Instructions to Commanders and Mates for the Stowage of Mixed Cargoes, Approved and Recommended by the Committee for Managing the Affairs of Lloyds.

1. Owners, Commanders and Mates of ships are considered in law in the same situation as common carriers; it is therefore necessary that all due precautions be taken to receive and stow cargoes in good order, and deliver the same in like good order. The law holds the Shipowner liable for the safe custody of the goods when properly and legally received on board in good order, and for the "delivery," to parties producing the bill of lading. The Captain's blank bill of lading should be receipted by the Warehouse Keeper or person authorised to receive the contents. Goods are not unfrequently sent alongside in a damaged state, and letters of indemnity given to the Captain by the Shippers for signing in good order and condition; this is nothing more nor less than conniving at fraud; fine goods are often damaged in the ship's hold by lumpers, if permitted to use cotton hooks in handling bales. All goods must be received on board according to the custom of the port where the cargo is to be taken in, and the same custom will regulate the commencement of the responsibility of the Masters and Owners.

2. Hemp, flax, wool and cotton should be dunnaged 9 inches on the floors, and to the upper part of the bilge, the wing bales of the second tier kept 6 inches off the side at the lower corner, and 2 inches at the sides. Sand or damp gravel ballast to be covered with boards. Pumps to be frequently sounded and attended to. Sharp-bottomed ships one-third less dunnage in floor and bilges. Avoid horn shavings as dunnage from Calcutta.

3. All corn, wheat, rice, pease, beans, &c., when in bulk, to be stowed on a good high platform, or dunnaged wood, of not less than 10 inches, and in the bilges 14 inches dunnage; the pumps and masts cased, to have strong bulkheads, good shifting boards, with feeders and ventilators, and to have no admixture of other goods. Flat-floored, wall-sided ships should be fitted with bilge pumps. On no consideration must the staunchions under the beams be removed.

4. Oil, wine, spirits, beer, molasses, tar, &c., to be stowed bung up; to have good cross beds at the quarters (and not to trust to hanging beds), to be well chocked with wood, and allowed to stow three heights of pipes or butts, four heights of puncheons, and six heights of hogsheads or halfpuncheons. All moist goods and liquids, such as salted hides, bales of bacon, butter, lard, grease, castor oil, &c., should not be stowed too near "dry goods," whose nature is to absorb moisture. Shipowners have often to pay heavy damages for leakage in casks of molasses, arising from stowing too many heights without an intervening platform or 'twixt decks. From Bengal goods also are frequently damaged by castor oil.

5. Tea and flour, in barrels; flax, clover and linseed, or rice, in tierces; coffee and cocoa, in bags, should always have 9 inches, at least, of good dunnage in the bottom, and 14 to the upper part of the bilges, with 2 inches at the sides; allowed to stow six heights of tierces, and eight heights of barrels. All ships above 600 tons should have 'twixt decks or platforms laid for these cargoes, to ease the pressure; caulked 'twixt decks should have scuppers in the sides, and 2 inches of dunnage laid athwart ship, and

not fore-and-aft ways, when in bags or sacks; and when in boxes or casks not less than one inch. Rice from Calcutta is not unfrequently damaged by indigo, for want of care in stowing.

6. Entire cargoes of sugar, saltpetre and guano, in bags, must have the dunnage carefully attended to, as laid down for other goods. Timber ships are better without 'twixt decks if loading all timber or deals. Brown sugar to be kept separate from white sugar, and both kept from direct contact with saltpetre.

7. Pot and pearl ashes, tobacco, bark, indigo, madders, gum, &c., whether in casks, cases, or bales, to be dunnaged in the bottom, and to the upper part of the bilges, at least 9 inches, and 2 inches at the sides.

8. Miscellaneous goods, such as boxes of cheese, kegs and tubs of lard, or other small or slight-made packages, not intended for broken stowage, should be stowed by themselves, and dunnaged as other goods.

9. Barrels of provisions, and tallow casks, allowed to stow six heights. All metals should be stowed under, and separated from, goods liable to be damaged by contact.

10. All manufactured goods, also dry hides, bales of silk, or other valuable articles, should have 2 inches of dunnage against the side, to preserve a water-course. Bundles of sheet iron, rods, pigs of copper or iron, or any rough hard substance, should not be allowed to come in contact with bales or bags, or any soft packages liable to be chafed. When mats can be procured they should be used at the sides of silk, tea, &c.

11. Tar, turpentine, rosin, &c., to have the flat beds of wood under the quarters, of an inch thick, and allowed to stow six heights.

12. Very frequent and serious loss falls on merchants on the upper part of cargoes, particularly in vessels that bring wheat, corn, tobacco, oil cake, &c., arising from vapour damage imbibed by wheat, flour and other goods stowed in the same vessel with turpentine, or other strong-scented articles: the Shippers are to blame for such negligence, for not making due inquiry before shipping.

13. Ships laden with full cargoes of coal, bound round Cape Horn or Cape of Good Hope, to be provided with approved ventilators as a preventive against ignition.

14. No vessel bound on any over-sea voyage, should on any account be loaded beyond that point of immersion which will present a clear side out of water, when upright, of 3 inches to every foot depth of hold, measured amidships, from the height of the deck at the side to the water.

Note. Shippers abroad, when they know that their cargoes will be stowed properly, will give a preference, and at higher rates, to such Commanders of ships as will undertake to guarantee the dunnage. The American shipowners, in the stowage of mixed cargoes in large ships, have from experience discovered what "pressure" flour barrels, provision casks, &c., will bear, and so avoid reclamations for damage if otherwise properly stowed; hence, in large ships above 600 tons, with dimensions exceeding in length four and a-half times the beam, and 21 feet depth of hold, orlop decks will come into general use, so as to relieve the pressure by dividing a ship's hold, like a warehouse, into storeys. A large ship, called the "Liverpool," which left New York in December last with an entire cargo of flour, has never since been heard of; it is supposed the

lower tiers of barrels gave way under the pressure, and the cargo having got loose, shifted in a gale of wind and capsized the vessel. Ships' cargoes, for insurance, will also become a matter of special agreement between Merchant and Shipowner and Merchant and Underwriters, and the premium vary according to the dunnage agreement. The stowage and dunnage must stand A 1, and is often of more importance than the class of the vessel, as experience has proved. When ships are chartered for a lump sum, the draft of water should be limited, as it not unfrequently happens that Brokers insert a clause that coals are not to be considered as dead weight, in order to fill the ship up in case of goods falling short to make up the chartered freight. All packages, bales and cases not weighing more than 15 cwt. to the cubic ton measurement, are designated as light freights.

Notice to Masters, Seamen, and Others.

Money Deposited at the Consulate.

Notice is hereby given, that

I. Her Britannic Majesty's Government will hold themselves responsible in respect of any sum of money or other property deposited in the hands of British Consular Officers in the following cases :

1. Wages of Seamen paid to the Consular Officer in accordance with "The Merchant Shipping Act, 1854," Sec. 209.

2. Sums deposited to pay Expenses of Seamen left behind at the port. 3. Wages, moneys, or effects of Deceased Seamen.

4. Sums deposited in exchange for Money Orders.*

5. Sums and other effects received by Consular Officers in respect of the estates of Deceased British subjects.

II. With regard to all other sums of money or property deposited with Her Britannic Majesty's Consular Officers for private convenience, Her Britannic Majesty's Government admit no responsibility whatever.†

Consular Convention between France and the United States of America, 1853.

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

Whereas a Consular Convention between the United States of America and His Majesty the Emperor of the French was concluded and signed, in this city, by their respective Plenipotentiaries, on the twenty-third day of

*This is applicable only to the ports to which the Money Order System has been extended. + Inclosure in Foreign Office Circular, Dec. 24, 1875.

February last, which Convention, as amended by the Senate of the United States, and being in the English and French languages, is, word for word, as follows:

Consular Convention between the United States of America and

His Majesty the Emperor of the French.

The President of the United States of America and His Majesty the Emperor of the French, being equally desirous to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two nations, and to give a new and more ample development to their commercial intercourse, deem it expedient, for the accomplishment of that purpose, to conclude a Special Convention which shall determine, in a precise and reciprocal manner, the rights, privileges, and duties of the Consuls of the two countries.

Accordingly they have named—

The President of the United States;

The Honourable Edward Everett, Secretary of State of the United States;

His Majesty the Emperor of the French;

The Count de Sartiges, Commander of the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour, &c., &c., His Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Washington;

Who, after communicating to each other their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles :

Art. I. The Consuls-General, Consuls, and Vice-Consuls, or Consular Agents of the United States and France, shall be reciprocally received and recognized, on the presentation of their Commissions, in the form established in their respective countries. The necessary exequatur for the exercise of their functions shall be furnished to them without charge; and on the exhibition of this exequatur, they shall be admitted at once, and without difficulty, by the territorial authorities, Federal or State, judicial or executive of the ports, cities, and places of their residence and district, to the enjoyment of the prerogatives reciprocally granted. The Government that furnishes the exequatur reserves the right to withdraw it on a statement of the reasons for which it has thought proper to do so.

Art. II. The Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Consular Agents of the United States and France, shall enjoy in the two countries the privileges usually accorded to their offices, such as personal immunity, except in the case of crime, exemption from military billetings, from service in the militia or the national guard, and other duties of the same nature; and from all direct and personal taxation, whether Federal, State, or Municipal. If, however, the said Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Consular Agents, are citizens of the country in which they reside; if they are, or become, owners of property there, or engage in commerce, they shall be subject to the same taxes and imposts, and, with the reservation of the treatment granted to commercial agents, to the same jurisdiction as other citizens of the country who are owners of property or merchants.

They may place on the outer door of their offices, or of their dwellinghouses, the arms of their nation, with an inscription in these words: "Consul of the United States," or "Consul of France"; and they shall be allowed to hoist the flag of their country thereon.

They shall never be compelled to appear as witnesses before the courts. When any declaration for judicial purposes, or deposition, is to be received from them in the administration of justice, they shall be invited in writing to appear in court, and, if unable to do so, their testimony shall be requested in writing, or be taken orally at their dwellings.

as

Consular Pupils shall enjoy the same personal privileges and immunities Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Consular Agents.

In case of death, indisposition, or absence of the latter, the Chancellors, Secretaries, and Consular Pupils attached to their offices, shall be entitled to discharge ad interim the duties of their respective posts; and shall enjoy whilst thus acting the prerogatives granted to the incumbents.

Art. III. The Consular offices and dwellings shall be inviolable. The local authorities shall not invade them under any pretext. In no case shall they examine or seize the papers there deposited. In no case shall those offices or dwellings be used as places of asylum.

Art. IV. The Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Consular Agents, of both countries, shall have the right to complain to the authorities of the respective Governments, whether federal or local, judicial or executive, throughout the extent of their Consular district, of any infraction of the treaties or conventions existing between the United States and France, or for the purpose of protecting informally the rights and interests of their countrymen, especially in cases of absence. Should there be no Diplomatic Agent of their nation, they shall be authorised, in case of need, to have recourse to the General or Federal Government of the country in which they exercise their functions.

Art. V. The respective Consuls-General and Consuls shall be free to establish, in such parts of their districts as they may see fit, Vice-Consuls, or Consular Agents, who may be taken indiscriminately from among Americans of the United States, Frenchmen, or citizens of other countries. These Agents, whose nomination it is understood shall be submitted to the approval of the respective Governments, shall be provided with a certificate given to them by the Consul by whom they are named, and under whose orders they are to act.

Art. VI. The Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Consular Agents, shall have right of taking at their offices or bureaux, at the domicile of the parties concerned, or on board ship, the declarations of captains, crews, passengers, merchants, or citizens of their country, and of executing there all requisite papers.

The respective Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Consular Agents, shall have the right also to receive at their offices or bureaux, conformably to the laws and regulations of their country, all acts of agreement executed between the citizens of their own country and the citizens or inhabitants of the country in which they reside, and even all such acts between the latter, provided that these acts relate to property situated, or to business to be transacted, in the territory of the nation to which the Consul or the Agent before whom they are executed may belong.

Copies of such papers, duly authenticated by the Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, or Consular Agents, and sealed with the official seal of their Consulate or Consular Agency, shall be admitted in courts