HC Deb 28 June 1848 vol 99 cc1289-90
SIR G. GREY

I am anxious to make a brief statement to the House in justice to some naval officers, who feel themselves aggrieved by statements affecting them which have appeared in the public papers, and have been made the subject of a question in this House. I refer to the officers of Her Majesty's ship Shearwater. The House will recollect a question put to me some time since by the hon. and gallant Gentleman opposite, the Member for Armagh, founded on a statement in the newspapers, that the prisoner Mitchel, who was conveyed in that ship to Spike Island, had been invited to breakfast by the officers of the ship. At that time I had no information on the subject beyond what was contained in the public papers, and in a private letter to the same effect. Since that time, however, Admiral Mackay, who is in command at Cork, has called for a detailed report upon the subject from Lieutenant Turnour, the commanding officer of the Shearwater; and the explanation is perfectly satisfactory, and completely exonerates the officers from the slightest imputation. It appears that the prisoner was placed on board under the charge of two police officers, and the chart-room was assigned by Lieutenant Turnour for their use during the passage. The steward was directed to furnish the prisoner and police-officers with their meals in the chart-room; and this was done, with the exception of their breakfast, on the only morning on which they were on board, which, in consequence of the chart-room being occupied by the police-officers' bed, was, with the permission of Lieutenant Turnour, provided in the gun-room after the officers of the ship had themselves breakfasted. Lieutenant Turnour and the officers, though feeling aggrieved by the statements which have appeared upon this subject, have very properly abstained, in obedience to general instructions in such cases, from justifying themselves by any statement made through the public press; and, although I should otherwise have thought it unnecessary to refer again to the case, I feel that under these circumstances it is due to the officers of the Shearwater that I should give this explanation of the real facts of the case, which completely exonerates them from the slightest blame.