§ MR. LEAI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether any steps have been taken by the Board to prosecute the general dealer at Portsmouth who was discovered to have in his stock 22,400 cartridges for use with the Morris tube, all of which were marked Government property; and if not, why, considering 1375 the advice given in paragraph 26 by the Committee of Public Accounts in their last-issued Report.
§ MR. LAMBERTThe general dealer referred to was prosecuted by the police of Portsmouth, but the charge was dismissed as there was great doubt in the case, and the law officers of the Crown advised that fresh proceedings against the man would probably prove fruitless. A further case at Portsmouth is now being investigated. The accused man, who was also concerned in the previous case, should have appeared before the Portsmouth magistrates yesterday, but I understand that this man has committed suicide.