SIR JOHN HAYasked the President of the Board of Trade to state, If the 20,158 Foreign Seamen, mentioned in the Return presented on the 15th February, are Able Seamen; and, if so, to state the number of Foreigners in addition thereto serving in other capacities in the Merchant Service?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE, in reply, said, the 20,158 foreign seamen mentioned in the Return included all foreigners serving in our merchant service, whether acting as seamen, or as cooks, stokers, &c. He could not discover that the Board of Trade had any information as to how many of the 20,158 were able seamen.