§ MR. BALLANTINE (Coventry)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether Admiral Colomb's system of flashing signals was submitted to the Admiralty for trial in 1861, and formally adopted in 1867; whether the Admiralty during this period refused all 715 pecuniary aid to Admiral Colomb for carrying out the experiments; whether the proposals of Redl, an Austrian, for the improvement of Naval signals, were submitted to the Admiralty in 1852, and finally rejected in 1859; and what money was paid to Redl, by the Admiralty during this period for carrying out his experiments, beyond the sum of £1,500 shown in the Estimates?
§ * MR. WINTERBOTHAM (Gloucester, Cirencester)Before the noble Lord answers the question, may I ask whether he will re-consider his determination, and submit to the House all the correspondence which has passed between the Admiralty and all those who have at various times brought the subject of "flashing signals" before them, so that before coming to a vote we may ascertain who is really entitled to be rewarded for this invention?
§ * THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Lord G. HAMILTON,) Middlesex, EalingI believe that the correspondence, so far as is necessary, will be published. In reply to the question of the hon. Member for Coventry (Mr. Ballantine), I have to say that Admiral Colomb's system of flashing signals was submitted to the Admiralty in 1861, and adopted for the Naval Service in 1867. The Admiralty did not give Admiral Colomb, during this period, any direct pecuniary aid in perfecting his inventions, but he was, from time to time, put on a Committee, and so drew full pay while ho was prosecuting certain inquiries and investigations. Mr. Redl's cone system of signals was first brought to the notice of the Admiralty before 1852. The invention was purchased in 1858, but it was never brought into general use in the Navy. No money was paid to Mr. Redl by the Admiralty beyond the £1,500 referred to, of which £1,200 was charged to Navy funds, and £300 to Army funds.