§ MR. WARNERsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether the 92d Regiment has reported favourably of Colonel Carter's Knapsack, and preferred it, after a careful trial, to the plan of equipment invented and put forward by a Committee sitting at the War Office; whether the Officer commanding the Brigade of Guards has applied to the Horse Guards, consequent upon a limited trial, to have a further and more extended trial of Colonel Carter's equipment, and the nature of the reply given to his application; and, whether the Secretary of State for War will direct that Colonel Carter's equipment, now excluded from trial, be fairly tried, in competition or otherwise, before any new equipment is finally decided upon for the Army?
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONSir, I am extremely glad to have this opportunity of stating that there is not the least disposition on the part of the authorities either at the Horse Guards or the War Office to deprive the army of whatever knapsack may turn out to be the best and the most convenient. It is quite true that the 92d Regiment has reported favourably of the trials they have made of Colonel Carter's knapsack, and it is intended that the trial shall be extended to the other Highland regiments, as it appears that Colonel Carter's knapsack is better adapted for the uniform and equipments of the Highland regiments than for the army generally. It is also true that the officer commanding the Brigade of Guards has applied to the Horse Guards to have a further and more extended trial of Colonel Carter's knapsack. This, however, was before a trial had been made of the knapsack invented by a Committee appointed for the purpose. The latter, as far as it has been tried, has given great satisfaction. There is no objection whatever to a further trial of Colonel Carter's knapsack being made, if it be thought desirable, as the sole wish of the authorities is to obtain the best and most convenient knapsack for the army.