GENERAL CODRINGTONsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary for War, whether it is true that some of Her Majesty's Regiments of Infantry in the East Indies are still armed with the old smooth-bore 1798 musket; and if so, what has caused the delay in changing those arms for the En-field Rifle, which has long been issued to the rest of the army, both at home and abroad?
GENERAL PEELsaid, that every one of the regiments sent from this country in 1857 had been furnished with the Enfield Rifle. The regiments which were serving in India previous to 1857, were originally furnished with a smooth-bore musket; but there had been sent out last year 35,000, and up to the 19th of the present month 82,000 rifles for their supply, a number quite sufficient for the arming our troops in India. Of course the distribution of those rifles depended entirely on the East India Company, and, it having- been reported to the War Office that some of the regiments still retained the smooth-bore muskets, Lord Panmure had called the attention of the Company to the fact and requested that all Her Majesty's regiments in India might be furnished with Enfield Rifles. Considering the large supplies of this weapon which had been sent out, he hoped that every one of Her Majesty's regiments would now be armed with it.
GENERAL CODRINGTONsaid, he wished to know whether the House was to understand that some of Her Majesty's regiments still retained the old smooth-bore musket at the present moment?
GENERAL PEELreplied, that previous to 1857 they had, but since that time the number of rifles he had mentioned had been sent out, which would be quite sufficient for the supply of all Her Majesty's regiments now in India. The distribution of these rifles, as he had stated, depended entirely upon the East India Company.