HC Deb 06 August 1883 vol 282 cc1636-7
COLONEL KING-HARMAN

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in reference to Parliamentary Paper, No. 263, the second on the subject of lighthouse illuminants, Whether the Illuminants Committee, the Trinity House, the Commissioners of Irish Lights, Mr. Vernon Harcourt, Mr. Wigham, or Dr. Hopkinson replied to the Letter of the Board of Trade of the 10th of July; and, if so, whether he will state what was the general purport of their replies; and, if he will have their replies, and also the proceedings of the Illuminants Committee, in full?

MR. CHAMBERLAIN

stated that, in reply to their Letter of the 10th July, the Board of Trade had received a communication from Trinity House which covered an account of the proceedings of the Committee, which had since been dissolved, as far as it went, and also a preliminary account of the expenses which had been incurred. They had also received a letter from Mr. Wigham regretting the dissolution of the Committee. He did not think any of these documents possessed any public interest, and he did not propose to publish them.

MR. GRAY

asked, were the Board of Trade about to take any steps now to test whether gas or oil was the best lighthouse illuminant?

MR. CHAMBERLAIN

replied, that, on a previous occasion, when answering a similar Question, he pointed out that the Correspondence would show that they had communicated the dissolution of the Committee to all the Bodies concerned; that they also informed them that they were left to their own initiative; and that the Board of Trade would be prepared to pay the greatest possible attention to their recommendation. They further informed Trinity House and the Northern Lights Commission that if they thought it desirable to make any further experiments in the matter, the Board of Trade would be prepared to assist them.

MR. GRAY

asked, would the Irish Lights Board be free to exercise its discretion in the matter?

MR. CHAMBERLAIN

said, all the Boards would be equally free to exercise their discretion subject only to the general control of the Board of Trade, which had to see that the considerations of economy and efficiency were duly observed.