§ MR. H. A. HERBERT,in rising to ask the question of which he had given notice upon this subject, said that the efficient lighting of the coast of Ireland was a question of the greatest importance, and one that affected the whole commerce of Europe. That duty devolved on a body in Dublin called the Ballast Board, but to keep the light, buoys, and beacons in an efficient state they ought to have a vessel devoted to the purpose of inspection, properly fitted and manned for such a purpose, and placed under their control. The Trinity Board of London have six steam vessels and eight sailing vessels at its disposal for that purpose alone; the Northern Commissioners of Scotland had 39 lights under their control, and were supplied with one large steamer and one small, one of them being for supervising business; but although the Ballast Board of Dublin had 70 lights placed in spots, in most instances quite inaccessible except by water, they were supplied with but one small steamer, so small that two buoys occupied the whole deck, and so ill-suited to the work it had to perform that he believed, if her log were referred to, it would be found that she was obliged frequently to put in and discontinue her inspections in consequence of being quite unfit to face the heavy seas on the west coast of Ireland. The consequence was that the Board had been compelled to borrow a steamer from another Board, the steamer which was at one period placed at their disposal having been taken from them and sold. He found from a Parliamentary Return that the Trinity House establishment, with 94 lights to look after, cost £46,343; the Northern Commissioners, with 39 light3 to inspect, got £8,895; while the Ballast Board, with 70 lights, got £11,114. He therefore wished to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the Board have received an application from the Ballast Board of Dublin to provide them with a suitable steamer for carrying out the service of frequent inspections of Light Houses, and for the supply of oil and other stores; what Reply has been given to any such application; whether the application has been referred to the Royal Commission now having under consideration the subject of Lights, Buoys, and Beacons; and whether any steps have been taken by the Board for providing the Ballast Board 703 with the accommodation indispensable for the due performance of their duties?
§ MR. MILNER GIBSONsaid, that an application had been made to the Board of Trade of the kind referred to by the hon. Gentleman, and a deputation had also waited upon him with a similar request. His answer was, that at the present moment it was difficult to come to any decision, because a Commission had been appointed by the right hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Henley) when he was President of the Board of Trade, for the purpose of inquiring into the general subject of lights and buoys, and reporting thereon. It appeared to him that it would not be right, on the eve of receiving the Report of the Commission, to decide on a question involving the large expenditure that would be incurred if the request of the Ballast Board were complied with. He was ready to admit that circumstances now were very different from those that existed when the steamer was withdrawn, because there were more lights and more extensive duties to be performed; but the House would feel that it would not be right in him to overrule the decision of a former President of the Board of Trade, and grant the use of a steamer which had been withdrawn, on the eve of the Report that was about to be made by the Commission on the general question. He must content himself with saying that at that time no decision had been taken, but he did not deny that a strong case had been made. They must however postpone their decision until they received the Report of the Commission.
§ MR. BRADYsaid, he did not think the right hon. Gentleman's reply satisfactory. The Ballast Board had built a steamer at a cost of £20,000, suitable to the work of inspection. That steamer, however, had been taken from them by the late Government, and sold for £8,000, but was shortly afterwards re-sold for £20,000. If this was economical management he was at a loss to understand what was economy.