Excerpt from A Few Notes on Admiralty Jurisdiction in the Colony and in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay The second Committee apparently accomplished as little. At any rate, it does not appear how much benefit was derived from the labors imposed, how far they were discharged, or what was the practical outcome.

But whether with or without a code there is no evidence of any change in the jurisdiction, and at all events it is evident that they dealt with piracies and other happenings upon the high seas as if they had occurred on the main land. Exigencies would arise from time to time when the want of controlling laws would be felt.

Incompetency and greed are peculiar to no time or people, and even Puritan Commonwealths are not exempt. Somewhat later it seems to have become necessary to protect the interests of mer chants and the lives of mariners from such shortcomings of human nature, and, though perhaps not strictly a matter of admiralty jurisdiction, resort is had to legislation.

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