§ Sir Thomas Cochrane, before the House went into Committeee of Supply, wished to draw the attention of the House to the complaints which were constantly made of conduct pursued by officers in Her Majesty's service towards persons who might happen to be passengers on board their packets. These complaints more particularly alluded to the Mediterranean steam-packets—and one of the persons aggrieved, a lady, had at length come forward, and affixed her name to a statement of the grievances which she had suffered during a passage on board one of these packets. He hoped that these statements had been made under some misapprehension or mistake, as they involved the characters of several officers. The system, in his opinion, ought to be altered, as it made officers in the navy and army liable to be constantly called to a public account for their conduct, or submit to be accused of conduct which would be derogatory to persons of the lowest description. He, therefore, thought the Admiralty should devise some other means of conducting this branch of the public service—such, perhaps, as by appointing a superintendent to each packet, so as to relieve officers from their liability, and at the same time he would be a person to whom passengers might apply for protection; as the Admiralty participated in the profits, they were bound to afford adequate protection.
§ Mr. More O'Ferrallbad heard of no complaints from any passengers on board her Majesty's vessels, over which the Admiralty possessed control, and would ask the hon. and gallant Officer upon what authority he made the statement.
§ Sir Thomas Cochranehad read the account in the United Service Gazette and the Asiatic Journal.
§ Sir Thomas Troubridgewould suggest to his hon. Friend and Relative that he should for the future take care to make himself acquainted with the facts of any case which he might think it necessary to bring forward, as it was not absolutely necessary that the time of the House should be taken up in investigating every complaint from a lady which might happen to appear in the newspapers.
§ The House resolved itself into a Committee of