§ Motion made,—To nominate the Select Committee on the Rule of the Road at Sea: That Mr. Attorney General, Sir George Baden-Powell, Mr. Blake, the Marquess of Carmarthen, Mr. Cayzer, Sir Francis Evans, Admiral Field, Mr. Penrose Fitzgerald, Sir James Kitson, Mr. Moorsom, Mr. Joseph Richardson, Mr. Roby, Mr. Parker Smith, Sir Richard Webster, and Mr. Stephen Williamson be Members of the Committee: That the Committee have the power to send for Persons Papers, and Records: That Five be the Quorum.—(Mr. Thomas Ellis.)
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)said, that when the Irish Members the other night wanted a concession from the Government in respect to the Irish Lights Board they were met by the hostility and opposition of the President of the Board of Trade. They had felt that deeply, and he intended, as far as he could to offer objection and opposition to any action, taken by the President of the Board of Trade, in respect to English 1116 matters until the right hon. Gentleman showed some willingness to make concessions in regard to Irish matters. They had reason to expect much better treatment from the right hon. Gentleman.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE, (Mr. BRYCE Aberdeen, S.)said, that this motion was not an English matter, but one affecting the United Kingdom as a whole. In the next place, it was not in consequence of any action of the Government. The Motion was brought forward by the hon. Member for West Perthshire at the request of a number of shipping organisations, and the Government were not concerned with it at all. They had simply made a concession to the demands of certain interests in the House and the country. In the third place, as to the matter to which the hon. Member referred, his attitude on that occasion was far from being hostile to the Irish Members. He had endeavoured to do the best he could for them by offering a Select Committee to investigate the question. That was the furthest he could go in the matter, and he was surprised that the hon. Member should regard as hostile that action, which was entirely friendly, and which he should have thought would have been welcomed by the Irish Members.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYsaid, that by the time they were through with this business between the Irish Members and the Board of Trade the right hon. Gentleman would find that he would have been better advised not to take the distinctly unfriendly and hostile attitude which he had adopted on Thursday week last. He should object to the Motion.
§ Motion accordingly postponed.
§ House adjourned at a Quarter after Twelve o'clock.