§ MR. ALDERMAN W. M'ARTHURasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether, in May 1876, a seaman named P. Davies, belonging to a ship called "Conway Castle," lying at Lobos de Tierra, about four hundred miles from Callao, who was alleged to have been illegally forced on shore, presented himself at the British Consulate of Callao complaining of ill-treatment by the Master, and bringing other serious charges against him; whether, on another occasion, a seaman of a vessel called the "British Empire," when dying, is alleged to have charged the Master with causing his death; whether, in a third case, the Master of the British ship "Frankling," was murdered at a port called Salavery, also in Peru, about two hundred miles from Callao; and, if these cases occurred, whether there were any ships of war in those waters; what means there were of inquiring into and meting out justice when such crimes were committed at a considerable distance from a Consulate; what steps were taken in the above cases by Her Majesty's Minister at Lima, the British Consul at Callao, and the Naval Officers on the Station; and, whether there is any objection to lay upon the Table of the House any correspondence which has taken place bearing on the above cases?
§ SIR CHARLES ADDERLEYThe cases mentioned by the hon. Member have all been reported to the Board of Trade. The places where they occurred are distant trading stations along the coast of Peru, hundreds of miles from Callao. The Consul at Callao, on any complaint being made to him, has no other means of proceeding than calling on the commanders of any of Her Majesty's ships there to proceed to the spot and hold Naval Courts, which they would do themselves if the complaint came direct to them. At the Lobos de Tierra Islands there is no authority but the Harbour Master, and in the largest places, in Callao itself and Lima, the authorities would not investigate crimes alleged to have been committed in 978 foreign ships. The reasons which prevented the commanders of Her Majesty's 'ships at this time from proceeding to hold Naval Courts would not, of course, be communicated to the Board of Trade. What Correspondence has passed with the Board of Trade on the subject I shall have no objection to present, if the hon. Member moves for it.