VISCOUNT DUNGANNON, who had given notice to call attention to the reported employment of English shipwrights in the French dockyards, said, that since he had placed that notice on the paper, circumstances had occurred which rendered it unnecessary that he should put the question, and had placed the whole matter in a satisfactory point of view. He had put the question on a former day; and the noble Duke (the Duke of Somerset) had stated that his information was not correct as to a number of English shipwrights being employed at Cherbourg, and that the wages there were much lower than here, namely, four francs a day; and it was certainly very remarkable that on that very day three persons should have appeared at the Thames Police Court, stating that they had had an interview with the French Consul, who had told them that he would not advise them to go to Cherbourg, as they would certainly not get employment there. It was still more extraordinary that a few days subsequent to that period other work- 844 men should have applied at the Police Court for passports for the same purpose. But since that, only three or four days ago, one individual, who had been over to France, appeared before the magistrate, and said he considered it his duty to state, for the sake of others who might be tempted to go over, that upon his arrival he found that no employment was to be had there, that he fell into great distress and want, and had only been able to reach home through the kindness of the British Consul. In consequence of this statement he did not consider it necessary to press his Question, or to trespass on their Lordships time with any further observations, save that it was with very great satisfaction that he had heard that statement.
§ THE DUKE OF SOMERSETsaid, that he had received another letter from the British Consul, at Cherbourg, stating that no British subjects were employed in the dockyard there. Some British shipwrights had gone over to Cherbourg in consequence of the statement which had appeared in the English newspapers; but not being able to obtain work had fallen into a pitiable condition, and bitterly repented their credulity. The Consul had sent them home again, and told them to warn their countrymen of the real state of the case. The highest wages given to shipwrights at Cherbourg was three francs a day, or not quite 2s. 6d. for twelve hours' work, the workmen not being allowed to leave the dockyard to take their meals. Besides that, the Consul informed him that no additional shipwrights were required at Cherbourg, some of those in the dockyard having lately been discharged, and the only vessel which was now being constructed there was a transport. It appeared to him (the Duke of Somerset) to be desirable that that statement should be made publicly known, in order that any unfounded expectations which might have been entertained in reference to that matter might be completely dispelled.