§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether he can state in how many cases of ships paying down for the quarter ending March 31 last, the weekly payment of wages due to the men has been deferred for less than 14 days; what was the total number of ships that paid down at the end of that quarter; and, whether it is the fact that, in the case of several ships which paid down their men on Friday last, the paying department had intended to defer payment of such wages until Friday the 6th instant?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing)In all ships the settlement of wages takes place quarterly; and under Article 1,512 of the Queen's Regulations the payment is to be made on the first day of the subsequent quarter, or as soon after as may be convenient. I have no reason to suppose that any infringement of the Regulations has taken place.