Persona!  I  have  recently  made  an  effort  to  ascertain  the  feel-

ings of  the  seamen  by  personal  inquiry.  I  addressed  a
meeting  at  the  Liverpool  Sailors'  Home  in  December
last  on  this  subject,  when  a  resolution  was  unanimously
passed  in  favour  of  the  plan.  I  have  subsequently  been
in  correspondence  with  the  Secretary  of  the  Seamen's
Protective  Society,  of  Liverpool,  which  numbers  several
thousand  members,  all  able  seamen  ;  and  I  am  informed
that  since  the  date  of  the  meeting  the  subject  has  been
repeatedly  considered  by  the  Society,  and  that  the  general
principle  of  compulsion  has  been  invariably  approved.
Ten  days  ago  I  attended  a  meeting  of  seamen  at  the
Shipping  Office  in  the  East  India  Road,  when  the  plan
was  also  received  with  the  warmest  approval.
