§ 44. Mr. KIRKWOOD (for Mr. MACLEAN)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that a foreign ship has been chartered to carry fire-clay bricks from Grangemouth to the naval stores at Chatham, Portsmouth, and Devonport; whether he can state if there was no British ship suitable which could have been chartered for this transport; and whether he will lay down a condition in future contracts that goods requiring to be shipped from a British port to naval stores shall be carried in British ships?
Sir B. EYRES MONSELLIt has been brought to the notice of the Admiralty that a contractor recently delivered a consignment of firebricks to the dockyard in a foreign vessel, and a stipulation will be made in future contracts, whenever practicable, that contractors shall employ British ships if delivery is made by water.