§ MR. KAVANAGHasked the noble Lord the Member for Chichester, Whether he can name a day for proceeding with his notice to call attention to the Report of the "Megæra" Commission?
LORD HENRY LENNOX, in reply, said, the report of the Commissioners on the loss of Her Majesty's ship Megæra dealt out blame right and left. Naval officers of high distinction and public servants of long standing were included in that sweeping censure, and, in fact, almost the only persons who escaped blame were officers of that Department which hitherto had been held primarily responsible for the administration of the Navy of this country. Under these circumstances he asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what steps he intends 1515 taking. The First Lord of the Admiralty took the fair course of sending the Report containing this censure to the officers inculpated, asking what they had to say in answer to the Commissioners' charges, and last week, in answer to his hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Stamford (Sir John Hay), the First Lord of the Admiralty said he intended to lay the replies of these inculpated officers and public servants on the Table of the House. He (Lord Henry Lennox), however, thought it would not be fair to enter into this question until the House of Commons had before it the replies to the charges in question; and if the hon. Gentleman who was the first person to call attention to what turned out to be a great disaster would do him the favour of bringing the subject before the House in his usual lucid manner, he would be delighted to do his utmost to assist him in bringing the House of Commons to a fair, searching, and judicial decision on this question.