clause:

LORD HENRY LENNOX said, he was very much obliged to his right hon. Friend for the kind assistance he had given him in the matter, and could assure him he would do nothing with respect to it without the most careful consideration. The Vote under discussion was intended to obtain from the House of Commons its sanction for some steps to be taken before next year to remove the block which was created by the traffic at Hyde Park Corner, and the great object he had in view was the separation at that point of the business from the pleasure traffic, which at present caused great inconvenience. He had obtained the assistance of two noble Lords in the other House of Parliament, who had consented to act with him as a sort of Committee to look into the subject, and he hoped his right hon. Friend would join them and give them the advantage of his advice. In that way he hoped to be able next year to carry out satisfactorily the object which they both had in view.

Resolution agreed to.

Subsequent Resolutions agreed to.

UNSEAWORTHY SHIPS BILL-[BILL 274.] (Sir Charles Adderley, Mr. Disraeli, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer.)

CONSIDERATION.

Bill, as amended, considered.

(Marking of deck lines.)

"A. Every British ship registered on or after November one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five shall before registry, and every British ship registered before that day shall, on or before that day, be permanently and conspicuously marked with lines of not less than twelve inches in length and one inch in breadth, painted longitudinally on each side amidships, or as near thereto as is practicable, and indicating the position of each deck which is above water.

"The upper edge of each of these lines shall be level with the upper side of the deck plank next the waterway at the place of marking.

"The lines shall be white or yellow on a dark ground, or black on a light ground. "Provided, That

66

(1.) This section shall not apply to ships employed in the coasting trade or in fishing; and

SIR CHARLES ADDERLEY said, he had to propose the insertion of clauses in the Bill which had been suggested in Committee, and which seemed to have met with general acceptance. They were clauses relating to loading and deck lines taken from the first Go-within a British port of registry at any time "(2.) If a registered British ship is not vernment measure, which, unhappily, before the date named, she shall be marked had to be withdrawn ; but, although they as by this section required within one month had been placed on the Paper only after her next return to a British port of registry within 48 hours, a number of Amend- subsequent to that date." ments already accumulated around them, and, indeed, the tendency to become smothered with Amendments seemed to

Mr. Adam

MR. MAC IVER said, that although an Amendment stood on the Paper in his name, which was substantially a new

clause dealing with the whole question were equally desirous with himself that of load line, he was actuated by no spirit | there should be an honest solution of of hostility to the proposals of the Go- the load line question; but he thought vernment, and could, he thought, dis- it was only in regard to steamers that pose of his Amendment in a very words. there existed any necessity in regard to He had listened with most respectful such legislation. The loading of sailing attention to the remarks of the right vessels was more generally understood; hon. Gentleman the Prime Minister, the but, as regarded steam vessels, there was other evening, in regard to load line, so much diversity of model, quality, and and with every word of the right hon. general arrangements, that he (Mr. Gentleman he (Mr. Mac Iver) heartily Mac Iver) thought there was a real and entirely concurred. In expressing necessity for dealing with steam vessels that concurrence, he believed he ex- upon the principles so well explained pressed the views of those who had the the other evening by the right hon. best facilities for becoming practically Gentleman the Prime Minister. There acquainted with the subject, and who was another objection to the Board of had given these questions serious atten- Trade clauses, also one of detail, but on tion. The way to prevent overloading which he wished to say a few words. was to compel the shipowner to declare Was it worth while, he asked in a Bill plainly and distinctly what he intended which was tentative-brought forward to do, and to indicate such intended load to be in operation only for one year-to line upon the ship in such manner as to provide expressly that British vessels afford reliable and visible evidence in should be disfigured with discs and lines regard to the actual facts. He asked, in the particular form set down? All however, if the Board of Trade clauses that appeared to him (Mr. Mac Iver) to under discussion carried out this view? be necessary was that the marking He (Mr. Mac Iver) ventured to say they should be intelligible; and he thought did not; but that they would permit it might be well to leave to the Board of the alteration of a load line with too Trade and the shipowners some discregreat facility, and in such manner as to tion on the subject. He thought the confuse and destroy-so far as ordinary prescribed manner of marking would, in witnesses were concerned-all readily some instances, result unsatisfactorily, available evidence in regard to depth of and in others be a needless disfigurement. loading. This might suit some people; but it would not suit those shipowners who meant right by this question, and he had received letters and telegrams on the subject, with an extract from only one of which he would trouble the House. It was from a shipowner of high standing, and was as follows:

He (Mr. Mac Iver) was quite sure this was not the intention either of the Prime Minister or of the President of the Board of Trade. He had no desire to press the particular words of his own Amendment upon the Government; but that he thought he had pointed out a real defect in the Board of Trade clauses, which the right hon. Gentleman who had charge of the Bill would, he hoped, see his way to remove. He believed his brother shipowners in the House of Commons

VOL. CCXXVI. [THIRD SERIES.]

MR. NORWOOD said, he did not wish to examine the Government's clauses hypercritically; but it was his duty to point out that they differed materially from his own, which the Government had substantially accepted. The Government had not given sufficient consideration to the difference between the density of fresh water and that of salt at about 24 per cent; and this was rather water, and this difference was estimated a serious margin, considering the competition there was between British and foreign shipowners, and among British shipowners themselves. The clause and his own both provided for a disc; the clause proposed a larger disc than he did; but this clause omitted the scale of feet and inches which would enable surveyors and managers to make allowance for the difference between fresh water and salt water, and in the absence of which there would be continual disputes between master, seamen, and surveyors. In his Bill the power of changing load lines was carefully guarded; it was necessary it should be,

U