§ MR. J. C. MACDONA (Southwark, Rotherhithe)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, whether he is aware that, in the New York Herald 822 of 29th January last, it is stated that, the United States steamer Vesuvius, Lieutenant Commander Harry Knox, left the New York Navy Yard the day before for an indefinite cruise along the coast in search of derelicts; and whether he is prepared to advise our Government to act in a similar manner, and, in conjunction with the Admiralty, portion off one of Her Majestys Cruisers (as was recently done in the case of H.M.S. Blenheim, in taking the body of the late Premier of Canada to America) to search for derelicts on the well defined ocean routes between England and America.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (MR. BRYCE,) Aberdeen, S.I was not aware, until I saw the question, of the statement in the New York Herald to the effect that a United States Government steamer has started for a cruise along the North American Coast in search of derelicts. It seems unnecessary to despatch a Government vessel to search for derelicts along the coast of the United Kingdom, as it is the fact that, as stated in the recent Report of the Floating Derelicts Committee, that this duty has been regularly performed for many years by the General Lighthouse Authorities of the United Kingdom, with the result that the shores up to a distance of 50 or 60 miles from the Coast are constantly being freed from such dangers to navigation. With regard to a search for derelicts on the well-defined ocean routes between England and America, the Report of the Floating Derelicts Committee, which I think the hon. Member can hardly have carefully considered, shows the fruitlessness of any such attempt.
§ MR. MACDONAIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that only two shipowners, Mr. Jaffe, of Belfast, and Mr. Ismay, of the White Star Line, gave evidence before the Departmental Committee on Floating Derelicts, and that both were strongly of opinion that the Government ought to arrange for a Steam Cruiser to clear the well-known sailing routes of derelicts.
§ [No answer was given.]