§ In reply to a Question from Mr. W. MONSELL,
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, he was not aware of the existence of any papers which would corroborate the statement made by the right hon. Gentleman on the subject of the Woolwich Gun Foundry the other night; but he had received private information upon that point, from which he bad reason to believe that that statement was perfectly correct. He believed that the whole building, which was constructed at the time when the right hon. Gentleman was in office, with some trifling exceptions, was available for the manufacture of the Armstrong gun. The only loss was occasioned by the additional expense for the fitting boxes, amounting to £2,700, and for the casting pit, amounting to 2022 £4,000, making together £6,700. From this the sum of £836 must be deducted for the sale of old iron, leaving a sum of £5,864 actually lost by the change of machinery from cast iron to Armstrong ordnance.