§ MR. MAURICE HEALYI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether any precedent exists for the holding in Dublin of and inquiry into the loss of a vessel where such vessel was 501 lost on some part of the Irish coast remote from Dublin; why the usual practice in such cases of holding the Inquiry in the locality of the wreck has been departed from in the case of the Puffin Inquiry, seeing that such inquiries have been repeatedly held at Cork in the case of wrecks near that port; whether it is usual for the next of kin of the parties lost in the wreck to be represented at the Inquiry; and, in view of the desirability of having them represented at the Puffin Inquiry, and the practical impossibility of this except at great expense if the sitting is at Dublin, the Board of Trade will direct the Inquiry to be adjourned to Cork?
§ MR. RITCHIEYes, Sir, in deciding where an Inquiry is to be held, the principal point for consideration is not where the accident happened, but where the owners and chief witnesses live and can most conveniently attend. Relations of persons who have lost their lives in shipping casualties are occasionally represented at inquiries. The Puffin, however, was owned in Dublin, where a large number of the witnesses resided, and I do not propose to make any change in the arrangements already made.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALYasked if it was not a fact that a large number of witnesses resided at Queenstown?
§ MR. RITCHIEsaid the object of the Inquiry was to ascertain what it was that caused the accident, and he was informed that the great majority, if not the whole, of those who could throw light upon that particular point resided in or near Dublin, and that it would be inconvenient to them if the Inquiry were held at Cork.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALYasked whether the right hon. Gentleman would see that a number of the survivors who resided at Queenstown were brought to Dublin?
§ MR. RITCHIEsaid that if there was anyone residing in Queenstown who desired to given evidence, and whose evidence was of such a nature that it ought to be given, there was, of course, full power to pay the whole of the expenses of bringing witnesses from Queenstown.