§ MR. PLIMSOLLsaid, he hoped that, under these circumstances, the right hon. Gentleman would be able to qualify in some degree the Answer he gave yesterday, and would therefore ask once more, Whether he will consider the advisability of keeping some officer in attendance at the Board of Trade Offices in Whitehall during the night, to act immediately upon such telegrams as may 230 arrive from Board of Trade Surveyors at the Ports, asking for instructions in cases in which ships are apparently dangerously overloaded and which are about to go to sea in that condition?
§ SIR CHARLES ADDERLEYI am afraid, Sir, I can do no more than repeat my Answer of yesterday. The office-keeper and porter remain at the Board of Trade at night, and receive any night telegrams, and, as a general rule, forward them to the officer responsible for the subject of the telegram. It would be impossible for such responsible officers to be themselves every night at the Board of Trade to issue instructions to surveyors. Nor could a mere telegram, which did not contain the particulars, be generally acted on immediately to take so serious a step as the stopping of a ship. To stop a ship on a report of over-loading is a more difficult and delicate matter than the hon. Member seems to think. Nor could the Collectors of Customs be at hand all night for the purpose. But I may tell the House that appointments are being made of a superior class of Superintendents of Surveyors at the principal ports, who may be trusted in special cases to stop a ship without first referring to the Board of Trade.