THE EARL OF LONGFORDcalled attention to a Return dated the 25th of July, 1873, Correspondence between the authorities at the War Office and Mr. W. Hope, V.O., relative to the Shell adopted in the Service, and officially 1493 known as the "Boxer-Shrapnel," which Mr. Hope claimed as his invention. Mr. Hope was a Civil Engineer, who had formerly served with distinction in the Army, and had won the Victoria Cross. Having invented a projectile, he gave up the specifications to the authorities at Woolwich, without thinking it necessary to take out a patent; and, taking no further step in the matter, he continued the work of his profession. In the course of time he learnt that a new shell had been introduced in the service under the name of the' "Boxer-Shrapnel," and on inquiry he found that shell was identical with his own. Since January, 1870, he had urged that he should be recognized as the inventor of the projectile; or that, if there was any doubt in the matter, the question should be referred to some impartial arbitrator. The course taken by the War Office was simply to refer the claim to General Boxer; who, of course, denied the statement of Mr. Hope, and a brief note to the latter informed him of this fact. He (the Earl of Longford) wished to give no opinion on the merits of the invention; but the case appeared to him to be one which required more consideration than it had received, and he believed it would be for the credit of the War Office if the decision of the claim were referred to some impartial tribunal. He trusted the noble Lord who represented the Department in that House would be able to give him a satisfactory assurance on the subject. He would, therefore, ask the Under Secretary of State for War, Whether it is intended to refer the decision of this claim to the judgment of some impartial authority?
LORD NAPIER AND ETTRICKsaid, Mr. Hope was a relative of his, and well known to him as a most meritorious officer. Having completed his invention, he deposited it at Woolwich, and afterwards became connected with the diplomatic service. On his return to this country, he at once, on examining the Boxer shell, discovered its similarity to that which he had left behind; and he learnt from a non-commissioned officer at Woolwich that his invention had been removed from its original place and taken to pieces by General Boxer. Now, anyone who looked into the Papers on the subject, would see with how much perseverance a public Department could avoid doing a natural and gracious 1494 thing. His relative had asked for nothing more than that his invention should be submitted to any impartial tribunal, who should decide between him and General Boxer. It could not, he thought, be denied that he had an equitable claim to have that request granted, and he hoped the noble Lord the Under Secretary for War would say that he was prepared to accede to it.
THE EARL OF PEMBROKEsaid, it was not the intention of the War Office to appoint any tribunal to inquire into the subject. In making that statement, he did not wish to express any opinion on the part either of the present or the late Governments as to the merits of Mr. Hope's invention, and he regretted that the War Department felt it to be their duty to take any course which was disapproved by the noble Lord who had just spoken. The fact was, that the dispute was not one between Mr. Hope and the War Office, but between two private persons. A departmental inquiry had already, he might add, been instituted into the matter, and General Boxer entirely denied that he had in any way been asked by Mr. Hope's invention. Under these circumstances, he did not see how the War Office could re-open the inquiry.
LORD NAPIER AND ETTRICKwas sorry to learn the decision at which the War Office had arrived, and pointed out that Mr. Hope had been advised on high legal authority that he would have no locus standi in a civil tribunal.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEsaid, the Boxer shell was introduced into the service in 1867; and that a few-years after Mr. Hope had written to the War Office, claiming the invention as his own, and stated that it had been pirated by General Boxer. A departmental inquiry was thereupon instituted, and General Lefroy, who was Master General of the Ordnance, sent in a Report which was in favour of General Boxer and adverse to the claims of Mr. Hope. Mr. Hope was naturally dissatisfied with that decision; but it was obvious that the War Office could not carry the inquiry further. Mr. Hope wanted arbitration, but the War Office declined, on the ground that General Boxer having acquired rights under the law of the land, if any further remedy were sought it must be a legal one.
LORD NAPIER AND ETTRICKasked whether the Report of General Lefroy was included in the Correspondence?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEsaid, the inquiry being a departmental one, it was not usual to publish the Report.