r, and have prevented
sailors from shipping, and in the end the ship-owners have been compelled
to abandon the sailor to the mercy of his tyrants. Only a law of
Congress, regulating sailors' boarding houses, according to the system
now in use in England, will remedy the evil. Efforts are now being made
to secure the passage, during the present session of Congress, of a bill,
entitled the "Shipping Commissioners' Bill," which has received the
sanction of the shipping merchants of New York, and which will
effectually remedy the evils we have described.

The merchants of the city have also organized a "Seamen's Exchange," the
objects of which are thus set forth by the Association:

"The objects of this Association shall be the moral, mental, and social
improvement of seamen, to elevate their character and efficiency as a
class, and to protect them from impositions and abuses at home and
abroad.

"To build up such an organization of respectable seamen as will command
the respect of the community, enable ship-owners to protect themselves
from the imposition of worthless and disorderly characters claiming to be
seamen, but disgracing the name, and secure for their vessels reliable
and efficient crews; while at the same time the seaman will be enabled to
select good ships and good officers, and thus secure good treatment."

They propose to attain these objects by the adoption of the following
measures:

"To provide an exchange, reading-room, library, and savings-bank which
shall be open to all seamen on the payment of a small annual
subscription. To issue certificates of membership, and of character and
capacity. To assert and maintain perfect liberty in the selection of
boarding-houses, shipping-offices, and voyages. To refuse to pay or to
receive 'bonus-money' for ships, or 'blood-money' for men, by which
custom both shipowners and seamen are sufferers. To supply vessels with
crews without the intervention of any shipping-master should it become
necessary. To discourage the system of advanced wages as the source of
many evils and but few benefits. To keep a record of the name, age,
character, and capacity, so far as can be ascertained, of every member of
this Association; also, of the vessels in port, their class, owners or
agents, and the voyages on which they are bound. To establish means by
which seamen can receive afternoon and evening lessons in the common
English branches and navigation. To encourage and