COMMONS AMENDMENT. (Hansard, 3 March 1932)

§ EARL STANHOPE

My Lords, there are three groups of Amendments, and they are all principally of a drafting character. The first one deals with the helm orders, and the other place has inserted the words in page 26, line 36, "when the ship is going ahead." So far as you are about to give helm orders in a direct sense, if you give the order in a direct sense when the ship is going astern, there would be a question whether the ship's stern should go to starboard when you gave the order "starboard" or whether the bow should go to starboard. It is not customary in either case to give that kind of order, and the clause has been brought into line with the Convention by the addition of these words. I think it was agreed to unanimously in another place. It really is of a drafting character, and I hope your Lordships will approve. I beg to move that we agree with the Commons Amendment.