required, upon such complaint made to them upon oath or affirmation, to issue a summons to such master, &c. to appear before them at such time and place to be in such summons specified; and upon the party appearing or not appearing after having been so summoned, the said justices shall examine, upon oath, such seaman, mariner, or other person, (except as aforesaid,) or any other witnesses, touching any such complaint, or any difference or dispute respecting such wages, and to make such order for payment of so much wages to such seaman, mariner, or other person as aforesaid, as shall seem reasonable and just; provided that the sum in question do not exceed £20; and in case of refusal to pay, or non-payment of, any sum of money so ordered, by the space of two days next after such order and determination, such justices shall and may issue forth their warrant to levy the same by distress and sale of the goods and chattels of such master, &c. rendering the overplus (if any there be) after deducting all the costs, charges, and expenses of any summonses, informations, complaints, hearings, warrants, and of such distress, and the keeping, appraisement, or sale thereof, or otherwise relating thereto, unto the person or persons whose goods and chattels shall be so distrained and sold; and in case sufficient distress shall not be found, &c. and the same shall not be paid within the said period of two days, such justices (and they are hereby authorized and required, by warrant under their hands and seals) to levy the amount, together with costs, on the ship for the service on board which such wages shall be so ordered to be paid, or any of the tackle, furniture, or apparel thereof, rendering the overplus thereof, (if any,) after payment of such expenses as aforesaid, to the master or commander, or owner thereof; and the decision of such justice shall be final and conclusive, as well on such seaman, mariner, or other person, as upon such master, &c. and the owner or owners thereof; save and except in such cases in which an appeal shall be interposed by either party to the high court of admiralty, such appeal to be interposed within the space of seven days after the order of the said justices so to be made as aforesaid. § 1.

Seamen, &c. dissatisfied may appeal to Admiralty.-Giving notice in writing within forty-eight hours, but not afterwards, of such intention, to the justice of peace; and must proceed within thirty days, and give bail in double the amount of the wages ordered to be paid to a commissioner for taking examinations in prize causes. § 2. Agreements made before this act. No seaman or mariner, or other person, by entering into or signing any contract or agreement as required by the several statutes now in force for that purpose, which shall have the effect of depriving such seaman, &c. of the remedies by this act given, shall be deprived or hindered from using any method or means for recovery of wages, against any ship, or the masters or owners thereof, which immediately before the passing of this act he might, and which, after the said 1st day of August, he may make use of; and that in all cases where it shall or may be necessary that the agreement should be produced before such justices, no obligation shall be on any seaman, mariner, or other person as aforesaid, to produce the same, but such obligation shall lie on the master or commander, or other person having the charge or command, or the owner or owners of the ship or vessel for which the wages shall be demanded; and no seaman or mariner shall fail in any complaint or proceeding before any justices for recovery of wages for want of such agreement or agreements being produced, but shall and may proceed therein as if no such agreement in writing had been made. § 3.

Not to deprive seamen of present remedies.-Nothing in this act shall be construed to extend to deprive any seaman, mariner, or other person as aforesaid, of any remedy, means, or process which may now be resorted to or used against any ship or vessel, or the master or commander, or person having the charge of such ship or vessel, or the owner thereof, for the recovery of wages due for serving on board of any such ship or vessel. § 4.

5. Not to extend to Scotland.-And further, nothing in this act contained shall be construed to extend to that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Scotland.

6. This act shall be deemed and taken to be a public act. 7. And shall continue in force for seven years from the tinued by 7 Geo. IV. c. 59, till the year 1833.

To wit.

of

{{

On the

The Schedule referred to by this Act.

day of

the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
before

at

Con

in

in the county A. B. and C. D. appeared personally, and produced themselves as sureties for the master of the ship and for the owners thereof, and submitting themselves to the jurisdiction of the said court of admiralty of England, bound themselves, their heirs, executors, and administrators, for the said master and owners of the said ship, in the sum of

each, of lawful money of Great Britain, unto E. F. a seaman, having served on board the said ship, to answer the amount of such wages as shall be hereafter decreed by the said court to be due to the said E. F., according to the tenour of the act in that case made and provided; and unless they shall so do, they hereby consent that execution shall issue forth against them, their heirs, executors, and administrators, goods and chattels, whereon the same shall be found, to the value of the sum above mentioned.

This bail was duly taken, acknowledged, and received at) the time hereinbefore above written, before me the undersigned commissioner, [or, the undersigned justice or justices of the peace,] and I [or we] do believe and consider the persons above mentioned sufficient security for the sum above mentioned.

For the obligations on seamen respecting good behaviour in the port of London, see Bye-Law of the Trinity House, in Chap. IV.; and what relates to seamen SMUGGLING, see that act, PART II. Chap. III.

TABLE for calculating SEAMEN'S WAGES, in the MERCHANTS' SERVICE-continued.

RATE PER MONTH.

If the amount for any number of months greater than 6 be required, as 11, add the amount for 6 and 5 months, &c.