§ LORD RAVENSWORTHsaid, he wished to put a question to the noble Lord at the head of the War Department. During the late War in the Crimea, when artillery of a heavy calibre was much required, a firm in this country very patriotically contributed a gun of very large calibre, which, having been proved, was presented by them to the Government, on the condition that it would be employed at a very early opportunity against the enemy. Before it could be so used, however, the war was brought to a close, and he believed the gun was now lying at Shoeburyness. What he wished to know was, whether the noble Lord would have 108 any objection to employ this piece of artillery against an enemy with whom we were now at war in another hemisphere—the Chinese? He saw no reason why this gun should not be employed in hostilities in that country, and he wished to ask the noble Lord if he was prepared to redeem the pledge given by employing this piece of artillery in China? There was another point on which he wished to ask a question. He had been informed that six guns of large calibre, constructed upon a new principle for loading at the breech—a principle which was prohibited by patent—had been purchased in America. The manufacturers in this country considered that those arms might just as well have been east in this country, and he should be glad if the noble Lord would inform him whether the report was correct.
§ LORD PANMUREsaid, that with regard to the first question of the noble Lord no doubt the gun had been presented to the Government—or rather to the country—by the firm in question; but he was not aware that any distinct pledge had been given that it should be used soon against the enemy. It had been intended to so use it, but fortunately the return of peace had prevented that intention being carried into effect. It had not, however, remained in perfect inactivity at Shoeburyness, because a variety of experiments had been made with the view of testing its effects at various ranges and with various charges; though these experiments had been imperfect owing to the difficulty of constructing a carriage for such a piece of ordnance. With regard to using it against the Chinese, it was thought that the ordinary artillery would be sufficient for the purpose of that warfare, and that it would not be desirable to give up a vessel for the purpose of conveying that gun to China. With regard to the other question, the facts were, that an American gentleman had discoved a system for loading guns at the breech, and that system had been referred to the Select Committee appointed to inquire into inventions of that character, and was by them very favourably reported upon, and upon that report the Government had purchased the six guns referred to by the noble Lord. It was quite true that if the inventor had been in England those guns could, with his assistance, have been cast in this country; but they could not be cast without his leave, as the invention was protected by a patent. He was not 109 however, in this country, and therefore those guns had been purchased in America, and he believed that they would prove of considerable service.