QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 26 July 1888)

§ LORD COLVILLE OF CULROSS
, in rising to ask Her Majesty's Government, Whether it is true that the War Department has applied to the Board of Trade to have a large portion of the sea, on the north shore of the Solent, buoyed off for the purpose of a rifle range at Browndown; whether it is not the case that the firing at that range is towards the sea, and whether the limit of the range so buoyed a little more than 1,000 yards from the butts on the shore, is not in the fairway of men-of-war and all other classes of vessels proceeding from The Needles, Southampton Water, Cowes Roads, &c., towards Spithead and Portsmouth; and whether the enclosure of such a portion of the sea and foreshore will not further interfere with the fishing industry of the Solent, which has already been much injured by the submarine experiments carried out by the Naval and Military Departments? said, that this subject was creating great anxiety in the neighbourhood of the Isle of Wight, as well as at Southampton and Portsmouth, and chiefly among those who navigated the Solent. A rifle range had existed for many 513 years at Browndown, and it had been a source of very great danger to navigation. A noble Marquess near him (the Marquess of Exeter) had had some unpleasant experience of this danger, and a gallant Admiral had told him that, when passing in his yacht, a bullet passed through his mainsail 5 feet above his head. Another yacht-owner told him that a bullet from the range lodged in the hull of his yacht. The butts were on the sea shore, the targets being 6 feet high and the butts about 10 feet. A large board on the top, which bore the number of the butt, was riddled with bullets, and every one of the bullets that struck that board must have gone into the fairway of the Solent. The War Department had now applied to the Board of Trade for leave to enclose a very large area of the open sea for the purpose of forming a sort of mare sacrum in the rear of the butts. The distance from the butts to the extreme limit of the water to be buoyed off was something more than 1,000 yards, but the rifles now in use were sighted up to 1,400 yards, and, if sufficiently elevated, would, he believed, carry over throe miles. He would be told there was great difficulty in finding ranges in these days. He admitted that; but he was of opinion, and so were many others to whom he had spoken, that a range could be found near Portsmouth without firing into a crowded fairway. A range might very easily be found, for instance, at the foot of the Portsdown Hills, and there there would be no danger. He would now deal with the case of the fishermen. It had been calculated that the space to be buoyed off would be nearly a square mile, or about 600 acres In answer to questions put to him, one of the oldest and most experienced fishermen of the Solent said that he considered the ground to be enclosed was a part of the very best fishing ground inside the Isle of Wight for trawling, dredging, and drifting. From July to December there was no ground inside the Island equal to it. It was also the best for oysters. He said about 100 fishermen worked over it. The fishing in the Solent had already been very much injured by torpedoes and other submarine explosives, and the take of fish was nothing like what it used to be. Taking away this ground from the fishermen would simply mean ruination. During the months of September and 514 October this fishing ground was crowded with boats catching whiting. Even if permission were given to fish the ground when rifle practice was not going on, they would not avail themselves of it. The fishermen would not risk their nets and trawls in a space occupied by the anchors and other ground gear necessary to keep the War Department buoys in their places. He trusted he would hear from his noble Friend that the project had been given up.

THE EARL OF NORMANTON
said, that he had known Browndown 40 years or more and was personally and intimately acquainted with the place where experiments were being carried on, but had no personal interest in the matter. For many years past he had not been a yacht-owner, and he did not think he was likely to be one in the present state of agriculture. He said this, however—he should not be surprised if, before this controversy were ended, they were told that it was a question which only affected yachts and yacht-owners; but it was not so. The real interests affected were the coasting traders and the fishermen. With regard to the former, he contended that in certain states of weather the proposed rifle range would render the entrance to Southampton very dangerous and difficult. With regard to the fishing industry, he received the other day a letter from a gentleman acquainted with the locality, in which he said— We are talking of nothing else but the proposed encroachment of the War Office. It will practically enclose the best ground for trawling and live baiting. Again, it was probable that the soldiers, knowing they had this expanse of water behind the butts, would be more reckless than before. Recent events had not said much for the popularity of Her Majesty's Government in the neighbourhood of Southampton, and it was not likely to be improved by the scheme proposed, if carried out, He trusted his noble Friend would receive a satisfactory answer.

§ THE MARQUESS OF EXETER
said, that having had some experience of the dangers likely to happen from this rifle range, he wished to add his testimony to that of his noble Friends. Over and over again, when he himself was fishing, he had heard the bullets whizz over his head. He would, however, especially 515 appeal to the Government on behalf of the fishermen, whose main fishing ground was rendered dangerous owing to this range. He had received a letter from an Artillery officer in which the danger of this range was asserted, and in which a case was mentioned of a fisher man who, in the month of October, 1886, while fishing in his boat, was shot in the leg. This was one instance showing the danger, and other similar cases had occurred. It was the ricochet shots of the new recruits which were of greatest danger. The range was dangerous to an important sea thoroughfare, and also to a most valuable fishing ground, and if the War Office could not remove it altogether, the Authorities ought at least to alter the angle at which it was now situated, and earth butts at least 40 feet high ought to be erected.

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Lord HARRIS)
said, the ranges at Browndown had been in existence for upwards of half-a-century, and if the Military Authorities had not been as careful as they had been, this matter would probably never have been raised at all. Two years ago a measure entitled the Artillery Rifle Range Act was passed, which had been rendered necessary because of people obstructing the firing at ranges—at one range in particular—and power was taken to provide bye-laws for the safety of the public. This was the first occasion on which action was being taken under this Act. Certain bye-laws had been drawn up and advertised in the neighbourhood of the range previous to their being approved by the Board of Trade, and they had unfortunately aroused an agitation in the locality. The noble Lords had made out too strong a case. They said that most valuable and largely-frequented fishing ground was being rendered dangerous. But the range had existed for many years, and if it was so dangerous it would not have been so much frequented. Only one case had been mentioned in which anyone had been injured. It was, no doubt, deplorable that anyone should be wounded, but, owing to the inevitable risk of ricochet shots, it was almost impossible to make a range absolutely safe. Objection was taken to the buoys, but he could not see what injury could be done by marking out the zone of danger in this way. The navigation would not be 516 interfered with, and if fishermen chose to fish within the line marked out by the buoys, they could do so at their own risk. Last year 7,000 regular troops used the range for individual firing, and 2,500 for field practice, besides 3,000 at the annual prize meetings. He could assure the noble Lord who had brought forward this matter that the Secretary of State would give every attention to the objections raised in the locality to the bye-laws, which had yet to be approved by the Board of Trade. If it was possible to find another range, the Government would do so; and, if not, they would do their best to make the existing range safe. No butt would be a perfect safeguard, for no butt could stop a ricochet. Every attention would be paid to the objections raised, both to the bye-lays and to the range; but while these objections were still coming in it was obviously impossible for him to make any more distinct promise.