§ MR. KAVANAGHasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Why the recommendation of the Admiral at Queenstown that the number of officers on board Her Majesty's ship "Megæra" should be reduced by four, she being in too crowded a state, has not been carried out; and, whether he will lay upon the Table of the House the Medical Report on the condition of the ship?
§ MR. GOSCHENsaid, in reply, that the recommendation that the officers on board the Megœra should be reduced by four did not originate with the Admiral at Queenstown. The House might remember that on Monday last 1774 the Secretary for the Admiralty communicated to the House the results of a personal inspection by Rear Admiral Forbes of the Megœra. On the receipt of the report of that inspection directions were given to land 100 tons of the cargo, and the Rear Admiral thought it was necessary that four officers should be removed. The matter was left to the discretion of the Rear Admiral. A private letter had been received by Sir Sidney Dacres from Rear Admiral Forbes, stating that when the cargo was properly diminished there would be ample room for all the officers on board.