§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether his attention has been drawn to the evidence given before the Wreck Commissioner in the case of the steamship Elephant; whether an officer of the Board of Trade admitted that he met the Elephant in the Thames in an overladen condition, but took no steps whatever to stop her; and, whether he has considered the conduct of the officer in question?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINThe evidence given before the Wreck Commissioner in the case of this vessel has been under my notice. It is true that a subordinate officer of the Board of Trade, who was coming up the river in one of the ordinary passenger steamers, saw the Elephant going down the river in what he believed to be an overladen condition. That officer had no authority to detain ships; and even if he had had such authority he could not have stopped the steamer he was on. When the officer 996 landed from the river steamer the Elephant had passed out of reach.