Question 3651, put to George Halpin, Inspector of Works at the Ballast Board, Dublin, at a session of the House of Commons Select Committee on the Dublin and Kingstown Ship Canal on 16 July 1833, Daniel O’Connell in the chair:
Who is Captain Bligh?
A very eminent nautical surveyor. […]
I thought everyone would have known about Bligh: wasn’t he famous for his breadfruit?
Irish waterways history 
Even back then, politicians asked pointless questions to those unfortunate to end up before one of their committees.
It also seems that some of them were acting on behalf of one or other of the competing commercial interests represented at the committee. I would very much like to know who asked which questions — and on whose behalf Daniel O’Connell was acting. bjg