§ COLONEL BERESFORDasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether any provision has been made to provide compensation to the River Thames Pilots in consequence of the late 1861 influx of a class of men empowered by a recent Trinity House by-law to underbid them in pilotage charges; whether it is is true that the change complained of was petitioned against by the Shipowners of the Port of London, and that the new men themselves have been systematically and notoriously breaking the law for years past; whether any inquiry has been made into the fate of the "Chillingham Castle," which vessel was lost in or about the month of February last, with all hands (twenty-six persons in number); and, further, if any inquiry is intended to be made into this case?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUESir, by the Merchant Shipping Act, 1872, the Trinity House were empowered, with the consent of the Queen in Council, to relax within the whole or part of their district the then existing law which compelled every pilot to demand, and every shipmaster to pay, a fixed rate for pilotage services. The Trinity House have, accordingly, within a part of their district—namely, between Gravesend and London Bridge—relaxed that rule, but only with respect to ships exempted from compulsory pilotage. The Trinity House have also obtained by Order in Council powers to licence a qualified class of men who are to be available for that particular service only; but the other licensed Thames pilots are not debarred from being also employed on that particular service, and are now, under the Act of 1872, enabled to pilot exempted ships at the same reduced rates. These men can consequently, if they wish, prevent themselves being underbid by the new class of men, and no provision has been made for compensating them. Nor was any compensation thought due under the circumstances. Generally speaking, the newly-licensed men have been for a long time employed in piloting ships above Gravesend without being licensed, and the trade of the Thames could not get on without them. It was for the purpose of bringing these men within the law and under the control of the duly constituted pilotage authority, that the law was altered. Certain shipowners and underwriters of the City and Port of London appear to have petitioned the House of Commons in 1871 against the change; but Parliament thought fit to pass the Merchant Shipping Act, 1872, which gave to the Trinity House the 1862 powers they have recently exercised, and no objection appears to have since been made by shipowners. The Correspondence on the subject will be found in Parliamentary Paper, No. 349, of last Session, and in another Paper of the previous Session. An inquiry has been ordered into the loss of the Chillingham Castle, and the matter is now in the hands of the Solicitor to the Board; but, unfortunately, the vessel disappeared with all hands.