§ MR. LAIRDsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have given notice, by public advertisement, that they will accept the private Proof Certificates of Messrs. Brown, Lennox, and Co., for Chain Cables used on board ships hired by the Transport Department of the Admiralty for the conveyance of troops, in lieu of those required from Lloyd's Committee; and, if any such order has been made, if he has any objection to lay the same upon the table of the House; and if they accepted Messrs. Brown, Lennox, and Co.'s private Certificate of Proof for Cables supplied for vessels in Her Majesty's Navy without further test?
§ LORD CLARENCE PAGETsaid, in reply, that Messrs. Brown, Lennox, and Co. stated to the Admiralty that they had applied to the Committee at Lloyd's for permission to allow their testing apparatus for chain cables to be accepted as the official test until the 1st of July next, and that the Committee at Lloyd's agreed to allow Messrs. Brown, Lennox, and Co. to issue cables and anchors, and accept their proof test until that date. They applied to the Admiralty for the same privilege with regard to ships in the public service, and the Admiralty granted them the same privilege which had been given by Lloyd's Committee.
§ LORD CLARENCE PAGETNone whatever.