§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether his attention has been directed to the following statement in The Western Daily Mercury of the 8th instant:—
Rear Admiral H. D. Grant, C.B., Admiral Superintendent of Devonport Dockyard, yesterday notified by means of bills, which were distributed over the yards at Devonport and Keyham, that he was in receipt of a communication from the Prince of Wales, inviting his co-operation in the formation of the proposed Imperial Institute. As he (the Admiral) had no doubt that the officers and men desired to take part in this great work, he would have papers printed fully setting forth the objects of the Institute, derived from a circular which had been forwarded him. A week would be allowed for the consideration of the papers, after which it was his intention to convene a meeting of the officers of all grades, and leading men from each department, to assemble at a convenient date in the dining hall of Devonport Yard, for the purpose of electing officers and taking steps to collect subscriptions. The Admiral desires it to be clearly understood that whatever amount is raised will be remitted as from the officers and men of Her Majesty's Dockyards, Devonport and Keyham,' it being his intention to head the list as a Dockyard officer, and not to subscribe to any other branch having the same object in view;whether he is aware that the method employed to collect subscriptions has been as follows:—That the Admiral and Chief Officers of Departments cause lists to be made up of all the men under 1224 their control, opposite to which are columns ruled for £s. d. That these lists are issued to the subordinate officers, who, pencil in hand, canvass their workmen for subscriptions, and marking off the names of those who subscribe, return the lists to the chiefs of the several departments, who are thus able to mark the men who have refused to subscribe; whether it is the fact that, on a former occasion, when a tablet, to the memory of the late Admiral Wilson, was proposed to be erected, the then Chief Constructor sent his own messenger around to the various offices to solicit contributions from each individual; and, whether it is a part of the public duties of the officers and officials of the Dockyards to busy themselves with the collecting of subscriptions either for memorial tablets or for the Prince of Wales' Imperial Institute; and, if not, whether he will take steps to prevent it for the future?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing), in reply, said, the facts were as stated in the Question of the hon. Gentleman. There was, however, no foundation for the suggestion that any compulsion or undue influence of any kind was sought to be exercised with regard to the collection of subscriptions. He did not see anything in Admiral Grant's action to cause him to interfere.