§ MR. HOLLANDsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether the attention of the Government has been called to the existing "Steering and Sailing Rules;" and whether it is intended to cause any inquiry to be made as to their efficiency, with a view to prevent disasters arising from collisions at sea?
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONSir, the Question of the hon. Member is one of the greatest possible interest in this commercial country. Some years ago the sailing rules at sea were most carefully considered, and at last rules were agreed upon by the Admiralty, the Board of Trade, and the Trinity House; these were approved by foreign countries; and on the whole, notwithstanding the accidents which have recently occurred, I am disposed to think that those accidents are rather to be attributed to the neglect and ignorance of existing rules than to any defect in the rules themselves. At the same time, the question is one of so much interest that, several accidents having occurred recently, I propose to confer with the Board of Trade and the Trinity House in order to ascertain, not so much as to whether the system can be changed as to whether it is not possible that those rules may be made more simple and effectual, 810 especially with regard to the exhibition of lights.