§ MR. CAYZER (Barrow-in-Furness)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with reference to the Returns given to this House showing the large loss of life and property on the coast of Spain and Portugal, and the statement of the President of the Board of Trade that he is advised that an improved system of lighting would conduce to the greater safety of ships, and that his Department have made repeated representations to the Foreign Office on this subject for communication to Foreign Governments, whether the Foreign Office have brought the subject to the notice of the Foreign Governments; if so, whether he will state the names, dates, and subjects of the communications his Department have made to the Foreign Governments, and lay the Correspondence upon the Table?
§ SIR E. GREYNumerous representations have been made to the Spanish Government since 1877. The difficulty of distinguishing the lights at the entrance to Bilbao Harbour, the uncertain appearance of the light on Cape Finisterre, and the need for a first-class light on Capo Villano and a smaller one on Cape Torriano, have formed the subject of our representations. July, 1888, February, 1889, April, 1889, August, 1890, December, 1890, November, 1891, April, 1892, February, 1893, have been the dates of the more recent communications. Early in this month Her Majesty's Ambassador at Madrid was instructed to repeat his last representation, and to supplement it by handing to the Spanish Government a list of British steamers 500 lost on or near this coast in 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893. The Spanish Government have promised to improve the lights in question, but state that the works on Capos Villano and Torriano have met with unforeseen delay. A representation as to the danger of mistaking the lights on Fort Bergis and Cape Rosa was made to Portugal in September, 1884, and during the present month a request has been made to have the light on Burling's Island made quick-flashing.