§ MR. GRAYasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether his attention has been called to an article in The Financial News of October 17th, to the effect that "The Improved Gas and Oil Burner's Company" is about to be voluntarily wound up; that the capital of this Company consisted of £50,000, in 10,000 shares of £5 each, of which £30,000—£25,000 in shares, and £5,000 in cash—was to have been paid to Sir James N. Douglas for certain patent rights for improved burners, &c.; that £17,500 in shares was to have been given to Messrs. Hopcroft and Co. for their services in constituting the Company, and procuring the subscription of the remaining 1,500 shares; that if on these 1,500 shares £1 10s. per share only has been paid up; whether this is the same Sir James N. Douglas who is Engineer to the Trinity House; whether Sir James N. Douglas has received any portion of the £5,000 he was to have been paid in cash; whether, at the time he was negotiating the sale of his patents for a very large sum to the Company above-named, it was proposed to place him on the Illuminants Committee, which was to judge of the respective merits of his and rival patents for the improved illumination of lighthouses; whether this led to the resignation of Professor Tyndall; and, whether the Board of Trade contemplate instituting any inquiries with regard to the transactions between the engineer of the Trinity House and the Improved Gas and Oil Burner's Company?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINI have seen the article to which the hon. Member alludes, and which refers to, among others, the Engineer to the Trinity House, who has informed the Elder Brethren that he has received in cash £500 out of the £5,000 which he was to have been paid in cash. He further states that the sum so received is about 1120 one-fourth of the money expended by him out of his own pocket in perfecting the invention. The two Parliamentary Papers which were laid on the Table of the House last Session will show the whole history of the Illuminants' Committee, and contain all the information in my possession as to the resignation of Professor Tyndall. Before the formation of the Committee, the positions of Sir James Douglas—who had given the free use of his patents to the Lighthouse Boards—and of Mr. Wigham, the well-known gas engineer, of Dublin, who, being a manufacturer and contractor, held patents of which he retained the benefit, were much considered. It was originally proposed that both should assist the Committee, but that neither of them should be a member of the Committee. This was found inconvenient, and the Committee was enlarged so as to include, among other members, both Sir James Douglas and Mr. Wigham. The facts will be found fully stated in the Letter of the Board of Trade of the 11th of May, 1883. The Trinity House are acquainted with all the facts, and are satisfied of the perfect integrity of their engineer. It is not, therefore, my intention to institute any further inquiry.
§ MR. GRAYsaid, he would take an opportunity of calling attention to the subject, and perhaps the right hon. Gentleman could say whether the administration of the Trinity Board would form portion of the subject for inquiry by the Royal Commission on Shipping?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir; it will not.