§ MR. STEADMANI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, in view of this country being at war with the Transvaal Republic and the Orange Free State, in South Africa, and that a large number of steamships, comprising a portion of our mercantile marine, are employed by the Government and taken up as transports to carry troops, war material, and stores to South Africa, whether all ships engaged for such purposes are manned by British subjects.
MR. GOSCHENAll the transports taken up have shipped crews at British ports with the exception of two mule ships, whose crews had been shipped at Antwerp. The crews of all the remainder are substantially in all cases, and exclusively, I believe, in most cases, British. The absolute exclusion of all foreigners, such as Scandinavians, who may have been for years in the employment of the companies, would have led to endless delay, possibly to the refusal of many shipowners to charter their ships. But where there are such foreigners their number is quite insignificant, and their characters are well known to their employers.