Page:History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce (Volume 3).djvu/355



Although various plans were suggested to the committee, with a view of putting an end to the evils complained of, it is only necessary to refer to that part of the question which affects the actual shipping and conveyance of the passenger to his destination. It was generally agreed that the existing regulations were not stringent enough, the great object of the previous Acts having been to give as much security as possible to the passengers; but it was found impossible to obtain this without increasing the price of passage, which had fallen from 5l. in 1842 to 3l. 10s. in 1851, from Liverpool to New York, and about 5s. less to Quebec, including provisions. It is further to be noted that, though in 1842 the charge was higher, there was less given for it, as the Shipowners supplied only two-thirds of the amount of provisions provided at the latter period. While the law, in fact, had obliged the Shipowner to supply a larger quantity of provisions, restrictions as to the extent of the provisions added, together with a superior dietary scale, the money price of the passage had been materially diminished.

In 1864, the inspection of passenger ships and provisions was carried on at Liverpool, for example, by an Emigration officer, and two assistants who were lieutenants in the Royal Navy. The Emigration officer had to satisfy himself of the seaworthiness of every ship which came under the Act; to see that no greater number of passengers were carried than her measured space would allow according to law; that her boats were sufficient, and that she had the necessary stock of provisions and