§ MR. W. HOPE (Somersetshire, N.)To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether a tide surveyor, in the employ of His Majesty's Customs, has the right to take from boatmen timber which they have salved, when the boatmen have found the owners, and the timber, being only good for firewood, has been given by the owners to the boatmen.
(Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) It is laid down in the Merchant Shipping Acts that all wreck found by persons other than the owner must be delivered to the receiver of wreck. This officer, however, has instructions to permit any article which is proved to his satisfaction to belong to parties on the spot to be delivered by the salvors to such parties at once without demanding any fee, provided that there is no question as to salvage or customs duties, and of course in such a case the owner may do what he likes with it.