§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether his attention has been drawn to the statements in The Pall Mall Gazette of the 8th instant, that some of the vessels taking part in the recent Naval Manœuvres were undermanned; whether it is the fact that one of the gunboats of the D Flotilla, named the Mastiff, left Portsmouth Harbour for the manœuvres two stokers, one leading stoker, and one engine room artificer short; and, whether the whole of the engine room staff had, in consequence, to keep watch and watch during the progress of the manœuvres?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing)I have not seen the statement referred to; but arrangements were made that all the ships should be fully manned according to their complements. For some reason, as to the cause of which I have not yet received the Report, the Mastiff appears to have left Portsmouth three men short of her engine room staff, which necessitated watch and watch being kept during six days, of which period, however, the vessel was only under way for 60 hours, the remaining time being with banked fires. The complement was complete during the actual progress of the manœuvres, and the necessity for watch and watch ceased.