§ MR. MORLEYasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether it is true that Lieutenant Pearch, R.N., the Emigration Officer at the Port of Bristol, caused the steamship " Arragon " to be detained for several hours at King's Road, in the Port of Bristol, on the 16th instant, after she was loaded and ready for sea, because he did not understand that a steamship might carry passengers in the proportion of one statute adult to every twenty registered tons, without becoming liable to the provisions of the Passengers' Act, although this is most clearly defined by the third section of " The Passengers' Act Amendment Act, 1863; " and, whether it is the intention of the Board of Trade to compensate the owners of the steamer for the detention caused by their officer?
§ SIR CHARLES ADDERLEYSir, the ship was detained for a few hours owing to the officer having calculated the number of statute adult passengers without the Proviso, obscurely made in the Act of 1863, that two passengers under 12 years of age should count for one. The corrected calculation just took the ship, as a short ship, out of the Act. The owner being in London, came to ' the Board of Trade, and the ship was liberated by telegram. I must add that the Question most unfairly implies misconduct on the part of a public officer and a claim for compensation, which was neither made, nor had any foundation in fact.