§ MR. ROBERT WALLACE (Edinburgh, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to a paragraph in a recent issue of the Army and Navy Gazette, in which it is alleged that British Infantry battalions in India are to be re-armed with the magazine rifle, and to be supplied with Maxim guns of the calibre of the Martini-Henry rifle; whether the Maxim bullets will be about twice the size of the magazine bullets; whether, several years ago, the Martini-Henry calibre was discarded; and, in consequence of the Mawand disaster, or some equally cogent reason, it was resolved to use the same size of bullet for rifles and machine guns, so as to avoid the risk of the troops having ammunition unfitted to their weapons; and what are the reasons why the War Office is now seeking to substitute once more the double size of bore for the single in India; and if it is intended, in spite of the resolution of the Horse Guards to the contrary, to perpetuate a similar arrangement in his country?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe armament of the troops in India is not under the control of the War Department; but I may say that it is intended 1595 that the British Infantry should be armed with the magazine rifle and the Native troops with Martini-Henry rifles. There are two calibres of Maxim guns to be provided for India—namely, the 45 in. for land defences, and the 3.03 in. for the field. If, therefore, from any cause, the Maxim gun of Martini-Henry calibre should be sent into the field, where European and Native troops would be serving together, ammunition of both calibres would be available. There is no intention of substituting the large for the small bore for field service.