§ COMMANDER BETHELL (York, E. R., Holderness)asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether his attention has been directed to a Report on the loss of the steamer Sir John Lawrence, addressed by the Members of the Marine Court of Inquiry to the Government of Bengal, which Report states, upon the evidence given in the inquiry, that not only was the Sir John Lawrence carrying more than her proper complement of passengers, but that
Every inducement exists for the captains, or even for the owners of the vessels engaged in the Chanobbally trade, to avail themselves of the opportunity to carry more than the licensed number of passengers;That the method of survey adopted under the auspices of the Port Commissioners and Port Officer is extremely unsatisfactory, and in urgent need of speedy and thorough reform;and, if he can inform the House whether the Government of Bengal are taking steps to correct these abuses?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)The attention of the Secretary of State has been directed to the Report in question. The Government of Bengal has already taken measures with a view 1486 to correcting these abuses. It has directed the Commissioner of Police at Calcutta and the Commissioner of Orissa to report fully upon the whole subject, with a view to the introduction of more stringent Regulations.