§ MR. PLIMSOLLasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether, seeing that the department has now a solicitor of its own, he intends to act upon the recommendation of the Court of Inquiry which sat upon the loss of the "Druid" steamship, and prosecute the owners for knowingly sending her to sea in an un-seaworthy condition; and, further, when he thinks the Wreck Register for the year ending June 1874 will be issued to Members?
§ SIR CHARLES ADDERLEY, in reply, said, that in accordance with the recommendation of the Court of Inquiry into the case of the Druid, which was held in February, 1873, proceedings were commenced by the Home Office, but the case being referred to the Law Officers of the Crown they gave their opinion that such proceedings should be stopped, as it would be a very difficult case to prove, especially as the Coroner's Jury had acquitted the captain of the charge of manslaughter. The proceedings, therefore, were not continued. The fact of the Board of Trade having now a solicitor of their own, did not therefore afford a reason for taking up proceedings two years and a-half after the case. In answer to the second Question, the Wreck Register up to June, 1874, was in the printer's hands and would be out in a few days. The Wreck Register up to June, 1875, would be out within a fortnight of the termination of this month, owing to arrangements which he had himself made. The delay in issuing last year's Register was owing to exceptional circumstances.