§ Mr. Wakleywished to ask the noble Lord the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government had sent an engineer to inquire into the late disastrous occurrence at Hull
§ Lord J. Russellreplied that no person had been sent.
§ Mr. Wakleyhoped the noble Lord would feel it his duty to send some qualified person to inquire into the circumstances under which the explosion had taken place. It was a very serious case, and he thought an investigation should take place into the causes of the accident, and that that investigation should be intrusted to some disinterested person, and not be left entirely to the local authorities.
§ Mr. C. Woodsaid, there certainly was a person appointed to examine and to take care of the Government steamers; but he had never heard that the Government or the Admiralty were bound to provide inspectors to examine into the condition of the steam-boats and their machinery throughout the kingdom. The whole facts, which it was now possible to learn, would be brought out before the coroner; though he doubted much whether, under the circumstances, any evidence could be obtained as to the cause of the accident. At all events, until the coroner's inquest was over, he did not think there would be any utility in sending down an engineer.
Mr. Chapmanthought a person should be appointed to inspect the condition of 1384 all steam-boats once every three months. In the present case he had heard that the boiler was not sufficient.
§ Mr. Wakleysaid, his object was, that the Government should send some competent person to attend the coroner's inquest, and he thought the present case was as important as that of the railways to Brighton, in regard to which an engineer had been appointed.
§ The conversation dropped.