§ MR. PLIMSOLLasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether he has caused any inquiry to be made into the condition of the case of the "Hindoo," preparing to leave Plymouth for India, 10 after having been twice obliged to put back from alleged unseaworthiness, and also into the case of the "Parga," now lying in the Saint Katherine Docks, and destined for Buenos Ayres; or, if not, whether he will do so?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUESir, I will tell the hon. Gentleman all that I have been able to learn about the ships to which he called my attention three days ago. On hearing from him I immediately took steps to ascertain the truth with respect to these vessels. First, as to the steamship Hindoo, I find the state of the facts as far as I can learn is as follows:—The Hindoo was built on the Clyde for a Hull firm named Wilson and Co. I am told she cost £70,000, and her gross tonnage was 3,000 tons. She was built under the survey of the Liverpool Underwriters Association, and classed A 1 for 20 years—the highest class that can be given. She was surveyed by the Board of Trade surveyors at Glasgow, and obtained her passenger certificate. She came to London, and was again surveyed, and being destined for the Calcutta trade she sailed from London for that port. She met with bad weather and put in at Plymouth—where she was to have called for passengers—considerably damaged, with her steam-pipe valve injured, her steering gear out of order, and the ship making water, more or less. She was surveyed again at Plymouth by the surveyors of the Liverpool Underwriters Association and passed by them; but the Board of Trade surveyor was not satisfied, and her Board of Trade certificate was cancelled. She was sent back to London, where she discharged her cargo and where she was repaired and strengthened, I am informed, at a large expense. She went again on her voyage and put in at Plymouth to take up passengers. There was a trifling defect in her steam-pipe, but nothing at all serious. She proceeded on her voyage, and is, I believe, now at Port Said. So much for the Hindoo. I ought to add, that just as I came to the House, I had information from her owner that she had been insured for £45,000, and is valued at £80,000. With respect to the other vessel, the Parga, she was found in St. Katherine Docks. She was surveyed by the Board of Trade surveyors, who, so far as they can judge from the appearance of the ship, consider her unsea- 11 worthy. She was declared unseaworthy, and steps have been taken to prevent her going to sea, under the recent Act of 1871. I have to thank the hon. Gentleman for enabling me to put these powers in motion. This is the first time the hon. Gentleman has given me information of unseaworthy ships that have come to his knowledge, and I am glad that in this instance information was given which may prevent an unseaworthy ship going to sea.
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONasked a Question of which he had given private Notice—namely, Whether the Board of Trade had received any information with respect to two ships named the Knight Templar and the Paladin? According to the information which had reached him the Knight Templar, an entirely new ship, went to sea with a cargo on the 1st of February, and on the 3rd of February, 48 hours afterwards, she foundered and sank. The Paladin, as he understood, was also a new ship, and, having just gone to sea, was seriously injured. He wished to know whether it was the intention of the Board of Trade to institute an inquiry as to the circumstances attending the disasters to those vessels?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUEin reply, said, that the Knight Templar was a new ship, Class A 1 for twenty years in the Liverpool Underwriters Association, and she had also a Board of Trade passenger certificate. It was a fact that she had been lost on her first voyage, and an inquiry would be made into the circumstances. With respect to the Paladin, as some preliminary steps were necessary before an inquiry should be ordered, he would say nothing further about her at present.