§ MR. LABOUCHEREI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether any payments have been made within the past 12 months for the hire of steamers between Great Britain and the Continent for the conveyance of distinguished personages; and, if so, under what Vote of Supply have they been included?
§ SIR H. MAXWELLNo payments have been made within the past 12 months from voted money for the hire of steamers between Great Britain and the Continent for the conveyance of distinguished personages.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREHave any bills been incurred for the conveyance of distinguished persons to and from the Continent? These sums used to appear on the Estimates; and, as the hon. Baronet says that no payments have been made in this respect with voted money, I wish to know from what sources the payments have been defrayed?
§ *MR. W. H. SMITHNo charge whatever has fallen upon the Estimates or the Votes of Parliament for these purposes. There has been no charge whatever upon the taxpayer for the conveyance of distinguished personages to and from the Continent during the past 12 months.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any allowance is given to Commanders of Her Majesty's ships whenever personages, not in the Civil or Military Service of Her Majesty, are conveyed on such ships; whether any such personages have been conveyed on Her Majesty's ships during the last 12 months; whether, if any such personages have been conveyed, he will lay upon the Table of the House a Return stating the names of such personages, the occasions on which they have been conveyed, and the amounts paid; and whether he will say, if such personages have been conveyed, under what Vote of Supply, and under what sub-head, the amounts thus paid have been included?
§ *LORD G. HAMILTONAllowances are given to officers commanding Her Majesty's ships when they are put to expense in the entertainment of personages, whom they, in the execution of their duty, are conveying from one place to another. During the year 1890 there were two instances of entertainment of this kind, namely, that of the King of Tonga and suite, who were received on board Her Majesty's ship Rapid, on July 11th, 1890, and the cost, £6 10s., is in course of recovery from the Colonial Office; and that of the Rev. A. Brittain, who volunteered his services as an interpreter on the occasion of the visit of Her Majesty's ship Royalist to the New Hebrides, and who was received on board that ship from the 23rd to the 28th of January, 1890, inclusive, at a cost of £3 12s. (12s. a day), which amount was charged to Navy Vote IL, sub-head Z, "Miscellaneous payments," to which the cost of interpreters is usually charged.