of seamen, that a stop should be put to such proceedings, which involved them in great distress."

Mr. SOMES said, "he was in duty bound to tell the house that it was impossible to do altogether without crimps. It was well known that seamen were necessarily in advance some two or three months as regarded the matter of wages, and without the assistance of crimps, it would be impossible to keep them from deserting. On one occasion, when he wanted some men, he was placed in communication with Captain Elliot, of the Sailors' Home, who undertook to provide him with the necessary complement of men; but he very speedily withdrew from that undertaking, declaring his inability to fulfil it-he was evidently wrong to give it up, but he found the task impossible, and, of course, application to the crimps became unavoidable. The gallant commodore opposite shook his head, but it was impossible for any one to take a different course."

Mr. LAM BTON said, "that the crimping system had often been most unsparingly denounced by the highest authorities connected with the naval service of the country. Captain Elliot truly described it as a great evil to the seamen, and it certainly was one which the legislature was bound to remedy. It was a grievous plundering of poor and simple-minded men. When a sailor landed he was usually seduced into some of the low boarding-houses, where every temptation to debauchery was presented to him; he was kept there till all his money was spent, and then he was turned forth to perish in the streets. The house really ought to adopt some measures calculated Perhaps it might be necessary to license the boardinghouses, and perhaps also to license the crimps. Of this he felt certain, that there were great abuses arising from both classes of establishments."

to remedy these evils.

Mr. SOMES said, "he did not believe that the poor seamen had the real enjoyment of more than half their money."

Whatever explanation Captain Elliot could give of this particular case, we know that in numerous instances, captains have engaged their crews at the "Home," and have been well satisfied with their choice; and in the last annual report of that establishment special reference was made to the number of vessels whose captains had engaged their crews from the "Home." It must, however, be remembered, that that institution is not intended to register the names of men wanting ships, or of opening communications with owners and captains, to induce them to select their crews from its inmates. It is, what its name imports, a home, or boarding-house for sailors;-admirable in its arrangements, and working extensive benefit amongst these men, but neither intended nor calculated to remedy the evil to which these remarks apply.

We apprehend that the best reply to the observations of Mr. Somes would be furnished in the establishment of an extensive registry office, and which, if countenanced by the shipowners and captains of London, would soon work a change in the character of our mercantile marine,

that would tell upon the interests of the owners, as well as promote the benefit of the sailor. Such establishments, multiplied in various parts, would soon reduce the profits of the crimp, if not break up the system. We have, in connexion with this subject, great pleasure in referring to the report of the Liverpool Seamen's Friend Society, in evidence of what has been effected in that port. The circumstances of the port of Liverpool, and those of London, greatly differ, and there are facilities for carrying out the plan in the former, which do not exist in the latter. At the same time there are no difficulties, we apprehend, which may not be overcome by prudence, energy, and zeal; and until such offices are opened, could not the plan adopted by Mr. Green, prior to the erection of his splendid "House," be made use of, to a far greater extent than it is; viz., to fix a board in some conspicuous part of the vessel, announcing that men would be shipped on such a day, and thus affording to the sailor the opportunity of engaging himself without the intervention of the crimp, and to the captain the advantage of making his own selection of able and steady seamen.

The next topic to which your committee would direct attention, is that of the Seaman's Registry Office. Its necessity has been long seen and felt, by those who were at heart the friends of sailors. To rescue them from the fangs of merciless extortion, to assist able and deserving seamen in obtaining ships, and in every way to further their interests, was originally intended by this branch of the Society's labours. At first it was more in the way of experiment, its success being wholly an uncertainty. But the office having been opened more than twelve months, ample opportunity has been afforded to judge of the probability of ultimate success, and of the propriety of continuing it. By the Registrar's report of business done, from month to month, there appears every encouragement to proceed. The office was opened October 19, 1843, and the names of 3905 seamen and 554 officers have been registered, making a total of 4459, up to October 31st, 1844. That of such a number of persons, considering the evils to which sailors are exposed, all should maintain an uniformly consistent character, for moral and spiritual excellency, is on every ground greatly to be desired, but more than is realized. Still, we are not to be discouraged. The object of the Registry Office is the mutual benefit of masters and men: of masters, in providing them with good men and true; and of men, in directing them to good masters. Of the utility of the Registry Office, in both these respects, the following letter, from a captain to the registrar, affords pleasing evidence.

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Ship Ganges,' Light Ship, June 17, 1844.

"To Capt. WARD, Registrar, Seamen's Friend Society.

"Dear Sir,-From the many prejudices attempted to be raised by certain parties, against your valuable Society, I feel it a duty I owe the public, and particularly the seafaring part of the community, to state that I have received on board my ship, and

sailed this day, with a crew of twenty-six in number, shipped from your office, who all came on board at the dock gates, clean dressed and sober. They have all good chests of clothes, and I have seldom seen a finer crew of men, and certainly never sailed with a ship's company who came on board in such good order. I beg strongly to recommend your establishment to ship-owners and captains, and trust the principles upon which you are acting will be properly supported, so that our seamen may find ships without being subject to all kinds of peculation. You are at liberty to make any use you please of this.

"I am, in haste,

“Yours truly,

(Signed)

"GEO. CHEVELY."

This testimony is honourable to all parties-honourable to the captain, who, of his own accord, comes forward in favour of a scheme to benefit sailors-honourable to the crew, who, at the time of the ship's sailing, were clean dressed and sober— and honourable to the office, inasmuch as it shows that, whatever prejudice may exist against it in some quarters, its establishment is good in itself, and is working in a right direction for the ultimate advantage of the seamen. Your committee, therefore, earnestly hope, that captains visiting this port will aid in promoting their objects, both by shipping their crews at this office, and by reporting on the character and ability of the men, on their return to port.

It is gratifying to be able to add to these statements, that the establishment now pays its own expenses, and that within the last few weeks the sum of £10 has been appropriated to the general objects of the society, most cordially do we wish it increasing success.

In confirmation of these statements we give the following as the opinion of our senior missionary on the practicability of dispensing with the services of crimps.

In reference to the necessity of employing crimps for the manning of our merchant ships, the whole system is fraught with evil, and is not needed, inasmuch as the sailors would at all times rather be shipped by the captain, the ship-agent, or the ship owner.

The whole system might be abolished if the ship-owners would instruct their captains to ship their respective crews themselves; and this might be done by a notice being given from the ship when men were wanted to be shipped-for every ten men wanted twenty applications would be made, hereby a selection could be made- the captain and crew would hereby be brought together, and a knowledge of each other obtained before the ship proceeded on her voyage. This plan has been adopted by Mr. Green, of Blackwall, and it is found to answer' well; in fact, the crimp is the last man in the world to judge of the qualifications of a sailor.

I have known many cases where the captains have shipped, as I have stated, their

crews, and have never known one to fail-the crews have always given satisfaction. I fearlessly state that the whole of the merchant marine visiting the port of London might most easily be supplied with seamen on all occasions, without the assistance of one crimp; let there be a registry office established, sanctioned and aided by the ship-owners; a pay office, savings' bank, and a new set of boarding-houses, which might be brought about without much labour; let but the ship-owners of the port of London resolve not to employ crimps, and then they would soon prove to their interest there was no need for them. But so long as crimps are employed as they now are, so long is the ruin of our sailors effected. B. P.

GOD'S OCEAN.

"THE sea is his and he made it." Every where and for ever God— My God every where and for ever-Ought to be our prevailing thought. Mr. Collins, the deist, meeting one day a plain countryman going to church, asked-"Where are you going?" "To church, sir.' "What to do there?" "To worship God, sir." a great or a little God?" "He is both, sir." "He is so great that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and so little that he can dwell in my heart."

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God

Pray whether is your
"How can he be both?"

"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Isaiah, lvii, 15.

Dear seamen, you have more to do with the sea than with the land. True, some of you have a home on shore; and even now are your thoughts turning with excess of tenderness towards it. You think of the grey-haired father, and the dear, fond mother, of the brothers and sisters whose eyes rest on the scene so tenderly associated with your early days, of the wife, perhaps, whose thoughts are far away, whose tears steal down silently at the hush of night, or burn her cheek

"When the hurricane rushes so fearfully past-"

of the little ones whose lips are lisping "Father!" as they gather to their mother's knee, and ask, "When will he come home?" Ah! happy is it for you if these memories are not extinguished. Happy, if such ties are still clinging to your hearts. Let them cling there in all their sweetness and all their freshness for ever. They are so many

influences for good. They have a power to cheer, to warm, to strengthen

your frail spirit.

But the Ocean!

That is your home. From day to day, and from week to week its broad bosom bears you, and stretches out every where to your view. I would have you feel that it is God's Ocean. His laws govern it—his winds sweep over it—his sun and stars and moon shine out over your path-way on it—his clouds hide that light-his storms beat down upon your ship-his thunders and lightnings break and glitter through the gloom that covers it,—his creatures live and roam and die in its vast depths. The ship, the wealth she bears, the port to which she is speeding, the rocks and quick-sands that lie hidden in her path-way—all the influences that rest on your stern existence are God's! And more than all, You are God's. Are you a master? You are as dependent upon God for your skill, for your office, for your safety, as is the cabin-boy. Are you a mate? You cannot give command without God's permission. Let your authority be judiciously exercised. Let not pride, or contempt once arise in your hearts. Trample not on the most unworthy of your men. A pious Jew never steps knowingly upon a bit of paper, lest the name of God should be on it. Trample not on a fellow creature. The name of God is on him. God has written it! and although sin may have well nigh erased it, yet its traces are there, and the light of eternity, if not of time, will bring them out. Are you a sailor? forget not your duty. Obey as before God, not with eye service, but with the heart. For your own sakes-for the ship's sake— for the sake of general peace and happiness on board, obey. If you are wronged, let God take vengeance. He will not forget. Let all, both officers and crew, refer their difficulties to God. He careth for you. Trust him in danger.

"When through the torn sails the wild tempest is streaming,
And o'er the dark wave the red lightning is gleaming;

When hope lends no ray the poor seamen to cherish,
Then cry to your Maker-"Save, Lord, or we perish!"

Trust him always. Think of him; love him; be his child. Pray to him, in the cabin, on the mast-head, in the fore-castle. Is the ocean his? He will hear you from his ocean; he will guide you on his ocean; he will save you in his ocean. Or if you are wrecked and drowned, he will take your spirit to himself, to the presence of Jesus, to the home of angels, to the haven of rest for ever.

How blessed to feel that God is with us. That " on the wide waste