SIR JOHN HAYsaid, that in the absence of Lord Henry Lennox, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty. Whether discharges from the Dockyards without sufficient notice are to continue, and whether any suggestions had been received by the Admiralty 588 which, without adding to the public charge, would mitigate the hardship, such as working short time?
§ MR. CHILDERS, in reply, said, he had only heard that afternoon that the hon. Baronet was going to put a different Question from that which appeared upon the Notice Paper; but he had inquired, and could not ascertain that there was any truth in the assertion that insufficient notice had been given to any of the men who were at present being discharged. He had not heard that any complaint had been received. The discharge had been going on in a very gradual manner for some time, and it was necessary that it should continue in order to bring the number of men down to the number that were required for next year's programme. The question of working short time was brought before the Admiralty from, he believed, one of the dockyards some time ago. The suggestion was made that work should be carried on only upon certain days of the week. He had not been able to adopt that suggestion, but the old system of working on the ten hours' system in certain parts of the dockyards had been abolished, and the result was that the discharge of men which would otherwise have been necessary had been considerably diminished. He hoped on Monday next to give full particulars to the house on this subject.