§ MR. HUSSEY VIVIANsaid, he would beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, Whether there is any truth in the report that it is the intention of the Government to convert a considerable number of Armstrong Breech-loading Guns into Muzzle-loaders, and to rifle them on Sir William Armstrong's shunt principle; and, if so, whether he will lay upon the table of the House a Copy of any Report, or the results of any experiments, on which it has been resolved to adopt the shunt principle of rifling?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, it was perfectly true that it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to finish a considerable number of guns that had been waiting for two or three years, which had been completed up to a state when it became necessary to rifle them. They were originally prepared as breech-loaders, on the wedge principle, and it was intended to convert them into muzzle-loaders, and to rifle them on the shunt principle. The reason fur this was owing to the delay which had taken place from various causes, but in a great measure from delays of which Mr. Whitworth was himself the cause. The trials only began two months ago, and they were not likely to be brought to a conclusion much before the termination of this year. The Admiralty had been for some time pressing for a supply of 70-pounder guns for the requirements of the service; and it was impossible to delay longer the providing them with one gun or another. They ultimately came to the conclusion that for the object for which these guns were intended muzzle-loading guns would be preferable to breechloaders; and as the shunt principle was one of which the department had had most experience, and had already produced very favourable results, it was decided to rifle them upon that principle. Besides that, it must be recollected that these guns were manufactured by Sir William Armstrong and adapted to his principle, and probably it would not at all have been satisfactory if 1839 any other system of rifling, recommended by any other inventor, had been applied to them. However the determination of the War Office did not in the least bind them to the adoption of the shunt principle, the principle proposed by Mr. Whitworth, or any other for rifling future guns. With regard to the latter part of the question of the hon. Member the system had been extensively tried at Shoeburyness, and on board the gunnery practice ship Excellent at Portsmouth. The War Department had a great number of Reports on the subject, and he was not aware there was any objection to lay them on the table. They would take a considerable time to prepare, and as no definite resolution had been come to in regard to the system to be adopted, he thought it would be better to defer their production for the present.