§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty who is responsible for the naming of Her Majesty's ships; and if, having regard to the territorial system in the Army, designed to encourage local interest in regiments, the Board of Admiralty will consider the desirability of resorting to the designations of British, Irish, Colonial, and Indian countries, counties, and cities, or to the names of British victories, and the officers by whom they have been won, in substitution for such mythological and classical names as Melpomene, Iphigenia, Polyphemus, Andromache, Terpsichore, and others?
THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Sir U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH,) Lancashire, ClitheroeThe Board of Admiralty are responsible for the naming of Her Majesty's ships. They have been desirous of perpetuating, as far as possible, time-honoured names which are associated with the Naval History of this country. They will continue this practice, but, without adopting any territorial system such as exists in the Army, will consider the advisability of introducing from time to time other names of national interest.