§ COLONEL HUGHES-HALLETT (Rochester)asked the Surveyor General of the Ordnance, Whether, in the year 1862 or thereabouts, three rifled steel guns—namely, a 20-pounder, a 40-pounder, and a 100-pounder respectively, were sent over to this Country by Herr Krupp, of Germany, to be tested to extreme limits; whether they were subjected to the severest strains and tests to which it is possible to subject guns; and, whether any report of these trials was ever drawn up and published; and, if so, if he will lay it upon the Table of the House?
§ THE SURVEYOR GENERAL (Mr. NORTHCOTE) (Exeter)About the year 1862 Mr. Krupp sent over three blocks of steel for conversion into guns. They were submitted to the endurance tests usual at that time, and the smallest gun of the three withstood a severer trial. The Report of the Ordnance Select Committee on these experiments was published to Artillery officers and others in the first volume of the extracts from the Reports and Proceedings of the Ordnance Select Committee. As the hon. and gallant Member was at the time an officer in the Royal Artillery he probably had the Report. As regards present publication, I fail to see the advantage of publishing Reports on experiments made 24 years ago with patterns of guns which are now passing out of the Service. If, however, it be desired, I shall 773 be happy to place the volume in the Library of the House.