§ MR. ROBERTSONsaid, he would beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if, in consequence of a Letter dated 1st July, addressed to the Secretary in the Marine Department of the Board of Trade, his attention has been drawn to the loss of the British barque Varna, of Greenock, on the coast of Tasmania, on the 24th December, 1857, through the ignorance of navigation of the officer who held his position as first mate under a certificate of service issued by the Local Board of Greenock, and succeeded to command on the death of the master; and if any steps will be taken to withdraw the said certificate of service, under authority of which 1370 the chief mate held his position on board the Varna?
§ MR. HENLEYsaid, he had had his attention called to the circumstance which the hon. Member had alluded to, and had had a copy of the protest sent to him. It appeared in the protest that the master of the vessel died, and the mate, who had a certificate of service, not of competency, took his place. The mate did not know navigation, and could not take an observation, but it did not appear from the protest that the ship was lost in consequence of that ignorance. The ship was off the land for a day or two, when a gale of wind came on, and in consequence the ship was driven on shore; but it did not appear on the face of the protest whether from ignorance of navigation or stress of weather. When the mate came to England the matter would be investigated, and his certificate would be withheld until proper inquiries were made as to his competency. The man had been several voyages to the West Indies as mate, and in consequence of that, probably, it was that his certificate had been granted.