10
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

tion of any water race, dam, or reservoir unless the
projectors of the same shall have duly registered
themselves under the Mining Companies Limited
Liability Act or the Joint Stock Companies Act.
6. The rate of interest to be paid by the pro-
jectors of any enterprise coming under these Regula-
tions shall be seven (7) pounds per centum per annum,
payable quarterly from the date of the advance.
7. The capital sum to be repaid out of the profits
of the enterprise in the same proportion as the
amount of money advanced by the Government bears
to the paid-up capital of the Company.

W. GISBORNE
(Minister Acting for the Minister for
Public Works).

Public Works Office,
Wellington, 4th January, 1872.

Office of Commissioner of Customs,
Wellington, 27th December, 1871.

IN pursuance of the powers delegated to the Com-
missioner of Customs by His Excellency the
Governor,

WILLIAM NELMES GRANT
has been promoted from the Fourth Class to the
Third Class, and appointed First Clerk in the Cus-
toms Department at the Port of Wellington, vice
Frederick Kempthorne, deceased.

JULIUS VOGEL,
Commissioner.

Office of Commissioner of Customs,
Wellington, 21st December, 1871.

THE following Circular from the Board of Trade,
and copy of the Act referred to therein, are
published for general information.

JULIUS VOGEL.

[CIRCULAR NO. 493.]
MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT, 1871.

APPENDED is a copy of "The Merchant Shipping
Act, 1871." Officers performing any duties in con-
nection with the Marine Department of the Board of
Trade will do well to make themselves acquainted
with its provisions. Copies of this Circular may be
distributed gratuitously amongst seafaring persons or
persons likely to be interested in any of the subjects
referred to in it.

The Act does not come into operation until 1st
January, 1872.

THOMAS GRAY.

CHAP. 110.

An Act to amend the Merchant Shipping Acts.
[21st August, 1871.]

WHEREAS it is expedient to amend the Merchant
Shipping Acts:

Be it enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the
Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this
present Parliament assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:-

PRELIMINARY.

Short Title.

1. This Act may be cited as "The Merchant
   Shipping Act, 1871."

Act to be construed with Merchant Shipping Acts.
2. This Act shall be construed as one with "The
Merchant Shipping Act, 1854," and the Acts
amending the same, and the said Acts and this Act
may be cited collectively as the Merchant Shipping
Acts, 1854 to 1871.

Commencement of Act.
3. This Act shall come into operation on the first
day of January, one thousand eight hundred and
seventy-two.

REGISTRY (PART II. OF "MERCHANT SHIPPING
ACT, 1854").

Particulars to be marked on ship before registry.
4. Every British ship shall, before registry, be per-
manently and conspicuously marked, to the satisfac-
tion of the Commissioners of Customs, as follows;
that is to say,

Her name shall be marked on each of her bows,
and her name and the name of her port of registry
shall be marked on her stern, on a dark ground in
white or yellow letters, of a length not less than four
inches, and of proportionate breadth.

Her official number and the number denoting her
registered tonnage shall be marked on her main beam.

A scale of feet shall be marked on her stem and on
her stern post, in Roman capital letters or in figures,
six inches in length, the lower line of such letters or
figures to coincide with the draught line denoted
thereby.

The Board of Trade may, however, exempt any
class of ships from the requirements of this section
or any of them.

If the said scale of feet is in any respect in-
accurate, so as to be likely to mislead, the owner of
the ship shall incur a penalty not exceeding one
hundred pounds.

The marks required by this section shall be per-
manently continued, and no alteration shall be made
therein, except in the event of any of the particulars
thereby denoted being altered in the manner pro-
vided by the Merchant Shipping Acts, 1854 to 1871.

Any owner or master of a ship who neglects to keep
his ship marked as aforesaid, and any person who
conceals, removes, alters, defaces, or obliterates, or
suffers any person under his control to conceal,
remove, alter, deface, or obliterate, any of the said
marks, except in the event aforesaid, or except for the
purpose of escaping capture by an enemy, shall for
each offence incur a penalty not exceeding one
hundred pounds; and any principal officer of Customs
may detain a ship which is insufficiently and in-
accurately marked until the insufficiency or inaccuracy
has been remedied; provided that no fishing vessel
duly registered, lettered, and numbered in pursuance
of "The Sea Fisheries Act, 1868," shall be required
to have her name and port of registry marked under
this section.

Ship's draught of water to be recorded.
5. The Board of Trade may, in any case or class of
cases in which they think it expedient so to do, direct
any person appointed by them for the purpose to
record, in such manner and with such particulars as
the Board of Trade direct, the draught of water of
any sea-going ship, as shown on the scale of feet on
her stem and on her stern post, upon her leaving any
dock, wharf, port, or harbour for the purpose of
proceeding to sea; and such person shall thereupon
keep such record, and shall from time to time forward
the same, or a copy thereof, to the Board of Trade;
and such record, or any copy thereof, if produced by
or out of the custody of the Board of Trade, shall be
admissible in evidence of the draught of water of
the ship at the time specified in the record.

The master of every British sea-going ship shall,
upon her leaving any dock, wharf, port, or harbour for
the purpose of proceeding to sea, record her draught
of water in the official log-book (if any), and shall
produce such record to any principal officer of
Customs whenever required by him so to do, or in
default of such production shall incur a penalty not
exceeding twenty pounds.