The amendment is as follows:

"Small steam-boats, such as are carried by sea-going vessels, may carry the white light at a less height than 9 feet above the gunwale, but it shall be carried above the combined lantern mentioned in sub. section (b)."

Captain RICHARD (France). Mr. President, the matter pointed out by the gallant Admiral Bowden-Smith is so evident that we can all support the proposed amendment; but besides the boats included in that amendment there is quite an extensive class of small craft of a similar nature which labor under the same difficulty, but which are excluded from this favor. Consequently I think that it should be extended not only to boats and launches which are hoisted on board of vessels but to all kinds of boats of the same tonnage. The amendment should be applied to all boats and launches whether they be hoisted on the vessel or not. The Conference, by endeavoring to make too general a rule for all small crafts, have gone too far, and this omission we now propose partly to remedy. There may be small boats in the passenger service which carry three or four passengers. How are you going to compel them to carry their lights at a height of 9 feet?

Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, the reason why this limitation is made to launches such as are carried by sea-going vessels is that these vessels have a difficulty in carrying a mast, because they are alongside of a vessel and are raised and lowered. There is no difficulty for a steamer, however small, if she is not going to be raised and hoisted on board another vessel, in always having a small mast. I may point out that on the river Thames, very small vessels carry the mast-head light and the side lights. In these vessels that are hoisted and lowered the difficulty is that the spar or mast, whatever it is, would be likely to do great damage, especially when they are lying alongside, in a heavy sea, and are knocking about. But in launches that go about in the Mediterranean, as the gallant delegate has pointed out, there is no difficulty in having a small spar or a small mast to carry the masthead light 9 feet above the gunwale, because they are not hoisted or lowered into other vessels.

Captain RICHARD (France). Mr. President, I ask permission to repeat what I have said. On board of war vessels we use awning stanchions forward to hold the lantern containing the light. They are placed in a socket in the bows, and the light is fixed to the extremity of this awning stanchion about 3 or 4 feet above the taffrail. It is a good thing to suppress the white light prescribed by subsection (b), Article 7. But if you suppress it why not allow small boats of the same tonnage, which neither have any masts, to benefit by it? What you do for one you might do for the other, for their situation is the same. If therefore I have any wish to express in the matter I would ask that the amendment be extended to boats of all classes.

Captain SAMPSON (United States). Mr. President, I would like to suggest to the gallant delegate from France that probably the words of this amendment cover the case completely. It does not say the boats of a man-of-war or of any other vessel, but it says, "such boats as are to be hoisted on board a ship." That does not limit it necessarily to boats which are carried on board ship, but they are "such boats," presumably boats which are so small that they have not the necessary height to carry the white light 9 feet above the gunwale. It seems to me that the word "such" will cover the case.

The PRESIDENT. Is the Conference ready for the question? The amendment will be read for the information of the Conference before the vote is taken.

The amendment is as follows:

"Small steam-boats, such as are carried by sea-going vessels, may carry the white light at a less height than 9 feet above the gunwale, but it shall be carried above the combined lantern mentioned in subsection (b)."

The PRESIDENT. Is. the Conference ready for the question?

The question was put to the Conference upon the adoption of the amendment, and it was adopted.

Captain HUBERT (The Netherlands). Mr. President, I only desire to ask for information. Subsection 2, Article 7, is adopted by the Conference. I wish to know if boats, which are to be carried by other vessels afloat, must have the lantern with the green and red glass ?

The PRESIDENT. It has been so decided by the Conference. Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, the Collocation Committeeand I speak in the presence of the chairman and I think he will bear me out-very carefully considered what was passed by the Conference with regard to small boats. The report of the Committee on Lights for Small Craft was adopted by the Conference, and we have not altered it at all.

The PRESIDENT. The next subject for consideration will be amendment No. 13. The Secretary will please read it. Amendment No. 13 is as follows:

"Amendment to Collocation Report proposed by Dr. Sieveking on behalf of the German delegation, December 14, 1889:

"To Article 7 and Article 9 add the words: 'The vessel referred to in this Article shall also not be obliged to carry the lights prescribed by Article 4 (a), and Article 11, last paragraph."

Dr. SIEVEKING (Germany). Mr. President, this amendment is brought in to correct what appeared to us to be an oversight. These small boats referred to in Article 7, and the fishing vessels referred to in Article 11, certainly were not intended, at least in our opinion, by the Conference to be obliged to carry the out of command light, because a much greater facility has been given to them, having regard to the poverty of fishermen and to the fact that it was not necessary for these small vessels to carry side lights. The facility has been given to them, therefore, that they need not carry side lights, but instead of the side lights they are allowed to carry a red and green lantern. Now, it has been omitted to say here that they are also not obliged to carry the out of command light; that is to say, the two red lights mentioned in Article 4 (a), and the lights mentioned in Article 11, last paragraph.

The report of the Committee on Lights for Small Craft shows, I think, that it was not the intention to impose this duty of carrying the out of command lights on small vessels, because even for vessels of less than forty tons gross tonnage it is said that they shall not be obliged to carry the lights prescribed for other vessels under steam. So that covers all lights; but the wording of the rule as it stands does not cover all lights, and the consequence would be that these small boats, fishing boats, would have to carry the out of command lights. Therefore we have brought this amendment before the Conference. There is a misprint in the amendment. It reads the vessel-it should read, "The vessels." It is mentioned to me now that the word "also" might be omitted, as it is superfluous. I fully agree with that. I do not think there is any reason to keep it in. So I would like to strike out the word "also; " it does not alter the meaning of the amendment in any way.

The PRESIDENT. The Secretary will please read the amendment before the vote is taken.

Amendment 13 is as follows:

"Amendment to Collocation Report proposed by Dr. Sieveking on behalf of the German delegation, December 14, 1889:

"To Article 7 and Article 9, add the words: 'The vessels referred to in this Article shall not be obliged to carry the lights prescribed by Article 4 (a) and Article 11, last paragraph." "

Mr. VERNEY (Siam). Mr. President, may I ask whether it would not be rather more simple for sailors reading this article just to define the lights of vessels out of command and vessels aground? Would it not make the amendment a little more perfect to refer to it by words, instead of by numbers? It is not so clear, in its present form, to sailors, I think.

Dr. SIEVEKING (Germany). Mr. President, I do not think that would be advisable, because it would introduce terms which are quite new in the rules. Out of command light is an expression which does not occur in the rules. I think a simple reference to the respective articles is better.

Captain SAMPSON (United States). Mr. President, I would like to ask the learned delegate from Germany if it is necessary to make an exсерtion in the case of Article 11? Of course this refers to very small vessels, and a vessel of less than 40 tons could not get aground in a fair-way unless it was one of very little importance.

Dr. SIEVEKING (Germany). Mr. President, I quite agree that they are not to be compelled to carry these out-of-command lights; but if we do not say so, the rule, as it stands now, would be false. Article 9 compels "Fishing vessels and fishing boats when under way and when not required by this article to carry or show the lights therein named, shall carry or show the lights prescribed for vessels of their tonnage under way." That is the rule, which does not make any exception. It is, in fact, a mere matter of wording.

The PRESIDENT. Is the Conference ready for the question upon this amendment?

The question was put to the Conference upon the adoption of the amendment, and it was adopted.

The PRESIDENT. The next amendment is No. 14, which will be read by the Secretary.

Amendment, No. 14, Class 2, is as follows:

"Amendment to Collocation Report, proposed by Captain Malmberg (Sweden), December 14, 1889.

"ARTICLE 8. At the beginning of the second paragraph instead of the words 'On the approach of or to other vessels' insert the words When manœuvring to put a pilot on board a vessel.""

Captain MALMBERG (Sweden). Mr. President, although it is, in my opinion, very desirable that pilot-boats should be allowed, when on their station on pilotage duty under such conditions, to show the side lights temporarily to another vessel, it is, on the other hand, quite necessary that these conditions should be restricted and well defined, and I do not think that is the case as the wording of the second paragraph now stands. Every vessel is approaching another vessel in sight, whatever the distance between them may be, as soon as their respective courses tend to draw the vessels nearer to each other. A pilot-boat showing, therefore, under such undefined conditions, the side lights temporarily may very easily be mistaken for a steamer under way. And a sailing vessel, acting upon the rule that a steamer has to keep out of the way of a sailing vessel, may easily enough be brought into collision with the pilot-boat.

It is perfectly true that the pilot-boat has to show at invervals not exceeding fifteen minutes a flare-up light; but the flare-up light is not a special signal light to be used only by pilots. Every vessel has a right to use it in order to attract attention. There is, in my opinion, only one occasion when there is any need that a pilot-boat on her station on pilotage duty should be allowed to show the side lights to another vessel, and that is when they are manœuvring or approaching a vessel to put a pilot on board, because the attention on board the pilot-boat and on board the vessel is very often taken up to such a degree that it has several times occurred, to my own knowledge, that a pilot-boat has been run down by the vessel, because the pilot-boat, according to the present rules, is not allowed to show the side lights, and thereby to indicate the way the pilot-boat is heading. There is, so far as I can see, a great deal of difference between allowing a pilot-boat to show the side lights temporarily, whatever the distance is between the boat and the vessel in the vicinity-maybe, say, a mile or two.

Now, that is the reason why I have proposed the amendment to substitute the words "when a pilot-boat is manœuvring to put a pilot on board" for the words "on approach of or to a vessel." But if there should be any real objection to the words proposed by me, I should wish to have at least the word "near" inserted, so that it would read "on the near approach of or to another vessel," because then the pilotboat would be allowed to show the lights when they were manœuvring in the proximity of another vessel. If that will be acceptable to the Conference, I will move that instead of my own amendment.

Mr. GOODRICH (United States). Mr. President, after a hasty meeting of one or two members of the Collocation Committee, I may say on its behalf that there will be no objection to putting in the word "near" as suggested by the gallant delegate from Sweden, if he will be satisfied with that in place of his amendment. Unless some member of the Collocation Committee objects, I will make that as a statement of the views of the committee.

The PRESIDENT. The Secretary will please read the amendment as a substitute for the other amendment.

The amendment is as follows:

"On the near approach of or to other vessels."

Captain MALMBERG (Sweden). Mr. President, would it be acceptable to alter my amendment to read: "When manœuvring to put a pilot on board or on the near approach of or to other vessels."

Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, may I point out that the words "on the near approach of or to other vessels" would include every case of "manœuvring to put a pilot on board."

Mr. GOODRICH (United States). Mr. President, may I call the attention of the gallant delegate from Sweden to the fact that in various portions of the report of the Collocation Committee the same terms are used, and we have thought it best to use the same terms wherever vessels are in the same situation. I think that if you emphasize this rule by adding the word "near" you will meet precisely this need, because it differentiates it from the other rules.

The PRESIDENT. The Secretary will please read it as accepted by the delegate from Sweden.

The amendment is as follows:

The paragraph to read: "On the near approach of or to other vessels."

The PRESIDENT. Is the Conference ready for the question?

The question was put to the Conference apon the adoption of the amendment, and it was adopted.

The PRESIDENT. Amendment No. 15 is next in order. The Secretary will please read it.

Amendment No. 15 is as follows:

"Amendment to Collocation Report proposed by Dr. Sieveking on behalf of the German delegation, December 14, 1889:

"In Article 8, paragraph 2, instead of the words have at hand ready