§ MR. J. C. MACDONA (Southwark, Rotherithe)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that on the 14th instant Captain Taylor reported at Queenstown having sighted the American three-masted schooner Florence J. Allen, with only the lower part of her mizen mast standing, abandoned by all on board, in latitude 36.30 N., longitude 37.38 W., and on the next day sighted another derelict in latitude 36.11 N., longitude 63.25 W., that both these derelicts were drifting in the track of Atlantic steamships, and were most dangerous to navigation; and will the Board of Trade order the Trinity Board to send in search for these dangerous derelicts, or, failing this, arrange with the Liverpool Tug Company, who succeeded recently in finding the derelict Loch Maree 1255 and towing her into Belfast Harbour, to do so?
§ MR. BRYCEI have communicated with the Collector of Customs at Queens-town, and find that Captain Taylor, of the ss. Yoxford, who arrived there on the 13th instant, did not report to him having passed any derelicts. I may add that, according to the report published in the London Shipping and Mercantile Gazette of the 14th instant, the, Yoxford only passed one derelict, the name of which is unknown. This was on the 25th ultimo, and in latitude 38.11 N. and longitude 64.25 W., which does not agree with either of the bearings given by the hon. Member. I can scarcely think that the hon. Gentleman is serious in suggesting that the Trinity House should send in search of a derelict which three weeks ago was in the neighbourhood of Bermuda. As to the Liverpool Tug Company, I can only refer him to my reply of the 4th instant.