444 INTERNATIONAL LAWS FOR THE 



lawful commands," and get taken before the magistrates, 

 and then state his grievance as the reason for his dis- 

 obedience. 



Clause 12 gives an aggrieved member of the crew, in 

 case of dissatisfaction with his account and settlement, 

 leave to appeal to the superintendent, from whose decision 

 there is no appeal. This power of a superintendent to 

 decide cases of common law without appeal has been 

 previously objected to. 



Clause 13 is as follows : " that any member of the crew 

 shall be liable to dismissal upon ( ) hours' notice, given to 

 him by the said master or owner, and upon being paid the 

 amount, if any, to which he is entitled in respect of his 

 wages or share to the date of dismissal ; and further that 

 any member of the crew may claim his discharge at the 

 time of any of the settlements above referred to upon 

 giving a similar previous notice to the master or owner." 

 This is a most curious clause, for in the first portion it 

 gives an owner or master power to break the agreement 

 and discharge any one of the crew at any time, subject to a 

 certain number of hours' notice, and upon paying the 

 amount due for wages or share to date of dismissal, so that 

 the ( ) hours' notice without the money to date is not a 

 legal dismissal, and what would be the use of the ( ) 

 hours' notice, when a man had received all his money ? 

 Practically it resolves itself into the fact that an owner can 

 discharge a man at any time by giving him his money to 

 date. To be properly defined and practical, it should 

 have been worded to the effect that the owner or master 

 should give the ( ) hours' notice, and pay the man the full 

 amount of money due to him at the expiration of such 

 notice. If this be the correct construction as intended by 

 the framers, the wording is very careless, and ought not to be 



