§ SIR J. FERGUSSON (Manchester, N.E.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether an invention by Mr. T. G. Russell of a shooting director, applicable to either rifles or ordnance, was ordered by the Commander-in-Chief in 1889 to be examined and tried at Aldershot; whether such examination and trial took place, and whether the inventor was allowed to be present; and will he lay upon the Table the report of the examining committee.
* MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS (for Mr. WYNDHAM)The invention referred to was tried by a committee at Aldershot in 1890. The committee did not recommend its adoption into the service, and the General Officer Commanding at Aldershot concurred. The inventor was not allowed to be present at the trials; but was permitted to go to Aldershot for the purpose of explaining his apparatus to the officers who would conduct them. Such reports are confidential, and cannot, be produced.
§ SIR J. FERGUSSONI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether an invention by Mr. T. G. Russell of a shooting director, applicable to either rifles or ordnance, was ordered by the Admiralty to be tested, and was tested at Whale Island and at sea in 1898; whether, in consequence of the success of the first trials, 300 rifle appliances were ordered by the Admiralty; whether further and complete trials were subsequently made with both skilled shots and young sailors; whether heavy gun trials of the invention were carried out at Spithead with success in the presence of the inventor, and also on board the flag ship of the Channel Squadron in his absence; were further trials ever carried 1233 out at Spithead in the absence of the inventor; and whether he will lay upon the Table reports upon these several trials.
MR. GOSCHENI will take my right hon. friend's questions seriatim. The invention in question was tested as stated. Three hundred rifle appliances were ordered because it was considered that a more extended trial was desirable. Further trials were subsequently made with skilled shots and young seamen. Trials of this invention were carried out at Spithead in the presence of the inventor, but were not sufficiently successful to justify the adoption of this invention for heavy guns. The inventor has informed the Admiralty that some trials of this invention were carried out in the Channel Squadron, presumably in his absence, but no report of these trials was made by the vice-admiral in command. Some further trials were carried out at Spithead in the absence of the inventor. The officer conducting the trials found it necessary to stop the attendance of the inventor at these trials on account of his constant interference with the men firing. It is not customary nor in accordance with the interests of the public service to lay upon the Table confidential reports of this nature.