MR. M. CAMERON (Wick, &c.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the stranding of the fishing boat Missionary, of Stornoway, in Wick Bay, and to the ineffectual efforts made by the crew of another boat, named Orient, to get her afloat, that during those efforts the gunboat Jackal lay quietly at anchor, while her commander, owing to the want of steam, could not offer any effectual assistance beyond sending a small boat to the stranded craft; whether it is not the duty of the commander of the Jackal to have sufficient steam continuously in his ship's boilers to enable him at any moment to weigh anchor and render assistance to disabled fishing boats; and whether the noble Lord is prepared to substitute for so antiquated a vessel as the Jackal one of more modern construction?
§ LORD G. HAMILTONIt is an error to suppose that it is the business of Her Majesty's war-ships to keep up steam for the purpose of assisting fishing boats in distress. Their duty consists in protect- 1383 ing fishermen, or in seeing that foreign fishermen do not interfere with them.
MR. M. CAMERONThen are we to understand that it is not the duty of the officer in charge of a vessel appointed to look after the fisheries to render a boat assistance when it is in difficulties?
§ LORD G. HAMILTONNo doubt assistance should be given in such cases, but that is not the object with which a vessel is sent on duty.