HC Deb 25 June 1883 vol 280 cc1431-2
BARON HENRY DE WORMS

asked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether it be true that, at the suggestion of Sir James Douglass, one of the competing exhibitors before the Lighthouse Committee, Mr. Wigham, another exhibitor, has been restrained from using more than two tiers of super posed lenses; whether the reason alleged for this was that the present experiments are tentative; whether the Board of Trade has not provided the money for final and not tentative experiments; and, whether, before the close of the experi- meats, a trial will be allowed to each of the competing exhibitors?

MR. CHAMBERLAIN

I am informed, Sir, by the Secretary to the Lighthouse Illuminants' Committee that it is not true that such a suggestion as the hon. Member refers to was made by Sir James Douglass. The Question is altogether founded on a misapprehension of facts. What has been under the consideration of the Committee is the order in which the experiments should be made, and the Committee have decided that they would commence by comparative tests with two centres of light, going on afterwards, if necessary, to similar tests with three or more tiers of light.