§ MR. HENNESSYsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Government is prepared to carry into effect the recommendations of the late First Lord of the Admiralty, as specifically set forth in Sir John's Pakington's Letter to Lord Derby, dated April last, respect- 1386 ing the treatment of Catholic Sailors in the Royal Navy?
§ LORD CLARENCE PAGETsaid, he could assure the hon. Gentleman he was mistaken in supposing that the late First Lord of the Admiralty had made any specific recommendation whatever on that subject. On a previous occasion he had told the hon. Member, when he asked a similar question, that there was a Letter of Sir John Pakington to Lord Derby respecting the treatment of Roman Catholic Sailors in the Fleet, but it merely contained vague expressions of opinion on each of the points laid before the right hon. Baronet. He could, therefore, only advise the hon. Gentleman to ask the permission of the late First Lord of the Admiralty to lay that Letter on the table, and then he would see that it really contained no specific recommendation whatever.
§ Mr. P. O'BRIENsaid, he wished to know if the Letter referred to the case of the Ajax, at Kingstown?
§ LORD CLARENCE PAGETsaid, that the Letter in question did not refer to the Roman Catholics on board of Her Majesty's ship Ajax only, but to the Roman Catholic sailors of the Fleet generally.