§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state who 22 made the application to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, on behalf of the master of the British ship "Earl of Dunmore," for a remission of a portion of the fines imposed by the naval court for having wilfully and wrongfully left behind at Calete Caloso four seamen from the same vessel; and under what section of the Merchant Shipping Act the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury have power to refund any fines imposed by a naval court properly constituted in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Act?
Mr. BUXTONI understand that the application to the Treasury was made by the general manager of the Shipping Federation, Limited, on behalf of the owners of the vessel. I am not aware of any section in the Merchant Shipping Act empowering the Treasury to refund fines imposed by a naval court, but I understand that the Treasury acted under their general powers in consenting on the recommendation of the Board of Trade to the repayment in this case of a sum which had not reached the Exchequer.
§ Mr. BOWERMANIs. it not the case that under Section 68 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1903, an appeal can only be made to the courts for the remission of a fine?
Mr. BUXTONWill the hon. Gentleman give me notice of that question? With regard to this case I shall be very glad to look further into it.