§ MR. GERALD BALFOUR (Leeds, Central)I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether it is the case that a Longridge gun, differing in no material respect from the original design of the inventor, was made at the Abouchoff Works, in Russia; that this gun fired 1,000 rounds of battering charges; that it was then, taken to pieces, the wire being unwound and re-wound on a new A tube replaced in the original jacket, and was at this moment in the course of firing a second set of 1,000 rounds, of which 500 had already been fired; that the gun was made in about half the time of an ordinary built up gun, and cost two-thirds of the money; and that the most detailed information respecting it is in the possession of the Director of Artillery; and whether, if this be so, he is prepared to cause fresh experiments to be made, with a view of testing the merits of the Longridge gun?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordDetailed reports on this gun have been received only within the last few days, and have been remitted to the Ordnance Committee for report. We must await that Report before coming to any further decision.