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40 Victoria. Sessional Papers (No. 5.) A. 1877 APPENDIX No. i. BEPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF STEAMBOAT INSPECTION FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER, 1876. Board op Steamboat Inspection, Chairman's Office, Toronto, 1st January, 1877. Honourable A. J. Smith, Minister of Marine and Fisheries, Ottawa. Sir,â€"I beg leave to submit herewith my annual report for the year ended 31st December, 1876. The usual annual meeting of the Board of Steamboat Inspection was convened by me at Montreal, in November last. There were present Mr. Wm. M. Smith, Inspector for the Maritime Provinces, Mr. Joseph Samson, Inspector for the District of Quebec, Mr. Xavier Befort, Inspector for the Three Rivers District, Mr. John Burgess, Inspector for the Montreal District, and the Chairman. Messrs. Mencilley and Taylor, of the Western districts, were not called upon to be present, as they were required to attend a subsequent meeting called at Toronto on the 4th December. The expense of the journey from British Columbia prevented me from asking the attendance of Mr. Thomas Westgarth, the Inspector for that District. He was, however, instructed to forward to the Board at Montreal any suggestions or enquiries he might desire to submit to it. The proceedings of the Board at Montreal were chiefly confined to the classification ot examination papers made by the Local Inspectors, of engineers in their I several districts, and the renewal of certificates to qualified engineers for the year 1877. A rule requiring engineers holding limited certificates to renew them annually was passed by the Board ; also, a resolution restraining Inspectors from taking any official action conflicting with any previous decision of the Board, without the consent of the Chairman. The Chairman was also requested to thank, on behalf of the Board, Mr. David iweiler, of New York, for his offer to present to ea«h of the Inspectors, free of I charge, one of his patent life-preserver jackets. At the subsequent meeting of the Board at Toronto, at which were present Messrs. Taylor and Meneilley, the business was confined entirely to the business of engineers' examinations and renewals of certificates to qualified engineers. On the 18th November last a quorum of the Board was called together, namely, Messrs. Taylor, Meneilley, and the Chairman, to examine Mr. Edmund Richard Abelle, Incompliance with instructions from the Department, as to his qualifications and I" fitness for the office of Inspector of Steamboats for the District of Manitoba. Mr. Abelle passed a satisfactory examination for the position, and the Department was at once informed of the fact. 5-61