MR. SULLIVANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, If he will take into his consideration some arrangement whereby wherever a flagship and fleet are on service as at present in the sea of Marmora, at least one Catholic chaplain for the Catholic seamen of the several ships may be secured on board some one of the vessels comprising such fleet?
§ MR. W. H. SMITH, in reply, said, that it was the desire of the Admiralty to provide in every practical way for the spiritual wants of Roman Catholic officers and seamen. It had not hitherto been found possible to appoint more than one chaplain for each ship, the space at the disposal of the Admiralty being extremely limited. He could not, therefore, hold out any hope that it would be in their power to appoint an additional Roman Catholic chaplain even to one ship in each fleet; but he could assure the hon. and learned Member that the object he had in view was one he desired to promote in every possible way.
MR. SULLIVANgave Notice that it was his intention to raise this question in the several items of the Navy Estimates, and upon the several clauses of the Marine Mutiny Bill that afforded him an opportunity of doing so.