§ MR. H. BAILLIEsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, Whether the Report of the Armstrong and Whitworth Committee on the 12-pounder Guns has been referred to another Committee appointed by the War Office, and if so, for what purpose?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, in reply, that after the Report of the Committee on the 12-pounder Armstrong 367 and Whitworth guns had been sent to the Commander-in-Chief for his consideration, a 12-pounder Whitworth gun had been sent by his desire to Woolwich to be placed in the hands of the Artillery, and to be treated in the same way as the service guns were ordinarily treated in drill practice. No doubt that, after it had undergone a certain amount of trial, it would be reported upon by the Commandant of Woolwich, and probably some other officers; but it was not the fact that any Committee had been appointed to consider the Report of the Armstrong and Whitworth Committee. The only point upon which the opinion of the Woolwich authorities was asked was, as to the weight and convenience of the gun, and no experiments as to its merits would be carried out by them.