§ MR. BOWLESI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now received any further information as to the forcible boarding of the s.s. "Zambesi," and the intimidation of her master, in the Surrey Commercial Dock on the 9th instant; and, if so, whether he will lay that information upon the Table or state its purport to the House
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE,) Leeds, W.In consequence of a communication I received from the "Zambesi's" owners reflecting on the accuracy of my statements in answer to the hon. Member on May 14th, I have had further inquiry made into all the circumstances of this incident, and have obtained detailed statements from reliable eye-witnesses, including the Deputy-Superintendent of the Surrey Commercial Docks and officers of the Dock Company's police, who were present alongside the ship while the incident was taking place. Though the police officers were standing quite close to the ship in uniform no appeal for help was made to them, and they saw nothing to call for their intervention. The result of the inquiry has therefore been fully to confirm my former statement. I do not propose to lay any Papers on the Table.
§ MR. BOWLESAnd, in view of the evidence he has obtained, does the right hon. Gentleman still maintain there was no intimidation or violence?
§ MR. GLADSTONECertainly.
§ MR. JOYCE (Limerick)Is it not the fact that the owners and master of this vessel tried to get a crew of Chinamen in detriment to the British seamen?
§ [No Answer was returned.]