Merchant Shipping Act 1894

Keeping Order in Passenger Steamers U.K.

287 Offences in connexion with passenger steamers. U.K.

(1) If any of the following offences is committed in the case of a passenger steamer for which there is a passenger steamer’s certificate in force; (that is to say,)

(a) If any person being drunk or disorderly has been on that account refused admission thereto by the owner or any person in his employment, and, after having the amount of his fare (if he has paid it) returned or tendered to him, nevertheless persists in attempting to enter the steamer:

(b) If any person being drunk or disorderly on board the steamer is requested by the owner or any person in his employ to leave the steamer at any place in the United Kingdom, at which he can conveniently do so, and, after having the amount of his fare (if he has paid it) returned or tendered to him, does not comply with the request:

(c) If any person on board the steamer, after warning by the master or other officer thereof, molests or continues to molest any passenger:

(d) If any person, after having been refused admission to the steamer by the owner or any person in his employ on account of the steamer being full, and having had the amount of his fare (if he has paid it) returned or tendered to him, nevertheless persists in attempting to enter the steamer:

(e) If any person having gone on board the steamer at any place, and being requested, on account of the steamer being full, by the owner or any person in his employ to leave the steamer, before it has quitted that place, and having had the amount of his fare (if he has paid it) returned or tendered to him, does not comply with that request:

(f) If any person travels or attempts to travel in the steamer without first paying his fare, and with intent to avoid payment thereof:

(g) If any person, having paid his fare for a certain distance, knowingly and wilfully proceeds in the steamer beyond that distance without first paying the additional fare for the additional distance, and with intent to avoid payment thereof:

(h) If any person on arriving in the steamer at a point to which he has paid his fare knowingly and wilfully refuses or neglects to quit the steamer: and

(i) If any person on board the steamer fails, when requested by the master or other officer thereof, either to pay his fare or exhibit such ticket or other receipt, if any, showing the payment of his fare, as is usually given to persons travelling by and paying their fare for the steamer:

the person so offending shall for each offence be liable to a fine not exceeding [F1 [F2 £50]][F1 level 2 on the standard scale], but that liability shall not prejudice the recovery of any fare payable by him.

(2) If any person on board any such steamer wilfully does or causes to be done anything in such a manner as to obstruct or injure any part of the machinery or tackle of the steamer, or to obstruct, impede, or molest the crew, or any of them, in the navigation or management of the steamer, or otherwise in the execution of their duty on or about the steamer, he shall for each offence be liable to a fine not exceeding [F1 [F2 £50]][F1 level 2 on the standard scale].

(3) The master or other officer of any such steamer, and all persons called by him to his assistance, may, without any warrant, detain any person who commits any offence against this section and whose name and address are unknown to the master or officer, and convey the offencer with all convenient despatch before some justice of the peace to be dealt with according to law, and that justice shall with all convenient despatch try the case in a summary manner.

(4) If any person commits an offence against this section and on the application of the master of the steamer, or any other person in the employ of the owner thereof, refuses to give his name and address, or gives a false name or address, that person shall be liable to a fine not exceeding [F1 [F2 £50]][F1 level 2 on the standard scale][F3 and the fine shall be paid to the owner of the steamer.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words “level 2 on the standard scale” substituted (E.W.S.) for “£50” by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G

F2 Word substituted by virtue of Merchant Shipping Act 1979 (c. 39), s. 43(1), Sch. 6 Pt. I

F3 Words repealed (E.W.) by Justices of the Peace Act 1949 (c. 101), Sch. 7 Pt. III

288 Power to exclude drunken passengers on home trade passenger steamers. U.K.

The master of any home trade passenger steamer may refuse to receive on board thereof any person who by reason of drunkenness or otherwise is in such a state, or misconducts himself in such a manner, as to cause annoyance or injury to passengers on board, and if any such person is on board, may put him on shore at any convenient place; and a person so refused admittance or put on shore shall not be entitled to the return of any fare he has paid.