§ MR. ATHERLEY-JONES (Durham, N. W.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that British ships are by the law of England for certain purposes held to be British territory in whatever waters they may be, His Majesty's Government will consider the expediency of proposing the legislative extension of that doctrine, so as to prevent the cession to a foreign flag of British ships that would otherwise be available for naval or military purposes.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)I am not quite sure that I apprehend 199 the purport of the hon. Gentleman's Question, but if he suggests, as I think he does, that we should by legislative action prevent private owners of British ships from disposing of those ships when we have no lien upon them, I think that would Le a new departure in legislation so important that I could not be expected to deal with it in answer to a Question.