§ MR. PERCY WYNDHAMsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether the amount of ammunition of all kinds now in stock was up to or below the average quantity maintained in past years; and, whether the Government had means at their disposal for increasing the supply at short notice if necessary?
§ MR. CARDWELLSir, in view of the deterioration of cartridges by time, and of occasional changes of pattern, it has not been considered desirable or advisable to keep the stocks very high; but the Government have means at their disposal of increasing the supply at short notice. In a few days we could make all the small-arm ammunition, and in a few weeks all the projectiles of every kind that were discharged at Sebastopol.