§ 94. Sir CLIFFORD CORYasked the Attorney-General whether His Majesty's Government will recognise the claims of British subjects who hold mortgages or bottomry bonds upon prizes of war or who have supplied necessaries or made advances to such vessels prior to capture or seizure; and whether, in the event of a British subject being a part owner of any prize of war, the Government will similarly recognise a claim on his behalf?
§ The SOLICITOR-GENERAL (Sir Stanley Buckmaster)My right hon. Friend the Attorney-General has asked me to answer this question on his behalf. Prize Courts, when adjudicating as to a prize, are not required to take into account such interests in the prize as are referred to in the question; but cases may arise in which it would be proper for the Crown to make concessions as a matter of grace, and while it is impossible to lay down any general rule beforehand, the Crown will consider the claims of British subjects in individual cases if the facts are duly laid before the Procurator-General.
§ Sir C. CORYMay I ask, will the Government take into consideration such claims in view of the great hardships on struggling butchers and stevedores who lawfully and properly advanced supplies and performed work before war began?
§ Sir S. BUCKMASTERAs I have stated, the Crown will consider the claims in individual cases if they are laid before the Procurator-General.