ON ■THE MEASUREMENT. OF SHIPg FOB TONNAGE. 459' 



set forth the importance of the subject, and shown that legislative enactment 

 will be necessary in order to correct the deficiencies of our present tonnage 

 registration of shipping : the subject, having been thus brought before the 

 public in its most serious and important aspect, has apparently induced 

 several of the gentlemen proposed for this Committee to decline the task 

 thus expected of them. 



The absence from Glasgow of many interested in the subject rendering 

 previous communication impracticable, the President and officers of the 

 Mechanical Section deeming it desirable that the three scientific bodies 

 before whom the subject had been brought should participate in the inves- 

 tigation, Mr. John Scott Russell was nominated to represent the British 

 Association; and it being also considered expedient to follow the precedent 

 of the Tonnage Committee of 1849, comprising shipowners, shipbuilders, 

 ofiicers of the Royal Navy, Merchant Service, and Trinity House, gentlemen 

 connected with Lloyd's Register, and their surveyors, with several naval 

 architects and engineers, there were proposed Mr. Allan Gilmore, Mr. 

 John Wood, and Mr. James R. Napier, representing the shipowners and 

 shipbuilders of Scotland ; Mr. C. Atherton and Mr. J. Peake, the latter 

 professions, with the understanding that they were to seek the cooperation 

 of others. 



Accordingly, application was made to noblemen, oflScers and engineers 

 connected with tlie Navy, the Society of Arts, and Institution of Civil 

 Engineers, the shipowners' societies of London and Liverpool, the Com- 

 mittee of Lloyd's Register of Shipping, and to shipbuilders ; although many 

 of these gentlemen of scientific attainments and practical experience offered 

 to participate in the investigation, diflSculty and delay occurred from some 

 of the members of the Committee being resident in distant parts of the 

 country, while for the deposit of papers and plans for references by the 

 Committee, no provision had been made even in the metropolis ; the only 

 means of bringing them under consideration, was the forwarding copies of 

 them to the principal ports, that the members might elicit the opinion of the 

 Local Marine Boards and shipowners. 



With this view application was made to the Board of Trade for copies of 

 Acts and Parliamentary papers bearing on the question, to be submitted to 

 the members of the Committee of the British Association in their investi- 

 gation of Tonnage Measurement. 



The official reply was, that the Board of Trade " d& not consider that the 

 law of tonnage measurement requires alteration, or that the subject requires 

 further investigation with any view of amending the law." " Most of the 

 papers to which you refer are published, and can be purchased. Those 

 which have not been published, and which are among the records of this 

 office. My Lords cannot part with ; but you are at liberty to inspect and take 

 copies of the plans whirh you have yourself submitted to the Board." 



In addition to these delays and the difficulties thrown in the way by the 

 routine of a public office, Mr. Allan Gilmore and Mr. John Wood of Glas- 

 gow, expressed a desire to withdraw from the Committee ; and Mr. Scott 

 Russell's engagements, especially in connexion with the construction of the 

 great ship for the Eastern Steam Navigation Company, have so engrossed 

 his time and attention as to have put it out of his power to take that interest 

 in this question which has hitherto so laudably characterized his exertions in 

 the cause of science, in connexion with the labours of the British Association. 



Mr. Atherton also declined on the ground that the public agitation of the 

 question referred to, in which during the past year he was engaged before 

 the Society of Arts, disqualified him for the time being from taking part o» 



