§ SIR C. NAPIERsaid, he understood that there were seven or eight sail of the line at Lisbon, and two in the Channel; and he wished to know whether there were any intention to take out the guns and marines, and to employ the vessels to import food into this country on merchants' account?
§ MR. H. G. WARDremarked, that the question belonged to the Government in general, rather than to the department of the Admiralty in particular. No application had been made to the Admiralty for assistance of the kind; but the subject having been brought under the notice of Ministers on the general principle, it had been thought that if 3,000 or 4,000 tons of shipping were lent for the purpose, it would throw as many tons belonging to private individuals out of the market. It had, therefore, been decided that it was unadvisable to interfere.