§ MR. ERRINGTON (for Mr. O'REILLY)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, What steps have been taken to carry out the intentions of the Admiralty with regard to meeting the spiritual wants of Roman Catholic seamen, as stated by him on the 15th March 1878, when he said,
It will be the duty of the Admiralty to endeavour to make such provision, by attaching a Roman Catholic clergyman to a fleet of, say, five or six large ships operating at distance from its base or from any port; and, if there should be a hospital-ship, it will not be difficult to pro- 1035 vide for the accommodation of a chaplain in that ship?
§ MR. W. H. SMITHThe Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean was directed by the Admiralty Letter of the 12th of June, 1878, to give effect to the Admiralty Minute (laid before Parliament). A telegram was received from Sir Geoffery Phipps Hornby, dated Ismid, 13th March, to the following effect:—
In reference to Roman Catholic chaplains, Board Minute of June 7, 1878, has been carried out. This Squadron not having been absent from a port where services of a Roman Catholic priest were available, except for the short time we were at Artaki, when we were in daily expectation of orders to return to Malta, Roman Catholic officers and men have attended Divine service here and at Prince's Island as usual.