Lord lngestriemoved—
That an humble Address be presented to her Majesty, praying that she will be graciously pleased to order a Maritime Survey of the Coasts and Harbours of the Islands of New Zealand.As a proof of the growing importance of New Zealand, he would mention that in one year 152 ships had entered Port Nicholson, and during the same period eighteen vessels had been wrecked on the coast. This showed the necessity of having a survey in order to have correct charts. There was no department of the Admiralty more useful than the Hydro-grapher's. As he did not wish to press suddenly upon the resources of that department; he would qualify his motion by 1233 adding to it the words "when vessels can be spared for that duty without inconvenience to the public service."
§ Captain Pechellwas glad the noble Lord had called attention to the subject. The Government, he thought, ought to explain why the survey had not taken place long since. He agreed with the praise which had been bestowed upon the Hydrographical department of the Admiralty. There was no department better conducted, and none worse paid. The position of the hydrographer's office was truly disgraceful, in a miserable garret at the Admiralty. At the time he was on the coast of America during the American war, there was frequently an error of a degree of longitude in the charts of the American coasts, so that it was quite unsafe to trust to them. He was sorry the noble Lord had listened to the suggestion which had been made to him, to make the addition to his motion which he had done. In fact, there was no intention whatever to make the survey. It might perhaps be made in the course of the next twenty years, but it ought to be made immediately.
§ Motion agreed to.