§ DR. CAMERON (Glasgow, College)asked the Surveyor General of the Ordnance, Whether his attention has been called to the reply given in the House of Commons by his Predecessor in Office, on February 26th, 1886, to a Question regarding the re-testing of Navy cutlasses, in which he stated that in the preceding year 50 cutlasses were taken at random from store, and subjected to a severe test with satisfactory results, and promised—
That the whole should he re-tested as soon as the testing of the bayonets was completed;and, how many cutlasses have been re-tested in accordance with thau promise; and, with what results?
§ THE SURVEYOR GENERAL (Mr. NORTHCOTE) (Exeter)The re-testing of triangular and sword bayonets was not completed till late in the autumn, when the re-testing of cutlasses and cutlass sword bayonets was commenced. Up to the present time 4,398 cutlasses have been re-tested, and 2,608 have been passed; 1,426 cutlass sword bayonets have been re-tested, and 1,287 passed. The re-testing is now proceeding at the rate of 1,000 weapons per week.
1394 In reply to Colonel EYRE (Lincolnshire, Gainsborough),
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)said, he could not give the names of all the Gentlemen who were to form the Committee to inquire into the question of the defective cutlasses supplied to Her Majesty's ships; but he would give those which had been decided upon. They were—Sir H. Hussey Vivian, M.P. (Chairman), Colonel Duncan, M.P., R.A., Mr. J. Ruston (late Member for Lincoln), Captain the Hon. Thomas Brand, R.N., and Colonel Wood, late 10th Hussars.