Borrowed from another listing.... Edna - Ottawa >>>>>>>>>>> Another item or two rescued from eBay and a possible fate as wallpaper or lampshades , an Act of Parliament dated 3rd May 1804 , `An Act to exempt Vessels in the Newfoundland Trade from the Provisions of an Act passed in the last Session of Parliament , for regulating Vessels carrying passengers from the United Kingdom` `Whereas it is expedient that the Regulations contained in an Act passed in the 43rd yr of His present Majesty`s Reign intituled ( as above ) should not be applied to Vessels going to or returning from Newfoundland and the Coast of Labrador , having persons on board concerned in the Trade and Fishery thereof ; and it might be very prejudicial to the said Fishery and Trade , if the Provisions of the said Act should be enforced with regard to such Vessels; and be it enacted by the King`s most Excellent Majesty ....that nothing in the said Act shall be deemed and taken to apply to any Ships or Vessels for which a Clearance shall be demanded out of any Port or Place of the United Kingdom to the Island of Newfoundland or to the Coast of Labrador or to the Banks of Newfoundland to be employed in the Trade or Fishery thereof ........or returning with passengers who have been so employed ......` And a weightier tome which is dated 18th July 1823 ` An Act to repeal the Laws for regulating Vessels carrying Passengers from the United Kingdom to Foreign Parts, and to make other Provisions in lieu therof .....` so this Act repealed from the 1st Aug 1823 , the Acts for regulating vessels carrying passengers from the United Kingdom to his Majesty`s plantations and settlements abroad , or to foreign parts, and with respect to the number of such passengers ; an Act for regulating the carrying of passengers to and from the Island of Newfoundland and the Coast of Labrador ; an Act to regulate the conveyance of passengers from the United Kingdom to the United States of America in British Vessels , and an Act to regulate the vessels carrying passengers from the United Kingdom to certain of His Majesty`s Colonies in North America ............... alongside each numbered paragraph of this new Act , are small print summaries , ` No Foreign vessel carrying passengers shall sail for any port out of Europe etc with more persons on board than One for every Five tons burthen without special permission of the Commissioners of the Customs .......No British vessel carrying passengers shall sail with a greater number of persons than as aforesaid without a licence from Commissioners of Customs ....Penalty £50 for each person exceeding the proportion ...( this number of persons included the master and crew and the fine was to be paid by the master of the ship .......and a person was one Adult or two children under 14yrs of age or three children under 7yrs of age for `every two tons of the burthen of such ship or vessel : Provided also that no such licence shall be granted for any ship or vessel which shall not have two decks nor unless the height between such decks shall be five feet six inches at least `. ........Apportionment of Space for the passengers ` Provided always that if one bed be placed over another , so that each sleeping place shall not have the whole height between decks , or the full height of 5ft 6ins if there be only one deck, such further adjoining space in width and not being less than 5ft 6ins in height shall be given .........` ` THE MASTER ........IS HEREBY REQUIRED TO DELIVER TO THE COLLECTOR ........A LIST CONTAINING THE FULL NUMBER OF THE CREW AND ALSO THE NUMBER OF THE PASSENGERS , WITH THEIR NAMES, AGES, AND DESCRIPTIONS AND THE PLACES TO WHICH THEY ARE TO BE RESPECTIVELY CONVEYED ` `Bond to be given that the vessel is seaworthy , and properly stored etc . ....and properly stored with water and provisions and having a surgeon with a medicine chest properly stored with medicines as therein provided `............`Passengers only to be taken on board at a Custom House port on penalty of £50 for each passenger .............Penalty on Masters taking more passengers than allowed £50 for each person ............` allowance of 5 pints of water daily during the voyage for every person including the master and crew ...an allowance for every person during the voyage of one pound weight of bread or biscuit and one pound weight of beef or three quarters of a pound of pork daily and also two pounds weight of flour and three pounds weight of Oatmeal or Pease or of Pearl Barley , and half a pound weight of Butter weekly `. .....` and it be further enacted that the Bedding fo each and every passenger on board any such British ship or vessel shall be aired by Exposure upon the deck when the weather will permit daily during the voyage and that the vessel be fumigated with vinegar at least twice every week during the voyage and the master shall forfeit and pay the sum of £20 for each failure or neglect in airing the said bedding and fumigating the ship `. ....no such British ship carrying fifty persons shall be cleared out unless provided with a surgeon who shall produce a certificate of his having passed his examination at Surgeons Hall in London or the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh or Dublin .......and whereas it is expedient that some certain Mark should be placed on certain British ships or vessels carrying Passengers that they may at all times be known at sea by HMS , be it enacted that the Letter P shall be painted in white at least three feet in length and in proportionate inches in width on the quarters of every British ship ....................officers of the Navy , Consuls etc may inquire into the Execution of the Act ........(but) the Act is not to extend to vessels in service of His Majesty , or of His Majesty`s Post master General or of the East India Company ..............it is to extend to Foreign ships belonging to states in Amity ...........not to extend to the conveyance of fishermen etc employed in the Newfoundland Fisheries etc .........penalties incurred by such persons ..in case they be convicted thereof to yield his or their bodies to prison in the manner prescribed in the Act of 8th George 1st , ` Act to prevent the clandestine running of Goods and the Danger of Infection thereby , and to prevent ships breaking their quarantine , and to subject Copper Ore of the British Plantations to such regulations etc ...........` The words horse and stable door spring to mind !!!