§ MR. AGLIONBYasked Sir Howard Douglas whether it was his intention to call the attention of the House to Captain Warner's invention? He asked this question as the gallant Officer had already moved for certain returns of the experiments.
§ SIR H. DOUGLASIn reply to the question put to me by the hon. Member for Cockermouth, I beg to say that the report and journal of the proceedings of the Commission appointed to examine Captain Warner's "long range," having proved by actual experiment, in the presence of officers of distinguished ability, at the time and place selected by him, and at the public expense, that Mr. Warner's alleged invention of an agent of stupendous power of range, over which he asserts he had acquired, by much study and expense, complete control, that he could guide with certainty—
§ MR. AGLIONBYrose to order. He simply asked a question: if the gallant Officer made an assertion he must be allowed to make a contrary assertion.
§ SIR R. PEELthought that the gallant Officer might proceed, as a simple answer might imply a favourable opinion. The question was an unusual one.
§ SIR H. DOUGLASThis agent having turned out to be, as I always knew it would, one of the greatest impositions ever attempted to be palmed upon public credulity and gullibility, it is certainly not my intention so to offend the good sense of the House, and waste its time, as to call its attention (in any other form than to refer to these papers) to an absurdity which has already occupied too much of the valuable time of the House, and which I feel confident the House of Commons, the Government and the country, and all men of sound sense, science, and judgment, will now deem totally unworthy of any further consideration.