§ MR. DOUGHTY (Great Grimsby)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the steam trawler "Corvos," of Grimsby, was arrested by a, Danish gunboat on the 10th instant while navigating through a fjord at the Faroe Islands; that the vessel was captured and taken to Shorshavn; that the captain was charged with fishing within territorial waters, which he strenuously denied, and was convicted on mere hearsay evidence, the commander of the boat admitting that he had not seen him, but bad been informed by some shore men who were in a small boat; that the fishing captain was denied any right of appeal, and asserts that the judge, in charging him, advised him to plead guilty, and, when he refused, said he should adjourn the case until the next morning if the offence was not admitted, and if he did so the fine would 58 be much heavier, and then if the fine was not paid the ship would be sold; that, on pleading guilty, he was fined £80, his vessel ransacked, his gear confiscated, and his valuable cargo destroyed; that the loss to his owners is estimated at £500; whether he is aware that during the last three months upwards of 50 British trawlers have been arrested in these waters, and that Englishmen are being treated by the Danes as pirates, and no protection or right of appeal is given to them; and whether Her Majesty's Government intend to allow this humiliating condition of affairs to continue; and, if not, what course they propose to adopt to ensure protection to our fishermen and security to British property?
§ MR. DOUGHTYI beg at the same time to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that, on Monday, 27th March, the steam trawler "Iolanthe," of Hull. was fishing in company with two other vessels off the south coast of Iceland when it was arrested by a Danish gunboat, and taken to Reykjavick, and charged with fishing within territorial waters; that he was tried on board the gunboat, the commander starting that when he saw him he was 2¾ miles from the nearest point of the land; that the captain of the trawler denied the charge, and stated that he took the distance, and was a long way outside the limit, and his opinion is confirmed by the other vessels that were fishing with him; also that he further asserts that if an English gunboat had been there he could have proved his case conclusively to our commander; that, notwithstanding the doubtful nature of the evidence, he was fined £56, his gear confiscated, and his large cargo of fish destroyed; that he was required to sign a paper admitting his guilt, or the vessel would be detained until the money was sent from England; that the loss to the owners is £800; and whether Her Majesty's Government will represent this case to the Danish authorities, and institute a searching investigation?
§ MR. BRODRICKI will answer the two Questions together. No reports respecting the seizure of the "Corvos" or "Iolanthe" have yet reached Her 59 Majesty's Government. A large number of British trawlers have recently been arrested by the Danish authorities in Faroese waters, and each case as it is reported will receive the most careful consideration of Her Majesty's Government. In the meantime negotiations are proceeding with the Danish Government with the view to some satisfactory adjustment of the circumstances which led to these arrests.
§ MR. DOUGHTYI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the steam trawler "Caspian," of Grimsby, was arrested in March last off the Faroe Islands, when outside territorial waters, and proceeding on her homeward voyage; that the captain was ordered on board the gunboat and, by order of the commander, chained to the deck to await his trial; that, owing to the second hand determining to proceed to port with the vessel and its valuable and perishable cargo, Skipper Johnson was sentenced to 30 days' imprisonment, and is being kept on a bread and water diet; that he was seen on the 10th of April last by an Englishman, who reports that he is a perfect wreck and only just able to stand; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will institute a full and searching inquiry into the details of this case and, if he has been illegally imprisoned, will demand compensation from the Danish Government for the suffering and loss he has sustained?
§ MR. BRODRICKThe information which has reached us in this case tends to show that the master of the steam trawler "Caspian," whether within territorial waters or not, was seriously to blame. It transpired at the inquiry on his own statement that when signalled to stop by the gunboat he sailed on full speed; that he twice went before the beam of the gunboat, causing immediate danger of a collision, in order to make the captain of the gunboat slacken speed from fear of a collision, and, after being arrested and taken on board the gunboat he hailed the "Caspian" and ordered her to sail, which she did. All that was possible was urged in the master's favour by the Vice-Consul before the court, but unless some facts transpire which are not at present known, it does not appear a case for the intervention of Her Majesty's Government.