§ MR. WOOTTON ISAACSON (Tower Hamlets, Stepney)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether there is any objection to laying upon the Table of the House copies of the Correspondence between the inventor of the occulting system of light signalling, Mr. Charles Babbage, and the Admiralty, also that of Major General Babbage and the Admiralty?
§ *LORD G. HAMILTONI must refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave in the Mouse, last night in reply to the hon. Member for the Stroud Division of Gloucestershire. The sum proposed to be paid to Admiral Colomb is not a reward for the invention of flashing signals, but in further recognition of the services of the gallant Admiral in the introduction and application of a system of flashing signals for naval purposes. I do not think, therefore, that there would be any advantage in the publication of the correspondence referred to.