SIR JOHN HAYsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty. If he will lay upon the Table of the house a Report of the Chief Constructor of the Navy, recommending the adoption of Whitworth Guns for the armament of the Navy, and the Remarks of General Lefroy thereon?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, in reply to my hon. and gallant Friend, have to say that, after visiting Sir Joseph Whitworth and Co.'s works at Manchester, the Constructor of the Navy wrote a confidential Paper on the process used by that company for the fabrication of the new metal, and for constructing guns with it, which Report the Admiralty 592 sent to the War Office, with a request that the decision as to the acceptance or rejection of Sir Joseph Whitworth's offer; to construct an experimental gun such as the Admiralty required for the new turret-ships should be hastened. I have no knowledge of any Report on this Paper by General Lefroy, and it will be for my right hon. Friend the Secretary? of State for War to consider what Papers as to the construction of guns sent to him should be laid on the table.
SIR JOHN HAYgave notice that on the bringing up of the Army Estimates he would call attention to this matter.