§ MR. HENEAGEI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the question of an immediate inquiry into any loss of life at sea was thoroughly and most carefully considered by the Royal Commission on the Loss of Life and Property at Sea, and that they unanimously recommended in their Report that whenever a ship comes into port on board of which an accident has taken place at sea which has occasioned loss of life, some public judicial inquiry, in the nature of an inquest, should be held forthwith by an independent judicial officer, who should receive evidence on oath as to the causes 38 of such accident, and that the evidence so given might give occasion to further proceedings of a criminal character by the Director of Criminal Prosecutions; and that the Report of the Royal Commission was drawn up by the present President of the Local Government Board, and signed by the present Secretary to the Board of Trade; and under what Statute or authority the Board of Trade are empowered to postpone an official or judicial inquiry, in view of possible litigation between shipowners in the Courts of Law?
§ MR. BRYCEI am aware of the recommendation to which the right hon. Gentleman refers, and the Board of Trade have endeavoured without legislation to give practical effect to that recommendation by arrangements the details of which I shall be happy to explain to-the right hon. Gentleman if he so desires. With regard to the last paragraph of the question, the Admiralty Division of the High Court is (under the "Shipping Casualties Investigation Act, 1879,") a Court of Appeal from decisions of Courts holding official inquiries resulting in the suspension or cancellation of the certificates of masters or officers. In collision cases where proceedings are pending in the Admiralty Division official inquiries are postponed in order to avoid the possibility of conflicting decisions, and the consequent necessity for a second resort to the Admiralty Division by way of appeal.
§ MR. HENEAGEI do not want to press the right hon. Gentleman unfairly, but is it not the fact that under Section 45 of the Act of 1883 the Local Superintendent of the Board of Trade is bound to inquire into the statements of the surviving hands of a vessel which has been run down, and either to endorse their statements or make such representation as shall enable the Board of Trade to take proper action?
§ MR. BRYCEI have not the Statute before me, but I do not think there is anything inconsistent in what I have said with such a provision.