§ Sir A. Brookebegged to ask a question of the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade. He wished to know if the attention of her Majesty's Ministers had been called to the circumstances connected with a most lamentable occurrence which had recently taken place. He alluded to the loss of the William Brown emigrant vessel, and if measures had been taken by her 802 Majesty's Government to provide in future for the recurrence of so sad a calamity, by making it compulsory on the captains or owners of all emigrant vessels to have a sufficient number of boats on board, and be otherwise provided with every means of safety, as it had been proved on the investigation which took place at Havre, that the lives of sixteen unfortunate men were sacrificed in consequence of such neglect. He also wished to know, for the satisfaction of the friends and relatives of those unfortunate sufferers, a number of whom resided in his county, if her Majesty's Government had made strict inquiry into this affair, and if they were perfectly satisfied of the justice and necessity of the course pursued on that occasion?
§ Mr. Laboucheresaid, that the vessel alluded to was not an English vessel, and interference with their regulations, however desirable, was a matter of very great difficulty. To the particular questions that had been put by the hon. Gentleman, it was obviously impossible for him to give any satisfactory answer.
§ Subject at an end.