§ ADMIRAL FIELD (Sussex, Eastbourne)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, the Board of Trade having stated that they have no authority under any Statute to appoint and pay officers to undertake the duty of counting passengers on board steamers at the forthcoming Naval Review, and further allege that it is entirely for the local police authorities to take such steps as they may deem necessary to prevent overcrowding, he will be pleased to call the attention of the various police authorities in Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton, and Isle of Wight to this important part of their duty, under Section 319 of "The Merchant Shipping Act, 1854," as set forth by the Board of Trade, seeing that the said police authorities hold exactly an opposite opinion, and thus prevent serious risk and danger to life by such overcrowding; and, whether, if he should not share the opinion of the Board of Trade as to the responsibility of the "police authorities" for enforcement of the law against the overcrowding of steamers, he will be pleased to consult the Law Officers of the Crown upon the subject, and so ascertain who is responsible for thus safeguarding human life on such occasions, and take the necessary steps to guard against the danger?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.), in reply, said, that he was advised that the duty of enforcing the law as to the overcrowding of steamers devolved upon the Local Authority, and he had issued a Circular to that effect to the Portsmouth and Southampton officials.
§ ADMIRAL FIELDasked that a similar Circular should be sent to all seaports.