§ LORD CLAUD HAMILTONasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether, in the event of the Merchant Shipping Bill becoming Law, it would in any respect bring within the scope of its provisions vessels belonging to the Dominion of Canada and other of our Colonies?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINSir, certain provisions of the Merchant Shipping Bill—for example, those relating to compulsory pilotage, to detention, and to inquiries—cannot apply outside the limits of the United Kingdom, but will apply to Colonial vessels within those limits. Certain other provisions, such as those relating to insurance, to liability, and to tonnage, which are not limited to the United Kingdom, like existing provisions on the same subjects in Acts already passed, apply to all British ships, including ships belonging to Canada and the Colonies, subject, however, to provisions in the Merchant Shipping Acts which give to Colonial Legislatures, should they think fit so to do, power to alter the law with respect to ships registered within their jurisdiction.