§ LORD ADOLPHUS VANE-TEMPESTsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Government have been made acquainted with the results of the experiments made for the Coal Trade Committee, by Messrs. Longridge, Armstrong, and Richardson, which proved that the Report of Sir Henry De la Beche and Dr. Playfair, in favour of Welsh coal for steam purposes, is based upon error, and which establish the superiority of Northern coal; further, whether the Government, in consequence of these experiments, are prepared to reconsider the Report alluded to, and to institute a fresh inquiry as to which coal is most advantageous for the steam purposes of the Navy?
§ SIR CHARLES WOODsaid, the Report alluded to by the noble Lord had been brought under the consideration of the Admiralty, and was at present under their consideration, and, in his opinion, a further inquiry would be proper.