Merchant Shipping (Part VII. Mercantile Marine Fund.) Mercantile Marine Fund. CCCCXVIII. Subject to any prior Charges that may be subApplication of sisting thereon by virtue of any Act or Acts of Parliament or Mercantile otherwise, the said Fund shall be chargeable with the follow- Marine Fund. ing Expenses; that is to say, (1.) The Salaries and other Expenses connected with the (2.) The Salaries of Surveyors, and other Expenses con- (3.) All Expenses incurred by the General Lighthouse (4.) All Expenses incurred by the Trinity House in respect (5.) Such Expenses for establishing and maintaining on the Coasts of the United Kingdom proper Life-boats, with the necessary Crews and Equipments, and for affording Assistance towards the Preservation of Life and Property in Cases of Shipwreck and Distress at Sea, and for rewarding the Preservation of Life in such Cases, as the Board of Trade directs: (6.) Any Expenses incurred in carrying into effect the Provisions with regard to Receivers and the Performance. of their Duties contained in the Eighth Part of this Act: (7.) Any Expenses which by this or any other Act of Parliament are specially charged thereon : And shall, save as herein-after mentioned, be applicable to no other Purpose whatever. CCCCXIX. The said Rates and Monies received by the Application of Trinity House under the said Local Act of the Seventh Year of Ballastage Her present Majesty, Chapter Fifty-seven, shall, subject to the Rates. Payment of such Proportion of any prior Charges subsisting on 6 & 7 Vict. the Mercantile Marine Fund as may in the Opinion of the c. lvii. Board of Trade be fairly chargeable thereon, and to the Powers of raising Money upon the Credit of the said Fund herein contained, be applicable only to Services performed for the Purpose of Mercantile Marine Fund. Establish. ments for Lighthouses charged on Fund to be fixed by Her Majesty in Council. Merchant Shipping (Part VII. Mercantile Marine Fund.) of supplying Ballast to or providing for the Safety or Convenience of such Ships as navigate the said River Thames and the Seas and Channels leading thereto between Orfordness on the North and Dungeness on the South: Provided that if, in addition to the Duties performed in consideration of the said Ballastage Rates under the said Local Act, the Trinity House, at the Request or with the Consent of the Owners or Masters of or Agents for any Ships, undertake to place Ballast on board thereof, or to unload Ballast therefrom, they shall be entitled to charge for such additional Duties such reasonable additional Rate per Ton for Ballast so placed on board or unladen as Her Majesty by Order in Council from Time to Time approves. CCCCXX. Her Majesty may from Time to Time, by and with the Advice of Her Privy Council, fix the Establishments and Ballastage to be maintained by each of the said General Lighthouse Authorities on account of the Services of Lighthouses, Buoys and Beacons, and also as regards the Trinity Horse, on account of the Service of Lastage and Ballastage in the River Thames, or the annual or other Sums to be paid out of the said Fund, in respect of such Establishments; and if it appears that any Part of the Establishments of the said Lighthouse Authorities is maintained for the Purposes of such Duties and also for other Purposes, to fix and from Time to Time alter the Portion of the Expense of such Establishments to be paid out of the said Fund; and no Increase of any Establishment or Part of an Establishment so fixed shall be made without the Consent of the Board of Trade. Power to grant Superannuation Allowances. Estimates and Accounts for other Expenses to be CCCCXXI. The said General Lighthouse Authorities may from Time to Time, with the Sanction of the Board of Trade, grant Superannuations or Compensations to Persons whose Salaries are payable out of the said Fund, and who are discharged or retire; so nevertheless that no Superannuation Allowance or Compensation to any Person so discharged or retiring shall exceed the Proportion of his Salary which might be granted to a Person in the public Civil Service, under the Act of the Fourth and Fifth Years of King William the Fourth, Chapter Twenty-four, or under any other Act for regulating suchi Superannuation Allowances or Compensations for the Time being in force. CCCCXXII. Each of the said General Lighthouse Authorities shall from Time to Time submit to the Board of Trade Estimates of all Expenses to be incurred by them in respect of the approved by Matters aforesaid, other than the Establishment Expenses for the Time being allowed by Order in Council as aforesaid; and shall also, whenever in providing for any sudden Emergency it is necessary to incur any Expense without waiting until an Estimate the Board of Trade. Merchant Shipping (Part VII. Mercantile Marine Fund.) Estimate can be sanctioned, as soon as possible send to the Mercantile Marine Fund. unless sanc CCCCXXIII. No Expense of any of the said General Light- No Expense house Authorities in respect of the said Services shall be paid to be allowed out of the Mercantile Marine Fund, or allowed in Account, toned by other than the Suns so allowed for Establishment Expenses as Board of aforesaid, er included in Estimates or Accounts approved by Trade. the Board of Trade.. penses, Treasury may ad CCCCXXIV. For the Purpose of the Construction and Repair For the Purof Lighthouses, and of other extraordinary Expenses connected rose of erectwith the said Services, the Treasury are authorized from Time ing and reto Time, upon the Application of the Board of Trade, to ad- airing Lighthouses, and vance out of the growing Froduce of the Consolidated Fund of other extraor the United Kingdom such Sums of Money, upon such Terms, dinary Exand at such Rate of Interest as they think fit, and to pay the same into the Mercantile Marine Fund Account, so nevertheless vance Money. that the whole Sum for the Time being due in respect of such Advances shall never at any One Time exceed Two hundred thousand Pounds; and upon any Advance being so made the Sum so advanced and the Interest shall be a Charge on the Mercantile Marine Fund, and upon the Dues, Rates, Fees, and Payments so to be carried thereto as aforesaid; and the Board of Trade shall make such Provision for the Repayment thereof out of the said Fund, either by forming a Sinking Fund or otherwise, as the Treasury may require; provided that no such Advance shall prevent any lawful Reduction of any of the said Dues, Rates, Fees, or Payments, if such Reduction be assented to by the Treasury. CCCCXXV. The Board of Trade may also, for the Purpose Power to last aforesaid, raise Money by mortgaging the Mercantile Marine Board of Fund, and the several Dues, Rates, Fees, and Payments so to be Trade to borrow Money carried thereto as aforesaid, or any of them, or any Part thereof on the Credit to any Person or Body of Persons; and every such Mort- of Fund. gage shall be in such Form, and under the Hand and Seal of such Person or Persons, as the President of the said Board for the Time being may direct; and no Person or Body of Persons lending Money upon any such Mortgage shall be bound to see to the Purpose for which the same is raised, or to the Mode in which it is applied. CCCCXXVI. The Public Works Loan Commissioners may Power to also, for the Purpose last aforesaid, advance Money upon Public Works Mortgage of the said Mercantile Marine Fund, and the several missioners to Dues, Rates, Fees, and Payments so to be carried thereto as advance aforesaid, Loan Com Mercantile Marine Fund, Merchant Shipping (Part VII. Mercantile Marine Fund.) Money on the aforesaid, or any of them, or any Part thereof, without require Credit of the Fund. Lighthouse to Board of Trade. ing any further Security than such Mortgage as aforesaid; but every Mortgage so made to the said Public Works Loan Commissioners, or their Secretary for the Time being, shall be made under and in pursuance of the Acts of Parliament regulating the Proceedings of the said Public Works Loan Commissioners, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding: Provided, that no Advance which may be made by the said Public Works Loan Commissioners shall prevent any lawful Reduction of any of the said Dues, Rates, Fees, or Payments, if such Reduction is assented to by the said Public Works Loan Commissioners. CCCCXXVII. Each of the said General Lighthouse Authorities shall account to the Board of Trade for their Receipts to account for Receipt and from the said Light Dues and Ballasinge Rates, and for their Expenditure Expenditure as regards Expenses paid out of the said Fund, in such Form, and at such Times, and with such Details, Ex planations, and Vouchers, as the Board of Trade requires, and shall, when required by such Board, permit all Books of Accounts kept by or under their respective Direction to be inspected and examined by such Persons as the said Board appoints for that Purpose: Accounts of Fund to be audited by Commissioners of Audit. Accounts to be laid before Parliament. Act to be exempt from all Rates and Taxes. CCCCXXVIII. The Board of Trade shall render to the Commissioners for auditing the Public Accounts periodical Accounts of the whole of the Receipts and Expenditure of the Mercantile Marine Fund, such Accounts to be signed and declared to by the Accountant appointed by the Board of Trade for that Purpose; and in case of Default it shall be lawful for the Treasury to make or direct such Allowance as under the Circumstances of the case they may think fit in respect thereof. CCCCXXIX. The Board of Trade shall as soon as practicable after the meeting of Parliament in every Year cause the Account of the Mercantile Marine Fund for the then preceding Year to be laid before both Houses of Parliament. Property used CCCCXXX. All Lighthouses, Buoys, Beacons, and Light for the Purpo- Dues, and all other Rates, Fees, or Payments accruing to or III. and VI. of forming Part of the said Fund, and all Premises or Property belonging to or occupied by any of the said General Lighthouse Authorities or the Board of Trade, which are used or applied for the Purposes of any of the Services for which such Dues, Rates, Fees, and Payments are received, and all Instruments or Writings used by or under the Direction of any of the said General Lighthouse Authorities or the Board of Trade in carrying on the said Services, shall be exempted from all public, parochial, and local Taxes, Duties, and Rates of every kind. CCCCXXXI. Merchant Shipping (Part VII. Mercantile Marine Fund.) Mercantile Marine Fund. CCCCXXXI. The Ships belonging to or used by any of the Ships of Light said General Lighthouse Authorities, or by the Board of Trade house Autho rities exempt shall be privileged to enter, resort to, and use any Harbours, from Harbour Ports, Docks, or Piers in the United Kingdom, without Pay- Dues. ment of any Tolls, Dues, or Rates of any kind. PART VIII. WRECKS, CASUALTIES, AND SALVAGE, Inquiries into Wrecks. Inquiries into CCCCXXXII. In any of the Cases following, that is Inquiries to be to say, instituted in Cases of Wreck and Whenever any Ship is lost, abandoned, or materially Casualty. damaged on or near the Coasts of the United Kingdom; Whenever any Ship causes Loss or material Damage to any other Ship on or near such Coasts; Whenever by reason of any Casualty happening to or on board Whenever any such Loss, Abandonment, Damage, or It shall be lawful for the Inspecting Officer of the Coast Guard or the principal Officer of Customs residing at or near the Place where such Loss, Abandonment, Damage, or Casualty occurred, if the same occurred on or near the Coasts of the United Kingdom, but if elsewhere at or near the Place where such Witnesses as aforesaid arrive or are found or can be conveniently examined, or for any other Person appointed for the Purpose by the Board of Trade, to make Inquiry respecting such Loss, Abandonment, Damage, or Casualty; and he shall for that Purpose have all the Powers given by the First Part of this Act to Inspectors appointed by the said Board. before Jus CCCCXXXIII. If it appears to such Officer or Person as Formal Inaforesaid, either upon or without any such preliminary Inquiry vestigation as aforesaid, that a formal Investigation is requisite or expe- tices. dient, or if the Board of Trade so directs, he shall apply to any Two Justices or to a Stipendiary Magistrate to hear the Case ; n |