§ MR. OLIPHANTsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, If it be the case that 20,000 breech loading carbines on the Westley Richards system which use the percussion cap are being made at Enfield; and if the attention of the Government has been called either to the Smith or Spencer repeating carbine now used by the United States Cavalry?
GENERAL PEELsaid, in reply, that 19,000 Westley Richards carbines had been ordered in the course of last year. A portion of them had been delivered in store, and the remainder were in such a state of forwardness that it was not thought advisable to put a stop to their manufacture. There would not be the slightest difficulty in disposing of them without any loss to the Government. With regard to the other portion of the Question, he might state that the Spencer breech-loading repeating carbine had been brought before 939 the Department in the years 1864 and 1865, and was reported on by the Ordnance Select Committee as ingenious, but liable to be damaged by exposure to weather. The Committee reported against repeating rifles generally at that time; but it had since been found expedient to change that opinion, and a supply of six repeating arms of different patterns had been ordered, and they would be tried as soon as possible.