§ SIR W. EVANS GORDONI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury how many persons accompanied the deputy chairman of Customs on his recent tour of inspection of two months duration in the Customs' cruiser "Vigilant;" whether the party consisted of officials or of the family and private friends of the deputy chairman; if the latter, who paid their expenses and at what place were they taken on board.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. MCKENNA,) Monmouth, N.The cruise in question, which was for the purpose of inspecting the East Coast ports as far as the Orkneys, lasted five weeks. The deputy chairman's party consisted of one friend, who joined at Lowestoft and was on board nearly the whole time; another who joined at Aberdeen and remained two weeks; and two boys, who started from Gravesend and remained four weeks. The deputy chairman paid the whole of their expenses.
§ SIR W. EVANS GORDONI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether it is intended to supply the cruiser "Vigilant" with the electric light, a motor-pinnace, and a centreboard sailing-boat.
§ MR. MCKENNAThe Answer is in the negative. One of the "Vigilant's" rowing-boats was fitted a year ago with a centre-board, to which the crew of the boat in all probability owed their lives on the occasion of their being blown out to sea in a gale last April.