HC Deb 18 July 1864 vol 176 cc1624-5
MR. J. A. SMITH

said, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, Whether there would be any objection to lay before the House a Letter addressed to Earl De Grey by Mr. Alfred Jeffery on the 29th of April last in reference to his Correspondence with the War Office, and the results of his experiments with Rifled Ordnance since July, 1854?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON,

in reply, said, there would be no objection on the part of the War Office to lay on the table the Correspondence which had taken place between that Department and Mr. Jeffery if the hon. Member thought fit to press for it, but there would be some inconvenience in producing an isolated letter from that Correspondence. He might, however, state the opinion entertained with regard to Mr. Jeffery's inventions. Mr. Jeffery, as long ago as July, 1854, submitted a specimen of his compound shot to the Government, which very shortly afterwards determined to institute experiments with projectiles on Mr. Jeffery's principle, and also to place at his disposal guns to be rifled on any system which he might think best adapted for carrying his projectiles. Experiments with cast-iron guns had been conducted and brought to a conclusion, and there had been further experiments with his projectiles from wrought-iron guns. More importance had always been attached to Mr. Jeffery's projectiles than to any system of rifling which he had brought forward. The Ordnance Committee had given it as their opinion that Mr. Jeffery had succeeded in the objects which he originally proposed to himself—namely, that he had effected a mechanical junction between the two metals, iron and lead. They also thought that Mr. Jeffery was the first to propose a very slow twist in guns. Yet no practical result had been attained, because the Ordnance Committee had not deemed it their duty to recommend that Mr. Jeffery's system should be adopted in the service; but it was by no means impossible that at some future time some part of his inventions might be adopted. The Ordnance Committee had on all occasions borne willing testimony to the public-spirited motives which appeared to have actuated Mr. Jeffery in his transactions with that Department, and to the fair and open manner in which he had always acted; and the Secretary of State for War was quite prepared to concur in that opinion of the Committee.