MR. SAMUELSONsaid, he wished to ask, Whether it was the intention of the Admiralty to continue the experiments between the Captain and the Monarch? He believed that the Captain had been sent out alone.
§ MR. CHILDERSsaid, that the Monarch and the Captain went out together for trials with the Channel Fleet, which was under the command of Sir Thomas Symonds, and some of these trials were made in June last. As an exception to the rule which was deemed very valuable, but for reasons which he need not then discuss, the Admiralty did not object to lay on the Table Sir Thomas Symonds's Report of those preliminary trials. The Captain since then had been to sea by herself, and therefore had not been under the eye of any superior officer. It was always customary for ships of that class to go on a few weeks' cruise by themselves; but it would be unnecessary to lay any Report of this cruise on the Table. The Captain and the Monarch would both shortly go to sea again under Sir Hastings Yelverton to join Sir Alexander Milne, who would carry further these trials; and, on their return, they 1204 would probably be again sent to sea together before their trials could be deemed completed. When the Admiralty had received the final and complete Reports on their comparative merits and performances, they would consider them very carefully. After arriving at their conclusions the Admiralty would communicate them to Parliament, with such information and extracts from the Reports as might be necessary to elucidate their views. At the present moment he could not lay on the Table any special Report.
§ Question "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair," put, and agreed to.