§ MR. HAVELOCK WILSON (Middlesbrough)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the loss of the four-masted sailing ship Bendouran, and is he aware of the fact that she was a vessel carrying over 3,300 tons of cargo; that she had four masts; that three of those masts were square-rigged, and had 15 sails, and 15 fore and aft sails; that to stow a mainsail or a foresail on a ship of this size requires 12 men for each sail; is it the fact that this vessel had only 27 hands, all told, and that it was composed as follows:—captain, three mates, boatswain, carpenter, one cook, one steward, one cabin boy, first voyage 12 able seamen, and six apprentices; and that the usual complement of hands for a ship carrying over 3,000 tons of cargo is 42; has any inquiry been held into the loss of this ship; if not, why not; and will he state whether it is his intention to direct any inquiry to be held into the alleged under-manning of this and other ships which have been missing?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. MUNDELLA,) Sheffield, BrightsideThis ship is known to be missing. She is reported to have had a 217 cargo of 2,780 tons, and she had a crew of 27. It is not in my power to afford further information, beyond explaining that inquiry is not ordered in such a case, as the lack of evidence precludes all prospect of a useful result. The vessel was on her homeward voyage, and there is no evidence as to the cause of loss.
§ MR. HAVELOCK WILSONWill the Board of Trade appoint a Wreck Commissioner to inquire into the large number of vessels of this type lost in recent years?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI must ask for notice of that question.