hereby repealed, any thing in this Act contained to the contrary notwithstanding. 2. If it be desired that any County shall be incorporated under the provisions of the Act of which this is an amendment, the same shall be signified to the Lieutenant Governor in Council in manner following :-At least one hundred of the resident freeholders and householders of the County, paying rates upon property, shall by Petition to the Sheriff, pray that public meetings may be called at some one of the Polling places fixed by law for the election of Representatives to serve in General Assembly, in the several Parishes in the County, for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of incorporating the County. 3. The Sheriff shall thereupon give at least three months public notice of the day and hour at which such public meetings shall be held; the notice shall contain a copy of the Petition, and of the names of the signers, it shall be published at least in eight weekly numbers of a Newspaper printed and circulating in the County, if any, and also shall be published by printed hand bills in at least ten of the most public places in each Parish. 4. At the meeting in the Shire Town the Sheriff shall preside, and in the other Parishes the Town or Parish Clerk shall preside. 5. On such notice being given, the Collectors of Rates in each Parish shall, at least ten days previous to the day appointed for such meetings, furnish the officer appointed to preside thereat, with correct lists under oath of all the rate payers upon property within such Parish, who were rated for Parish and County rates at the last assessment, and on failing to deliver such lists, he may be committed by two Justices of the Peace to the County goal, there to remain without bail or mainprize until such lists be furnished. 6. At such meetings it shall be put to vote whether the County shall or shall not be incorporated; and the presiding officer shall take down in writing the names of all resident householders and ratepayers upon property who shall vote on the question, and shall state whether they vote in the affirmative or negative. 7. The Sheriff shall, after taking the question, adjourn the meeting at the Shire Town to some day not more than six days after the first meeting. 4 8. The Town or Parish Clerks in the several Parishes shall, within two days after the meeting, return to the Sheriff of the County the lists of the names of those voting both for and against the incorporation of the County at the said meetings, and the Sheriff shall on the day to which the meeting at the Shire Town shall have been adjourned, cast up the number of those who shall have voted at the several meetings in the County, and shall then publicly declare the number of those voting in the affirmative and negative on the said question. 9. If two thirds of those voting on the question shall have voted in the affirmative, the Sheriff shall certify the same under his hand and seal to the Lieutenant Governor in Council. 10. If it be decided that the County shall not be incorporated, subsequent meetings may be called at any time after six months from the preceding meetings on the like Petition and similar notice for taking the question again into consideration as hereinbefore prescribed. 11. All official expenses attending the holding from time to time of the several meetings for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not a County shall be incorporated, and for the purpose of making the returns thereof as required by law, shall be laid before any General Sessions for the County, and after being audited by such Sessions, shall be ordered by them to be paid out of the County contingencies, CAP. IX. An Act relating to Steam Navigation in this Province. Section. 1. Outward-bound Steamers, what boats 5. Gangways for passengers, what; and 6. Steamers plying within the Province, what lights and where placed; penalty. 7. Inspectors, how and when to be appointed. Salary. 8. Duty of Inspector, how and when to be performed. 9. Additional duty, what. 10. Inspector how to provide against loss by fire. 11. Certificate of Inspector, for what, when, and how given. Section. Passed 1st May 1854. Be it enacted, &c.-1. No sea boat or vessel propelled by steam shall depart from any port or place within the Province, with passengers, without having on board, or attached to such boat or vessel, good, suitable, and sufficient boats, in good condition, properly equipped, as follows:-For every Steamer of the registered tonnage of two hundred tons and upwards, not less than four good boats; of the registered tonnage of less than two hundred tons, not less than three good boats; every of such boats to be provided with not less than six oars, and other necessary tackle, and every such boat to be of sufficient capacity to carry not less than twelve adult persons, exclusive of the crews, and shall be of a length of keel not less than seventeen feet; also one good and sufficient life boat made of metal, fire proof, and capable of sustaining inside and outside fifty persons, with life lines attached to the gunwale at suitable distances; also not less than six good life preservers, made of suitable material, or floats well adapted to that purpose; such life preservers or floats shall always be kept in convenient and accessible places in such vessel, and in readiness for the use of passengers. 2. Every steam boat, whether for Sea or River navigation, shall be provided with and have on board in some convenient place, not less than twenty four good and sufficient fire buckets of wood or leather, and six good and sufficient lanterns; also a suitable number of gauge cocks properly inserted in the boilers of the respective steam boats, and a suitable water gauge and steam gauge indicating the height of the water and the pressure of the stea'n therein, as the Inspector may direct; and also one double acting force pump, with chambers of such size as the Inspector may direct, according to the size and route of the steamer, to be worked by steam if steam can be employed, otherwise by hand, and to have a suitable well fitted hose of at least the length of the vessel, according to the direction of the Inspector, kept at all times in perfect order and ready for immediate use, which shall be supplied with water by a pipe connected therewith, and passing through the side of the vessel so low as to be at all times in the water when she is afloat. 3. The Inspector of each port or place, appointed under the provisions of this Act, is hereby required to regulate and direct the weight to the square inch of the boilers of each steamer belonging to or steaming from the port or place for which he is such Inspector, whether Sea or River steamer; and to certify such regulations and directions in writing to the master or owner of the steamer inspected by him, who with the engineer of the steam boat to which such regulations and directions apply, shall be governed thereby; a printed copy whereof it shall be the duty of the owner or master of the said steam boat to cause to be posted up, and kept posted up in some conspicuous part of the steam boat during the season to which such inspection shall apply. 4. If such master, owner, or engineer, after the Inspector shall have so certified as in the last preceding Section directed, shall act contrary to the said regulations, by putting a greater weight upon the boilers than allowed thereby, such master, or owner, and engineer, shall respectively be subject and liable to a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds for each and every breach of such regulations, to be recovered and applied as hereinafter directed. 5. Every such steam boat or vessel shall be provided with a good, safe, and convenient gangway to the wharf at which she may be lying, such gangway to be not less than two and a half feet wide, with a good hand rail on each side thereof, suitable for embarking and landing of passengers to and from such steam boat or vessel as aforesaid, at all times of tide, such landing or gangway to be separate and distinct from that used for landing or loading coals or cargo; and in all cases when the landing or disembarking of the passengers takes place between sun set and sun rise, a good light shall be placed at each end of such gangway before the passengers be allowed to land, and kept there for not less than one hour after arrival at the wharf or place of landing, or until the landing is finished; and the like case when the embarking of passengers takes place after dark, that is between sun set and sun rise, under the penalty of forty shillings for each and every neglect or breach of duty in this respect, to be paid by the owner or master of such boat or vessel. 6. Every steam boat plying within any of the Harbours, Waters, Bays, and Rivers of the Province of New Brunswick, and coming to any port or place within the same, shall carry at the mast head of such steam vessel, or upon a staff to be erected over the wheel house not less than ten feet high above the upper deck, at night, during the time she shall be under way, a good, clear, and distinct signal white light, and also one distinct white light under the bow of the boat; and steam tug boats shall carry a red light at the mast head; which lights shall be so kept until along side of the wharf, on coming into port or place of destination, under the penalty for each and every neglect of twenty five pounds, to be paid by the owner or master of such boat or vessel, and to be recovered and applied as hereinafter directed. 7. The Lieutenant Governor in Council is hereby authorized to appoint one Inspector residing in the City of Saint John, and such other Inspectors as may from time to time be found necessary, in other parts of the Province. Such officers shall be designated Inspectors of steam boats, and shall perform the services required of them by this Act. The salary of the Inspector residing at Saint John shall not exceed two hundred pounds per annum, including travelling expenses; the salary of any other Inspector appointed under the provisions of this Act shall be fixed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council; such salary shall be paid quarterly by Warrant of the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the Province Treasurer. 8. The Inspector of each port or place is hereby authorized at all times, and as often as he may judge necessary, to go on board and inspect and examine the hull, boilers, machinery, boats, and other parts and appurtenances of any steamer belonging to or steaming from the port or place for which such Inspector is appointed, employed in carriage of passengers, and to satisfy himself that every such vessel so submitted to his inspection is of a structure suitable for the service in which she is employed, that she has suitable accommodation for her crew and passengers, and is in a condition to warrant the belief that she may be used in navigation as a steamer with safety to life, and that all the requirements of this Law in regard to boats, boilers, machinery, life preservers, and other things, are faithfully complied with; and if he deem it expedient he may direct the vessel to be put in motion, and may adopt any other suitable means to test her sufficiency and her equip ments. |