MR. T. C. HAEEINGTONasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether it is true that one of Her Majesty's gunboats has been, for the past two years, placed at the disposal of the resident magistrate in Bantry, for the special purpose of conveying him once in the fortnight to the Petty Sessions District in Castletown; whether it is true that a public steamer plies regularly in the bay, by which this gentleman could be conveyed for the sum of four shillings, and the journey may be also performed by public car; and, if so, what special reason exists for giving this gentleman the use of a ship of war; and, whether it is on his responsibility that Mr. Payne, the agent of the Earl of Bantry, is also allowed to travel as a passenger on board the gunboat when visiting the district to collect rent?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. HIBBERT), in reply, said, that, in the first place, it was true that 1539 Major Warburton was allowed to use the gunboat referred to, the Britomart, by special permission of Dublin Castle. It was also true that a public steamer plied regularly in the bay. He had no information that Mr. Payne travelled in the Britomart with Major Warburton; but, if he did so, it was as a guest of the captain.