§ MR. W. H. SMITHsaid, he should like to ask his hon. Friend the Secretary to the Admiralty a Question of which he had given him private Notice—namely, Whether there is any foundation for the suggestion contained in a letter in the "Standard" of to-day, that the accident to the "Doterel" might have been caused by a Whitehead torpedo lost by 1966 the "Shah" when practising at Sandy Point some time ago? He had no doubt about it in his own mind; but it would be satisfactory if they could hear from the Secretary to the Admiralty some information on the question.
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, the letter in The Standard of to-day from the late signalman of the Shah is, so far as the fact goes that a torpedo was lost from the Shah at Sandy Point in 1878, quite correct. But that torpedo was unloaded, and was only used for experimental practice, and being such it was picked up a short time ago by a man who was handsomely rewarded, and it was subsequently brought home in Her Majesty's ship Opal.