§ MR. GOURLEYasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, When he anticipates being able to send the "Inflexible" to sea; and if, when commissioned, she will have the whole of her turret guns on board; whether any are to be breech, or if all are to be muzzle-loading guns; and, further, if he will be good enough to state how many men she will carry, distinguishing between Naval and Marine officers, engineers, firemen, seamen, and Marines?
§ MR. TREVELYANThe Inflexible could be sent to sea in a fortnight; but the ship will not require to be commissioned for the Mediterranean until July. All her turret guns are on board. She has eight 20-pounder breech-loaders; but her 80-ton turret guns are muzzleloaders. Being twice the size of any guns hitherto mounted in our Navy, the number of seamen gunners requires so much consideration that the details of the complement are not yet decided. 760 There will be a Marine officer on board, if that is what my hon. Friend wishes to know.