The Steamship "President."
Mr. H. Berkely said, he wished to ask a question of
the hon. Gentleman the Secretary of the Admiralty.
Considerable attention had been called to a vast
quantity of wreck which had been lately driven on
shore on the coast of the county of Banff, in
Scotland, and much excitement had been raised
respecting it, as it had been conjectured to be
possible that it formed a portion of the
unfortunate steamship President. He wished to
ask whether the Admiralty were in possession of
any information, or had made an inquiry into the
subject. Mr. Stafford begged to thank the hon.
Gentleman for giving him the opportunity of stating
to the House the circumstances which had occurred.
It was true there had been a considerable quantity
wreck washed on the shore on the coast of the coast
of the county of Banff, and the Admiralty had taken
steps to institute an inquiry by sending to the spot
an able naval officer for that purpose. After having
carefully examined the scantlings of the timbers that
had been cast on shore, he communicated the result to
the owners of the many steam vessels that had been lost
of late years, and among them the owners of the President,
at the same time requesting them to inform him what were
the dimensions of the scantlings of their own vessels,
in order that a comparison might be made with the
dimensions forming part of the wreck. From some of
these parties answers had been returned; but, as far
as the examination had hitherto gone, the impression
was, that the scantlings among the wreck were not
those of the President. The inquiry was still being
prosecuted, and, when it should be complete, he would
communicate the result to the House.
2 D
