§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER (Belfast, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether it is proposed to horse the 5.4 howitzer siege batteries now in India; and whether these siege guns are taken on manœuvres and to camps of exercises, and in what way they differ essentially from the 5-inch howitzer, which is not a siege gun.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord G. HAMILTON,) Middlesex, EalingIt is proposed to substitute horses for elephants and bullocks in the equipment of 5.4-inch howitzer batteries in India. These howitzers are taken to manœuvres and camps of exercise. They differ from the 5-inch howitzer in throwing a 60lb. instead of a 50lb. shell, while their total weight behind team is about 6 cwt. greater.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Indian War Department continue to insist upon the manufacture of a 5.4 howitzer, carrying a 60lb. projectile, in view of the fact that there is no other gun of this calibre in Her Majesty's service by sea or land; and that the guns adopted by the War Office for service out of India are a 5-inch gun with a 50lb. projectile, and a 6-inch gun with 100lb. projectile; and will he explain what public advantage attaches to the retention of this weapon.
§ LORD G. HAMILTONI cannot say whether the manufacture of the 5.4 inch howitzer will be continued. It is not intended that more than two heavy batteries in India shall be armed with this weapon, and there are already in India a sufficient number of these howitzers for that purpose. I fully recognise the importance of seeming uniformity of pattern between the Indian and home services; but as has been stated more than once in this House, there were 733 special grounds for the introduction of this particular howitzer. It has, according to the latest official report from India, proved itself a simple and powerful weapon, calculated to form a valuable addition to a field army; and its withdrawal from service would involve a serious sacrifice of public money.