The fifth resolution is as follows: "Resolved, That the Conference recommend that the several nations provide by legislative enactment for official inquiry into the causes and circumstances of all shipwrecks and other serious casualties happening to their vessels." The PRESIDENT. Is the Conference ready for the question? The question was put to the Conference upon the adoption of the fifth resolution and it was adopted. The PRESIDENT. The question would seem to be upon the adoption of the report of the committee. Mr. KIMBALL (United States). Mr. President, I move that the report of the Committee on Life-Saving Systems and Devices be adopted. The PRESIDENT. The question is before the Conference as to the adoption of the report of the committee as an entirety. The question was put to the Conference as to the adoption of the report as an entirety and it was adopted. Lieutenant BEAUGENCY (Chili). Mr. President, I will ask permission now to present an amendment to the report of the Committee on Collocation. The PRESIDENT. By general consent it can be done. The Chair understands that the Conference made a rule upon that subject, but if there be no objection the amendment will be admitted. Lieutenant BEAUGENCY (Chili). Mr. President, I desire to present an amendment, because in the Conference it has now been decided by unanimous consent that a red rocket shall be used as a signal. I presented an amendment before this Conference that the red rocket should be used as a distress signal, and it was overruled because it was said that the red rocket was dangerous, and they now adopt it. Let me take one expression from the learned delegate from Germany, Dr. Sieveking: "At this moment I fall in love with this amendment." Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, I apprehend that we are somewhat out of order in discussing such an amendment. I will point out, however, that the red light is a very different thing on shore from the red light carried on board the vessel in very warm latitudes. The PRESIDENT. It is only by general consent of the Conference that any other amendment with regard to the rules of the road can be admitted. If there be no objection it is admitted. Does the Chair understand that there is an objection to this amendment of the delegate from Chili? Dr. SIEVEKING (Germany). Mr. President, I think that we ought not to allow any exceptions. There has been ample time for the amendment to be brought in up to 7 o'clock on Saturday night, and if we, by courtesy, allow any one delegate to present an amendment after that time I do not see any reason why we shall not do this in other cases. The PRESIDENT. The Chair desires to state to the delegate from Chili that time was given to hand in amendments until 7 o'clock on Saturday evening, and as this amendment was not handed in prior to that time it is out of order. Lieutenant BEAUGENCY (Chili). Mr. President, I do not propose the amendment now, but I propose it only for consideration with the report of the Committee on Collocation, because the Conference unanimously adopted previously the principle that the red rocket is dangerous, and now they have adopted it as a signal. I will state to the learned delegate, Mr. Hall, that after my amendment was voted down I received information from pyrotechnic manufacturing houses, and they told me that these lights were not dangerous and they did not know of any case of their exploding; and many of the officers around our table have said the same thing. Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, I will only say, in answer to the gallant delegate, that of course the fact that any gentleman has written and said that he does not know of a case of this kind occurring does not necessarily outweigh the testimony of those who have known of such cases occurring, and I am told that in some cases the use of red rockets has been given up in warm latitudes because it has been found that they go off spontaneously. I do not care to lengthen this discussion, as I apprehend that it is not in order. I only desire to state that the practical fact has occurred, and that we are aware of it. Lieutenant BEAUGENCY (Chili). Mr. President, I will withdraw the amendment. The Conference thereupon took a recess until 2 o'clock. AFTER RECESS. The PRESIDENT. The first subject for consideration this afternoon will be the report of the Committee on General Divisions 2, 4, and 6 of the programme. The Secretary will please read the report. The report of the Committee on General Divisions, 2, 4, and 6, is as follows: "WASHINGTON, D. C., December 5, 1889. "To Rear-Admiral SAMUEL R. FRANKLIN, U. S. Navy, "President International Marine Conference, Washington, D. C.: "SIR: The committee appointed to examine and report upon the subjects contained in General Divisions 2, 4, and 6 of the programme proposed by the United States delegates, beg to submit the following report: "GENERAL DIVISION 2. "Regulations to determine the sea-worthiness of vessels. "(a) Construction of vessels. "(b) Equipment of vessels. "(c) Discipline of crew. "(d) Sufficiency of crew. "(e) Inspection of vessels. "(f) Uniform certificates of inspection. "1. It is the opinion of the committee that, upon the subjects contained in the sections of this division, no international rule could be made which would secure beneficial results. It is thought that the Conference would be limited in each case to a recommendation fixing a minimum for the objects which it is desired to secure under each of these sections. If such a minimum were made the legal requirement it would have an injurious effect upon the present standard of efficiency in many countries. "2. In other countries, where such efficiency does not exist, it is thought that it will be best secured by the same means which have secured it elsewhere, leaving each nation to modify such means in ways which will best adapt them to the particular methods of the respective governments. "3. Again, it is found that the present rules existing in different countries upon several of these questions are different in many respects, though probably equally efficient. It would therefore, become necessary, in forming an international rule in such cases, to recommend changes in the existing rules of several countries, which to some of them might be impracticable. This is thought to be undesirable. However, the committee earnestly recommend that "4. All vessels, whether propelled by steam or sail, should possess a margin of strength over and above that which is required to enable them to perform the work for which they were designed and built. A chain, a bridge, or any other structure, the failure of which would entail the loss of human life, invariably has a considerable reserve of strength provided-in other words the admitted working load is always much less than the computed strength, or the strength ascertained by actual test; certainly it is no less important that the hull of a vessel should contain a similar reserve. "5. To attempt to formulate rules for the construction of vessels of all sizes and for all trades, would far exceed the province of this committee, and besides, any arbitrary rules would probably much hamper the advance in design and the method of construction. "6. Therefore, to obtain as much as seems to be practicable in this direction, it is desirable to rely upon efficient and oft-repeated inspection, when, upon the least indication of distress or of rupture showing, very substantial additions should be made before the vessel is allowed to again proceed to sea. "7. Ocean-going steam-vessels which carry passengers should be additionally protected by having efficient bulkheads, so spaced that when any two compartments be filled with water, the vessel will still remain in a seaworthy condition, and two at least of the amidships bulkheads should be tested by water pressure to the height of the deck next above the water-line. "GENERAL DIVISION 4. "Uniform regulations regarding the designating and marking of vessels. "(a) Position of name on vessels. "(b) Position of name of port of registry on vessels. "(c) Size of lettering. "(d) Uniform system of draft marks. "1. The name of every registered merchant vessel shall be marked upon each bow and upon the stern, and the port of registry of every such vessel shall be marked upon the stern. "These names shall be marked in Roman letters in a light color on a dark ground, or in a dark color on a light ground, and to be distinctly visible. S. Ex. 53-70 "The smallest letters used shall not be less than four (4) inches high. "2. The draught of every registered vessel shall be marked upon the stem and stern-post in English feet or decimeters, in either Arabic or Roman numerals. The bottom of each numeral shall indicate the draught to that line. "GENERAL DIVISION 6. "Necessary qualifications for officers and seamen, including tests for sight and color-blindness. "(a) A uniform system of examination for the different grades. "(b) Uniform tests for visual power and color-blindness. "(c) General knowledge of methods employed at life-saving stations. "(d) Uniform certificates of qualification. "1. Every man or boy going to sea as a seaman, or with the intention of becoming a seaman, should be examined for visual power and colorblindness; and no man or boy should be permitted to serve on board any vessel in the capacity of seaman, or where he will have to stand lookout, whose visual power is below one half normal or who is red and green color-blind. "2. Every man who shall qualify as an officer of a registered vessel after the adoption of these rules, except engineer officers, shall be required to have a certificate that he has the necessary visual power and that he is not red and green blind. He shall also have a certificate that he is familiar with the regulations for preventing collisions at sea, and with the duties required of him in co-operating with a life-saving station in case his vessel is stranded. "It is recommended that each country provide means which will enable any boy or man intending to go to sea, to have his eyes examined for visual power and color-blindness, and to obtain a certificate of the result, also to enable the master of any vessel to have the eyes of any of his crew tested for the same purpose. "It is the opinion of the committee that defective visual power and color-blindness are sources of danger at sea. The first both by day and night, because of the inability of the short-sighted to see objects at a sufficient distance. Color-blindness is a source of danger, more especially at night, because of the inability of a color-blind person to distinguish between the red and green side lights. The inability on the part of an officer or lookout to distinguish the color of buoys may be a cause of accident in broad daylight. "It is the opinion of the committee, however, that tests for these defects need not be enforced in the cases of masters and mates who already occupy such positions. "The committee purposely avoid making any recommendation as to the methods to be used in making such tests for visual power and colorblindness, or in conducting the necessary examinations for officers. It is thought that the desired objects will be best secured by leaving each country to employ the methods which may seem most suitable. "CHEN NGEN TAO. "CHR. DONNER. "JAMES WIMSHURST. "H. SETTEMBRINI. "W. T. SAMPSON, Chairman. Captain MENSING (Germany). Mr. President, I would simply like to say for myself that I understood the other day that the report of the Collocation Committee would take precedence of all other committee reports. I understood that this was so, and that we should not take up the discussion of any of these reports before the report of the Collocation Committee was finally disposed of, and on that account I have not been reading any of these reports. I do not doubt that it is my own fault, and I am very sorry for it, but it is so, and I do not think I would be able to take any responsibility for this report if it be adopted now. Therefore, I would state this fact here, because I think there may be several points to come up for discussion in the Conference, or the whole report may be adopted without giving rise to any discussion whatever. I wish to ask, personally, that a little time be given to consider thirty-two distinct amendments which have been laid before us in the report of the Collocation Committee, and which I have been unable to look at. If we have five hours' discussion to-day and five hours tomorrow, and if we attend the delightful entertainment at which I am to be present as a member of this Conference, I do not see how I would have any time in which to prepare myself, so that, when the report of the Collocation Committee comes under discussion the day after to-morrow, I should have nothing to say on the subject or should be in no way prepared as I would like to be under the circumstances. Captain SAMPSON (United States). Mr. President, I desire to state that perhaps the difficulties which have been mentioned by the gallant delegate from Germany will be met by the consideration of the two reports which are now before the Conference, and it may then be possible to give all of those who desire it all day to-morrow to consider the report of the Committee on Collocation, and to prepare for its discussion. The PRESIDENT. Is the delegate from Germany prepared to go on with the report that has just been mentioned? Captain MENSING (Germany). Mr. President, I only wanted to point out that it would be on record that I have not taken any part in this discussion, and I have had no chance to study this report and have had no opportunity to inform myself about it. I would, therefore, be glad to have it appear on record that I have taken no part in this discussion, in case any point should be brought up by my Government, so that they should not hold me responsible in the matter. The PRESIDENT. The Chair does not understand the delegate to make any motion with regard to it. Captain MENSING (Germany). Mr. President, I do not make any motion. The PRESIDENT. The Chair desires to know the sense of the Conference, as to whether they should proceed with this report under the circumstances or not. Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, it was pointed out most clearly that we should give precedence to the report of the Collocation |