No. 217.
Mr. Seward
to Sir Edward Thornton.
Washington, October 9, 1878.
Sir: Referring to your note of the 16th ultimo, in relation to the proposed international regulations for preventing collisions at sea, a copy of which, together with its accompaniments, having, as you have already been advised, been submitted for the consideration of the Secretary of the Treasury, I have the honor to inform you that, in a communication to this Department, dated the 2d instant, that officer states, as his opinion, that if section 4233 (Rule 15a) of the Revised Statutes of the United States may not be considered an obstacle, the adoption of the rules as revised July 10, 1878, marked B, should not be hazarded by any further suggestions; and that the adoption of these “Rules of the road” by the several maritime nations will result in mutual advantage and tend to lessen the dangers of navigation on the high seas.
With reference to the provision of paragraph A of Rule 15 of section 4233 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, prescribing that steam-vessels shall sound a steam-whistle at intervals of not more than one minute, I have to state that the attention of the proper committee of Congress will be called to the propriety of amending that provision in harmony with the proposed international rules of the road, should the same be adopted by the several maritime nations.
Meanwhile, it is observed that the provisions of Rule 25 leave the local laws operative in the waters of the United States.
I have, &c.,
Acting Secretary.