The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-02 00:00:00

CRIMINAL APPEAL BILL

8r F. KELLY gave ootice that in oonsequenos of some
inquiries that were going on be should postpone the
further coosideratimi of this bill until to-morrow week.
Mr. HIBBERT asked the President of the Poor-law
Board whether, with a view to simplify and render more
may of reference the very numerous statutes relating to
the relief of the poor, say effort was being made by the
Poor-I+w Board to procure the coosolidation of such
statute•.

dIr.VILLIERS said that It was not at present the ioten.
tion of the Poor-law Board to procure the consolidatiora of
such statutes. A few years ago it was thought of great
importanoe by the commissioners to have a digest of the
statutes---(hear, hear),—which extended over nearly 300
years, and they engaged the services of a very able gentle-
man for that purpose, but for some reason or other
be was not allowed to fieiala •his work, and was not
remunerated for what be had done. (Laughter.) Sauce
that time a very valuable work had been published by a
geotlem.su in the Poor-law Department, which was ex.
petted toaoswer all the purposes of consolidatioo. because
it coot...inert all the enactments relating to the relief of the
poor...nd various other matters of a practical nature.
THE WHITWORTH GUNS.

M..jor fiftWAN (in the Oman of Mr. Gregorvl inquired
when Mr. Whiterorth'e gam trete to be tried, and the canoes
of Ow char in the trial.

The Msr.mis ofkihRTINGTON replied that the exceri-
ments bed serer altogether ceased with respect to the rune
on the Whit worth principle of construction. Several guns
had at different times been ordered from Mr. Whitworth
and tried by the government., and in consequence of the
decided success of the guns tried in the autumn of 1862
apie.t iron-plates, it was arranged that a competitive trial
should be instituted between the guns formed on the Whit-
worth and on the Armstrong principles. Mr. Whitworth
objected to some asteet to the trial being conducted by the
Ordnance Select Committee, on the ground that they were,
to a gre 't extent, identified with the Armstrong system.
and would not he able to come to a perfectly unblessed de.
ninon. It was decided that a new committee should be
appointed. ad Mr. Whitworth eternised himself satisfied
with the constitution of that committee, and also at the
programme of the experimeata. The committee were ap-
pointed to January, 1863, and in February Mr. Whitworth
wee iolormed what guns would be required, and stated that
he would be able to deliver them—three 12-pounders
and three 70-pounders—within eight weeks of that
day. The guns had not been delivered, Mr. Whit-
worth bad been frequently c..lled upon to deliver
them, or to state his reasons for the delay.
Loot May be stated that be waa unable to obtain the kind
of metal which he considered necessary for the manufacture
of his large guns on account of the manufacturer not having
obtained the proper machinery. The committee had MT
recently visited Mr. Whitworth's works at Manchester, and
he then promised that the guns would be delivered at the
very latest by the 15th of Mile month. It had now has
decided that whether the row were delivered or ant.
the experiment., or such es could be oonductod with the
guns which had bees already delivered, were to be awn-
moored and carried out at a date not later than the lit of
April.