§ MR. HAVELOCK WILSONI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the case of the ship County of Kinross, which is reported by The Shipping Gazette to have anchored in the Downs on the 28th November short of provisions; if he is aware of the fact that this ship only left Liverpool on the 30th 1377 December last for Calcutta, leaving there for home on the 21st June; if the Board of Trade have any power to compel shipowners to carry sufficient provisions for long voyages; and what steps the Board will take to prevent such occurrences in the future?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI am aware that it has been stated in the newspapers that the ship to which my hon. Friend refers required provisions when she anchored in the Downs on the 28th ultimo, but I have no reason to believe that she was insufficiently supplied either when she left this country on her outward, or Calcutta on her homeward, voyage. The Board of Trade have no power to lay down what quantity of provisions a ship shall carry for any particular voyage, but substantial penalties are provided by the Merchant Shipping Acts (221, 222, 223 of 1854) if (upon complaint by three or more of the crew of any British ship) the provisions or water are found to be of bad quality or deficient in quantity.
§ MR. HAVELOCK WILSONI should like to ask the President of the Board of Trade if that Department cannot compel shipowners to put sufficient food on board the ship to last the intended voyage? What compensation do the seamen receive in the event of not getting sufficient food?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI should be glad to have notice of the question. These four appeared on the Paper for the first time this morning, and it was only at great inconvenience and great expense —for I freely used the telegraph—that I have been enabled to get the answers. I should like a day or two's notice of these questions.
§ MR. HAVELOCK WILSONI will Inquire further on Monday.