§ MR. W. EWARTinquired of the Clerk of the Ordnance whether satisfactory progress continued to be made in mechanical and other inventions laid before the Select Committee of the Board of Ordnance, with a view to shortening the duration of the war.
§ MR. MONSELLreplied that 974 projects of inventions in all had been laid before the Committee during the last twelve months, of which 696 had been rejected, and there still remained for trial 123. The Select Committee was divided into five sub-Committees, on which many men of scientific eminence were engaged. 1459 These were working very hard to carry out some inventions which had been considered and approved of; and of the remainder, some were in the hands of contractors, and he trusted might be successful, and lead to results having a favourable influence on the prospects of the war.