COLONEL LINDSAYsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he has received any Report respecting the efficiency of the knapsack invented by Mr. Berington and Colonel Spiller; and also if the report is true that it is intended to provide the Volunteer Force with knapsacks, or to grant them a certain sum in lieu?
§ MR. SIDNEY HERBERTsaid, the question of the superiority of the knapsacks had been referred, not to a Committee of Officers, but to a number of the men themselves, whose opinions, on the whole, were unfavourable to that invented by Mr. Berrington, and favourable to that introduced by Colonel Spiller. The latter, therefore, was in use, and would continue to be so for three months—the usual time of trial. As regarded the Volunteers, power was given by the Act of Parliament, in case of invasion, to supply a knapsack and kit or two guineas to each; but he did not apprehend that it would be necessary to take any measure in that direction.