WE notice with pleasure that growing interest by public men in the concerns of the seamen of the country, which is always one of the signs indicative of the importance of any particular matter be-ginning to be realised by the nation at large. Time was (and not so long ago) when the sailor, and all that pertained to him, were entirely beyond both, the knowledge and concern of the bulk of the people of England. Now, thanks to the efforts, mainly of different philanthropists, working in many different ways, public attention has been so far aroused that the seaman and his affairs assume a proportion in the discussion of national affairs by statesmen and social reformers, in some degree, at least, corresponding to the important position he ought always to have held.

One of the most concise and valuable contributions to the consideration of the best means of providing a better class of men for the merchant service was given by H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH, in his speech at the banquet given by the Mayor of Liverpool, on the 28th Sept.last and it is gratifying to find so high an authority (himself a member of that Royal Commission which gave so patient a consideration to causes of loss of life at sea) giving emphatic approval to that system which, as we pointed out in our article on " Merchant Seamen " in the last number of this Journal, is the only one under which we may hope to bring about a wholesome reform in the merchant navy, viz., a universal system of training ships, or enforced employment by sailing ships of a certain number of apprentices; or, perhaps, a combination of both plans.

His Royal Highness, in a part of his speech, spoke as follows:— " As I am now in the midst of » great shipping community, I think you will excuse me if I allude to one matter which perhaps interests you all as much as it does me. I wish to refer to a subject which has been very prominently before the public during the past few years, great agitation having been created with regard to the safety of seamen, and of ships, sad of properly st sea. I may, perhaps, be allowed to say a word—first for having been brought up a seaman myself, and in other respects being a most hearty sym- pathizer in the welfare of the British seaman, and also for having been connected with the Com- mission which was appointed by Parliament to inquire into his condition at sea. I cannot pass this .matter by in meeting with you, this evening, and I feel I have got your sympathy with, me in say- ing that the great point of the whole question is to look into the welfare of the seaman. I believe I may look around me, and I cannot see here— I am looking far and wide in Liverpool, and cannot find—a man who would send his ship to sea in a condition that would not be seaworthy.

I feel that the great thing to which we must all look is the bringing about in the seaman a feeling of respect for himself and a moral and physical confidence in himself. This cannot be done so long as the present system exists under which men are sent on board. How do they go on board? They don't know how they get on board.

They get on board in any way. So long as the systems of crimping and of advance notes exist you will have no surety with reference to your ships as to how many of them may be lost before they have gone their first day's voyage. I con- sider this to "be one of the most important points in the whole of the questions which have been brought before the Commission, that of bringing about a greater self-respect, a greater self-reliance, and a higher moral tone among the seamen who man our ships. I, moreover, may be excused if, as a Naval Officer, I suggest—and I think it is one of those points which is brought out pretty clearly in the report given by the Commis- sion on Mr. Plimsoll's motion—a re-introduction of the system of carrying apprentices. I consider this a most vital point with regard to the Mer- chant Nary, and J think that a strong example has been given by the great success which has at- tended the bringing-up of boys for the Royal I Navy on board training brigs and training ships.

The Navy is now almost entirely fed from those training ships, and, I can assure you, with the very best results. Bring the boys up; bring them forward in the profession. Start them; give them respectability. Trust in this, and I am sure you will find that there will be far less accidents at sea than there are at present in the vast commerce of this great country."