Page:History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce (Volume 3).djvu/500

 the proceedings for the recovery of wages were made still more summary, so that, under our present maritime laws, seamen have special remedies for the recovery of their wages, together with a lien on the ship not granted to any other class of the community. Beyond the advantages of savings-banks and money-order offices, specially for their use, a system has been established, through the medium of the shipping offices and the consulates abroad, under which, seamen, when paid off, can remit their wages without expense to their relatives at any port in the United Kingdom.

In 1855, a question arose very similar to that which has recently arisen regarding "unseaworthy ships," as to whether seamen could be compelled to go to sea in them. The opinion of the law-officers of the Crown taken by the Board of Trade was given in favour of the seaman's right to refuse to sail in such vessels, and this opinion, having been sent to the magistrates at the seaports, has ever since been acted on, though it has been frequently abused by unprincipled seamen, who have alleged unseaworthiness as an excuse for being relieved from their engagements, more especially in cases where they have received a payment of wages in advance, or where they have thought they could improve their position. Nor did the efforts of the Board of Trade, the permanent officers of which have been frequently charged with neglecting the interests of seamen, here end. In 1864, that Board, aware of the difficulty seamen accused of desertion might have in proving unseaworthiness, recommended the Home Office to