§ MR. O'BEIRNEsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of War, as he has informed the House that the experiments ordered to test the principles upon which 991 the Plymouth Breakwater Fort is now being constructed are not to be under the control of the Committee appointed to superintend the trials of the Malta and Gibraltar Shields, Whether he will state under whose supervision the proposed experiments were to be conducted, and by whom the results are to be reported to the House?
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONI should be very sorry, Sir, if it was to be inferred from the answer I gave on a former evening, that I entertained the slightest objection to refer the trial of the Plymouth Breakwater Fort to the same Committee that had conducted the investigation into the merits of the Malta and Gibraltar Shields. On the contrary, I have the greatest confidence in that Committee, and should be very glad to intrust to them any further inquiry. But at the head of that Committee is my hon. and gallant Friend (Sir John Hay) one of the Lords of the Admiralty, and it would not be consistent with his duties at present to engage in a protracted inquiry. I shall, therefore, be obliged to appoint another Committee. Things will not be ready for the trial for a month or six weeks, and, therefore, I am not prepared to say at this moment to what Committee I shall intrust the conduct of the experiments. I intend, however, to confide the superintendence of the trials to some fully competent body.