score of qualification to secure enthusiastic respect for his opinion from the general public, much less from those who, having special shipping pursuits, know his maritime experience; and another, Sir E. J. Reed, K.C.B., M.P., formerly Chief Constructor of Her Majesty's Navy, whose qualifications to fill that post have been abundantly criticized in the pages of this Magazine, and whose practical knowledge of the construction of Merchant vessels was conclusively proved in the case of one of the most signal failures of modern times, the unhappy 'Bessemer.' Although, as shown above, there is diversity of opinion in diagnosis, and consequently as to the best remedy to apply in this last attempt to doctor the Tonnage Laws, yet the controversy which has arisen may after all prove the best means of putting forward the real facts of the case, and perchance suggesting the true remedy for the disease which admittedly exists. The following is the conclusion of the Report of the majority of the Commissioners :- "(42.) After carefully weighing all the considerations surrounding this complex and difficult subject, and having special regard to the following facts: "First, that the 39,000 ships, of all descriptions and size, constituting the British Mercantile Marine* are now admeasured under a system based on internal cubical capacity, with deductions for crew and propelling space, and that the Mercantile and shipping community are familiar therewith and base their transactions thereon: "Secondly, that all the chief maritime countries of Europe, the United States, the Suez Canal Company, and the Danubian Commission have adopted our system, and that it is very desirable for statistical purposes and uniformity of taxation that an international tonnage should be established; "Thirdly, that the dues levied in British and many foreign ports, and by the Commissioners of Lights, are on our present tonnage, and that great confusion, expense, and difficulty would arise on their adjustment to any other system; Fourthly, that many important financial engagements are based on dues levied under the present system; The Royal Commissioners are not to be congratulated upon the care and accurate rendering of their facts. The Mercantile Marine of the whole Empire reaches 39,000 ships no doubt, but that of the United Kingdom does not reach even 29,000.—Ed. "Fifthly, that anomalies and equalities would exist in any alternative scheme that has been suggested to us; and, "Lastly, that one of the merits claimed for those alternative systems is that they practically arrive at the present tonnage by other means; "We have come to the conclusion that we cannot recommend a change in the law which would affect the principle on which tonnage is ascertained-viz., the contents of the internal capacity of a ship represented by a roomage or space ton of 100 cubic feet, with deductions for propelling space. (43.) We, however, are of opinion that the law is defective and requires to be amended in several particulars, and we report that its principle is not fully and properly carried into effect; that the terms of the rules require amendment so as to make them suitable to the present state of shipbuilding; and that in certain particulars, to which we proceed to call attention, it is not altogether fair in its operation as between those who pay and those who receive dues on shipping, and as between the different class of those who pay such dues. "(44.) To carry into effect these conclusions we recommend : "(a) That the rules for admeasurement now in force should be amended so as to give greater freedom to the authority charged with the duty of carrying them into effect and to insure the utmost accuracy in ascertaining the contents of spaces. "(b) That special rules suitable to the present state of shipbuilding be framed for the admeasurement of iron vessels. "(c) That the depth for the measurement of tonnage of iron ships should be from the tonnage deck to the top of the floorplates, subject to a limitation as to the depth of the floorplates to be allowed in the measurement. In fixing this limitation regard should be had to the breadth as well as to the depth of the ship. We append a list of vessels at present registered having a bracket or cellular bottom, showing the proportion which the depth of the double bottom bears to the breadth and depth of the ship, which, taken in connection with established practice as to depth of floor-plates in vessels of various types, will furnish data on which equitable detailed rules can be framed for the purposes of legislation. “(d) That gross tonnage should be made to include all permanently covered and closed in spaces above the uppermost deck; and that erections with openings either on deck, or coverings, or partitions that can readily be closed in, should also be included in gross tonnage, but that skylights of saloons, booby hatches for the crew, light and air spaces for the boiler and engine-rooms when situated above the uppermost deck, as well as erections for the purposes of shelter, such as turtle-backs, open at one end, and light decks supported on pillars and unenclosed, should not be measured for the purpose of their contents forming part either of the gross or register tonnage. Cargo carried under such erections should continue to be measured for dues under the Act of 1876, the same as if stowed on the open deck. "(e) That for the purpose of arriving at a register tonnage that shall, as nearly as is practicable, represent the actual space in a ship available for cargo, there should be added to the deduction at present made for crew space the contents of the master's cabin, provided it be used solely by the master and crew; and, further, that there be deducted the contents of spaces used for the working of the helm, the capstan, the anchor gear, and and for keeping the charts, signals, and other instruments of navigation and boatswain's stores, and also the spaces occupied by donkey engine and boiler if connected with the main pumps of the ship. "(f) That sailing vessels be further allowed a deduction for the space occupied by the sail rooms, this deduction not to exceed 2 per cent. on the gross tonnage. (g) That the deduction for propelling space in steamers should be the actual space set apart by the owner, at his discretion, for the engine and boiler room and permanent bunkers, provided that such space be enclosed and separated from the hold of the ship by permanent bulkheads, and that the bunkers be so constructed that no access can be obtained thereto otherwise than through the ordinary coal-shoots on deck, or in the ship's side or from the openings in the engine-room or stoke-hold; but that to meet the varying requirements as to fuel of steamers engaged in long voyages, and to encourage ample ventilation to boiler and and engine-rooms in hot climates, owners of steamers should have the option to claim as deduction for propelling space the actual contents of engine and boiler space plus 75 per cent. thereon in the case of screw-steamers, and 50 per cent. in the case of paddle steamers, without restriction as to extent, construction, and use of bunkers. Provided always that the deduction for propelling space shall not exceed 33 per cent. of the gross tonnage of any screw-steamer, and shall not exceed 50 per cent. of the gross tonnage of any paddle-steamer. "(h) That there shall not be deducted from the gross tonnage the contents of any spaces that have not first been included therein. "(i) That the spaces above the uppermost deck that are measured into gross tonnage should be specified with their contents on the certificate of registry of British ships, and that the spaces whose contents are deducted from gross tonnage should in like manner be specified on the certificate of registry; and, further, that the carrying of passengers and cargo (including live stock) in spaces deducted from gross tonnage be prohibited under penalities, except under the second rule for deduction of propelling space. 66 (45) As regards provision for water-ballast, it seems to us that although double bottom spaces may not be used for the stowage of cargo they often practically contribute to freight earning, inasmuch as the entire hold in such cases is available for light cargo, whereas a portion of the hold in a ship not fitted with water-ballast would be unremuneratively occupied by stone or other material for ballast. It is also manifest that a ship fitted with a double bottom on the bracket or cellular system is externally a larger ship and is capable of carrying more dead weight cargo, with a given freeboard, than a ship of the same internal dimensions, and of precisely the same tonnage, constructed without a double bottom, or with double bottom water-ballast on the M'Intyre system. It is, therefore, our opinion, notwithstanding the statements referred to in section 19 of this report, that while on the one hand, ships constructed to carry water as ballast should not have any undue advantage in the admeasurement of tonnage over ships carrying other sorts of ballast, on the other hand they should not be placed at a disadvantage. We would leave owners at liberty to make such water ballast arrangements as they please in each case, but we do not think that any water ballast spaces which may be situated above the floor-plates, or above the point indicated by the limitation as to the depth of the floor-plates, should be exempted from measurement into ton nage. 66 (46) The determination of all details of the tonnage admeasurement by Acts of Parliament, without possibility of modification, seems to us in some degree to hinder the free development of naval construction, and it would be for the advantage of the Mercantile Marine if the Board of Trade were empowered to modify these details to meet special and unforeseen alterations in the designs of ships-a return of such modifications to be laid upon the table of the House of Commons within forty days of their introduction or of the sitting of the House. "(47) We are of opinion that legislation to carry into effect these recommendations should not be retrospective in its operation. "All which we humbly submit to your Majesty's gracious consideration. "C. M. NORwood. "J. STOKES. "E. J. REED. "THOMAS GRAY. "JAMES P. CORRY. "Aug. 25th, 1881." "ROBERT CAPPER. "T. B. Rowden. "J. EDWARD WILKINS, Secretary. As mentioned above, there were three dissentients to the above Report, and it will be only fair to give the views of those gentlemen as much at length as our space will permit. Mr. Rothery recommends a "Displacement Tonnage" which would consist in ascertaining the total cubic contents of a ship between a fixed load-line; by dividing the number of feet thus obtained by a certain factor the net register tonnage is arrived at, in fact it makes the ship's displacement, or in other words, the water space which she would occupy if brought down to the load-line the basis of tonnage. Mr. Rothery then gives the following as the advantages of a system of tonnage based on displacement. "(1) That it introduces a sound and just principle-namely, payment according to services rendered. "(2) That it is easy of application. (3) That it gets rid of all difficulties as to floor-plates, water ballast tanks, deck erections, &c., "(4.) That it does away with all exemptions, leaving the owner at liberty to arrange the interior of his vessel as may best suit his trade and interests and the comfort and the safety of those on board. 66 "(5.) That it does away with the anomalies at present existing between sailing ships and staemships and between steamship and steamship. "(6.) That it is fairer to those who pay and to those who receive dues, by giving fixity and certainty to the charges. 66 (7.) That the system has been long in use in the navies of France, Italy, and other foreign countries,' is alone adopted in our Navy for ships of recent desigu,' and will, 'in course of time doubtless replace the builders, old measurement;' and that, consequently, it is much more likely to be adopted by foreign countries than a system which, with all our efforts, we have not been able to induce them to accept except in a very modified way. "(8) That it is, to use Mr. White's words, 'the fairest means of comparison between different types of war ships; and if the principle of a fixed maximum load-line be adopted, it will also be the fairest measure of comparison between different types of merchant vessels. "CONCLUSION. "Taking all these facts into consideration, I agree with Sir Digby Murray that sooner or later the system known as the 'displacement tonnage' system must be adopted, not by ourselves only, but by all other countries, and the longer the delay in adopting it the greater will be the evil. We are told that it is only after many years' negotiations and after long and patient |