4 
62 REPORT—1857. . 3 
Report of a Committee, consisting of The Rt. Hon. Earl of Harp- 
wicks, Chairman; Mr. ANDREw Henperson, Mr. Joun Scott 
RusseE.1, Mr. James Rost. Napizr, Mr. CHARLES ATHERTON, 
Mr. Arruur ANDERSON, Rev. Dr. WooLuey, Admiral Moor- 
som (vice Mr. W. Mann), Mr. Joun Macareeor (vice Mr. G. F. 
Youne), Captain J. O. Owrn, Professor BENNEtr Woopcrort, 
James Perry, and Mr. James Yates, Secretary, appointed to 
inquire into the Defects of the present methods of Measuring and 
Registering the Tonnage of Shipping, as also of Marine Engine- 
Power, and to frame more perfect rules, in order that a correct and 
uniform principle may be adopted to estimate the Actual Carrying — 
Capabilities and Working-Power of Steam Ships*. : 
Tue Committee, having held its sittings weekly, for the purposes of in- 
quiry and the reception of information, beg leave to present the following | 
Report :— 
Wine Committee think it necessary, at the outset, to state the difficulties 
they met with (incidental, no doubt, to all private committees that attempt 
to inguire into laws affecting particular classes) in inducing individuals to 
appear before them to give evidence on this subject, or to give information 
by writing or correspondence. 
The chief information now derived is from members of the Committee, 
who, being personally interested in the subject, were naturally biassed in 
their views by the circumstances that surround them. 
The mode, therefore, your Committee thought it best to adopt, for the 
purpose of eliciting information, was that of circulating the annexed letter 
(see No. I. in Appendix), specially referring to eight points of inquiry bear- 
ing on the subjects. 
Copies of this Circular were sent to the Admiralty, Navy Board, Board of 
Trade, Custom House, and Treasury, with a request that copies might be 
forwarded to the various Officers under Government connected with the 
scientific and working departments. 
Your Committee received from all the Government Departments a refusal 
to forward those questions. 
Copies of the Circular were also sent to all the Local Marine Boards, to 
the offices of the public newspapers, at shipping ports, and to many gentle- 
men connected with science and trade. 
The Local Marine Boards declined to entertain the question. 
Answers were returned from several individuals, including members of 
your Committee. 
Your Committee proceed to give a short summary of the replies, which 
they received from their own members, and which are inserted in the — 
Appendix. 
Mr. John Scott Russell considers the object of registered tonnage is the — 
taxation of their contents; the present is a mere standard of taxation! that 
all tonnage dues should be abandoned, and the same should be levied on 
freight. 
For scientific purposes, he considers that the register tonnage measurement — 
cannot be of any service—does not consider that it would be tolerated, that 
* See Report for 1856, p. 458. 
