§ MR. PLIMSOLLasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, If his attention has been called to the fact that the sale of worn-out boilers by the Admiralty has 35 frequently led to their being refused as boilers, to the great danger of human life, as in the case of the "Gazelle," a new vessel which, having been fitted with boilers bought in this way, was destroyed in consequence of the boilers bursting the first time they were used; and, whether he is prepared to give the House an assurance that in future no boilers shall be sold as boilers unless they are still strong enough to be used for generating steam, and that all boilers unfit for use as boilers shall be so battered or otherwise dealt with, so as to preclude the possibility of any tradesman selling or using them except as old iron?
§ Mr. W. H. SMITHSir, the Admiralty have anticipated the hon. Gentleman. In October last, the Board of Trade represented to the Admiralty that a boiler, said to have been sold at one of the Dockyard sales, had exploded. The Admiralty immediately gave directions to prevent the recurrence of such an evil, and I cannot do better than read the instructions which have been given on the subject—
The Board of Trade having reported that a boiler which exploded a short time ago on hoard a steam-launch was alleged to have been purchased at one of the sales in Her Majesty's Dockyards, my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have decided that in future all old boilers are to be broken up in the dockyard by dockyard workmen, or under contract, if the state of the Vote will allow. If the old boilers cannot be so broken up, and it is found requisite to sell them, they are to be reserved for the next periodical sale as heretofore; but the conditions of sale shall expressly stipulate that such old boilers are sold to be broken up for use as old iron only; and, to prevent as far as possible any infringement of this condition, they are to be mutilated or partially destroyed before they are offered for sale, so as to preclude their being used again.