HL Deb 06 April 1852 vol 120 c775

In reply to Lord MONTEAGLE,

The DUKE of NORTHUMBERLAND

said that, with respect to the alleged loss of the Birkenhead, he was sorry to say the Admiralty had not received a report, nor any other information on the subject. The Admiralty, seeing the telegraphic message in the newspapers, sent a message by electric telegraph to Devon-port to the superintendent of the packet station, to know whether he had received any report of the accident, and if so why he, or the Admiral on the station, had not forwarded the news to the Admiralty, at least as soon as the newspapers had it. The Government, he repeated, had no further information than what was transmitted through the newspapers.