Loose statements with regard to the loss of life at sea, and other matters—“Coffin ships”—Great improvement of our ships and officers in recent years—Duties of the Board of Trade with regard to wrecks—Return of lives lost and saved between 1855 and 1873, _note_—Wreck chart; but the extent of loss not sufficiently examined—Danger of too much Government interference—Loss of life in proportion to vessels afloat—Causes of loss—More details required—Improvement in lighthouses, buoys, and beacons—Harbours of Refuge—Extraordinary scene in the House of Commons on the withdrawal of the Merchant Shipping Bill, 1875—Another Bill introduced by Government—Its conditions—Unusual _personal_ power granted to Surveyors—Propriety or not, of further legislation considered—Compulsory load-line—Mr. J. W. A. Harper’s evidence—Mr. W. J. Lamport and others—Opinion of the Commissioners—Voluntary load-line—Its value questionable—All ships should be certified as seaworthy—How can this be accomplished?—Opinion of Mr. Charles McIver, _note_—Registration Associations—Lloyd’s Register, its great importance—Improvement of seamen by better education—Evil effects of advance notes, confirmed by the opinion of the Commissioners—Over-insurance—Views of Mr. T. H. Farrer—Evidence of other witnesses—Opinion of the Commissioners—Too much legislation already—The necessity of a Mercantile Marine Code, and more prompt punishment in criminal cases—Concluding remarks on the extraordinary progress of British shipping, and the dangers of over-legislation. APPENDICES. PAGE APPENDIX No. 1 563 ” No. 2 567 ” No. 3 571 ” No. 4 582 ” No. 5 590 ” No. 6 596 ” No. 7 600 ” No. 8 611 ” No. 9 613 ” No. 10 618 ” No. 11 620 ” No. 12 624 ” No. 13 634 ” No. 14 637 INDEX 639 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE WRECK CHART, SHOWING WHERE TOTAL, WHERE PARTIAL, AND WHERE LOSS OF LIFE OCCURRED _Frontispiece_ THE UNITED STATES SAILING CLIPPER “GREAT REPUBLIC” 360 THE TRANSVERSE MIDSHIP SECTION OF BRITISH SAILING SHIP, “THERMOPYLÆ” 415 DRAWING OF THIS SHIP UNDER FULL SAIL 416 [Illustration: CHART OF THE BRITISH ISLES SHEWING THE WRECKS AND CASUALTIES DURING THE YEAR 1873-4, distinguishing those attended with Loss of Life ] MERCHANT SHIPPING. CHAPTER I.