The Majestic
The libel alleged that the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company, owner of the Majestic, for a valuable consideration agreed to carry and transport libelants, with their personal baggage, to New York; and charged that the damage to the baggage was caused by negligence and want of proper care. The answer admitted the delivery of the baggage on board in good order, and its condition on arrival at New York, but put in issued the allegations of negligence and want of proper care. It set up certain stipulations as contained in the ticket under which libelants took passage, by which it was averred the ship was discharged of liability, or, in any case, was not liable for any injury beyond the amount of 10; and it finally alleged that the injury, if any, was caused by the act of God or the perils of the sea, and was in nowise caused or contributed to by the neglect or misconduct of any of its agents or servants.
The so-called ‘ticket’ issued to the three libelants, omitting numbering and the display headings, was as follows:
Cabin Passenger‘s Contract Ticket.
These Directions and the Notices to Passengers below, form part of, and must appear on, each Contract Ticket.
1. A Contract Ticket in this Form must be given to every Cabin Passenger engaging a Passage in a Passenger Ship from the United Kingdom to any place out of Europe, and not being within the Mediterranean Sea, under a penalty not exceeding 50.
2. Unless the Passengers are to have a free Table, the Victualling Scale for the Voyage must be appended to the Contract Ticket.
3. All the Blanks must be correctly and legibly filled in, and the Ticket must be legibly signed with the Christian Names and Surname, and Address in full of the Party issuing the same.
4. The Day of the Month on which the Ship is to sailmust be inserted in Words and not in Figures only.
5. When once issued, this Ticket must not be withdrawn from the passenger, nor any alteration or erasure made in it unless with his consent.
British Steam-ship Majestic of 4,244 Tons register, to sail from LIVERPOOL, for NEW YORK, on the twentieth day of January, 1892.
NAMES No. of Persons IN CONSIDERATION of the sum of 124 10/I hereby agree with the Person named in the margin hereof that such Person shall be provided with First Class Cabin Passage in the above-named British Steam-ship, to sail from the Port of Liverpool for the Port of NEW YORK, in North America, with not less than Twenty Cubical Feet for Luggage for each Person, and that such Person shall be victualled as First Class Cabin Passenger during the voyage, and the time of detention at any place before its termination; and I further engage to land the Person aforesaid with their Luggage, at the last mentioned Port, free of any, Charge beyond the Passage Money aforesaid; and I hereby acknowledge to have received the sum of paid in full Payment of such Passage Money.
For and on behalf of the
OCEANIC STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY,
LIMITED, OF GREAT BRITAIN,
THOMAS HENRY ISMAY,
Per R. MARTCKELLELL.
Liverpool, 16th Jan‘y, 1892. Adults above 12 years. Children 12 Years & under. Miss GRACE HOWARD POTTER a