MR. HEADLAMsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether it is correct that in the Form of Tender issued by the Admiralty for Coals to be supplied to Her Majesty's Dockyards for the year commencing May 1868, for the use of the Steam Vessels in the Navy, the only Coals named therein are those from Wales; if so, why, after the Reports made at Devonport, and the recommendations contained therein, as to the use of North Country Coals in Her Majesty's ships of war, these have been excluded?
LORD HENRY LENNOXSir, the right hon. Gentleman is quite correct in his statement; the Admiralty have this year reverted to the policy of supplying nothing but smokeless coal to steam vessels in the navy. This decision was arrived at in consequence of the strong representations received by them from the Commanders in Chief of the foreign squadrons, setting forth the great advantages possessed by the smokeless coals for all purposes of steam navigation: I may tell the right hon. Gentleman that bituminous coal is still on the Admiralty list, and is largely used for dockyard purposes.