Page:The Blight of Insubordination.djvu/40

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agreement by erasing such of the regulations as are not adopted. For the purpose of legally enforcing any of the following penalties, the same steps must be adopted as in the case of other offences punishable under the Act; that is to say, a statement of the offence must, immediately after its commission, be entered in the official log book by the direction of the master, and must at the same time be attested to be true by the signatures of the master and the mate, or one of the crew; and a copy of such entry must be furnished, or the same must be read over to the offender before the ship reaches any port or departs from the port at which she is in; and an entry that the same has been so furnished or read over, and of the reply, if any, of the offender, must be made and signed in the same manner as the entry of the offence. These entries must, upon discharge of the offender, be shown to the superintendent of a mercantile marine office before whom the offender is discharged; and if he is satisfied that the offence is proved, and that the entries have been properly made, the fine must be deducted from the offender’s wages and paid over to the superintendent. If, in consequence of subsequent good conduct, the master thinks fit to remit or reduce any fine upon any member of his crew which has been entered in the official log, and signifies the same to the superintendent, the fine shall be remitted or reduced accordingly.

If the wages are contracted for by the voyage or by share, the amount of the fines is to be ascertained in the manner in which the amount of forfeiture is ascertained in similar cases under section 234.


Offence.

Amount or Fine or Punishment

s. d.
1. Striking or assaulting any person on board or belonging to the ship (if not otherwise prosecuted) 5 0
2. Bringing or having on board spirituous liquors 5 0
3. Drunkenness—first offence 5 0
   „    second and for each subsequent offence 10 0
4. Taking on board and keeping possession of any firearms, knuckle-duster, loaded cane, slung shot, sword-stick, bowie knife, dagger, or any other offensive weapon or offensive instrument without the concurrence of the master, for every day during which a seaman retains such weapon or instrument 5 0


The legal instruments provided by the Board of Trade[1], and furnished to the shipmaster for the ordinary purposes of the

  1. See page 72.