§ MR. AKERS-DOUGLASasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether any steps have yet been taken to secure telegraphic communication between lighthouses and lightships and the shore?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAIN, in reply, said, that the Board of Trade were in communication some time ago with the Trinity House on this subject. He had informed the Trinity House that he should be prepared to sanction the communication in the case of one lightship as an experiment. He had since been informed that negotiations were in progress with one of the Telegraphic Companies for connecting the Sunk Lightship with the shore; and in about a fortnight he expected to have the whole plan before the Board of Trade. Whilst desirous that this experiment should be made, he was afraid it would be costly; and at present he was doubtful whether the expenditure would be justified by the results.