Volume Nine - Pre-Victorian to the present day - even more aspects - Cefn-y-Wrâch . . .

in which you intimate that in the opinion of the cardiff Pilotage Commissioners there is a sufficient depth of water in the Cefn-y-Wrach channel to enable pilots to navigate any vessel with safety out to sea. The Board of Trade are not in a position to express an opinion on the subject, and they are not aware that any useful purpose would be attained by the interview which, in your letter, it is proposed should take place between this Board and some of the Pilotage Commissioners with two of the oldest pilots."

BOARD OF TRADE TO MR. PLIMSOLL, M.P. - The correspondence concludes with the following letter addressed on the 5th of June by the Board of Trade to Mr. Plimsoll : - I am directed by the Board of Trade to acquaint you that they have had under careful consideration the memorial which you transmitted with your letter of the 8th of April last, signed by over 70 out of 84 pilots of the port of Cardiff, requesting that this Board will see reason to restore the certificates of Howe and Samuel, and praying that they will take the necessary steps for the reconstitution of the Cardiff Pilotage Board. In reply, I am to state that the Pilotage Board of Cardiff is, as the pilots are doubtless aware, constituted under the Bristol Channel Pilotage Act, 1861, and that Act gives the Board of Trade no controlling power in the matter of pilotage. Section 336 of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1851 is the only section of any general Act which gives any power to the Board of Trade in these matters, and that section merely enables the Board of Trade to consider representations from pilots who complain of some specific by-law or regulation. You will remember that in explaining this to the deputation who recently were introduced by yourself and Mr. Puleston, the President pointed out his inability to take any steps as regards the two pilots who have been suspended. He also intimated that if the pilots could bring any of their complaints within the 336th section of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1874, and point out the regulation or by-law whereby they were aggrieved, he would give to any communication from them attentive consideration. The Board of Trade will be glad to be informed whether the pilots desire to make any further statements or representation before the correspondence is, as already promised, presented to Parliament.

No further communication having been made on behalf of the Cardiff pilots, the correspondence as given above was accordingly printed, and on Monday issued to members of Parliament and the public.' - Western Mail - [036] [361] - 25th June 1878.