The Express.
London, England, 1855-05-08 00:00:00

re'es H•*mist W elleeedes eseeties had been
merle by the smitille etiredideb, mks the misappre-
kension of an eider shish be (eleame) sever gave.
To Gen. Peel—The Sill Ist the laboratory at Woolwich
had been paid by the Board of Ordnance.
To Mr. Roebuck—When the payment of the work was
sanctioned by the Board of Ordnance, they would become
acquainted with the irregularity in respect to the construc-
tion of the bays, if irregularity there were. The payment
was sanctioned after the erection of the buys had com-
menced. It was his strong conviction that he n gave a
verbal order for the erection of those bays. Adverting to
the ah.II foundry at Woolwich, spoken of by Sir Thimsa
Hastings, and which Sir Thomas stated ins only intended
to be a small model factory in the first instance, but was
built on a much larger scale than the minute of the board
justified, witness, finding the Ordnance was getting slowly
on in the making of shells, fell in with • proposal made to
him by Captain Boger that for 7,0001. he would erect ma-
chinery which would do ell the work of mskieg shells he •
moat rapid manner, and get the board out of its difficulty in
that respect. He (witness) took that responsibility on him-
self. Tee result had been a saving to the country in one
week of 1,2001. in the construction of linen and the
boa thing of shells alone, and the impossibility of the board
being again in want of those projectile,.
To Sir J. Pekington—Befcre p!scieg the 7,0001. et the
disposal of Captain Boxer, he (witness) did not procure any
estimate of the werk to be done ; but the bill- for the exe-
cution of the work had been regularly weed and paid.
The work was undertaken on the unsupported statement of
Captain Boxer that he would do it for that MUD. That
7,0001. was included in a vote of parliament, but not in a
specific f rm. He thought it was part of a sueplemental
estimate presented to the house in Pavony.
To Mr. lieesbesek—He sappeseed teen wee we seamen
against Capt. Boxer receiving 7,0001, and only expending
3,0001. (A laugh.) The shell foundry, under on order sal
the Board of Ordinate, dated in December last, was in-
tended as a model eetabintment, where the gun manatee.
turen of this country could learn from time so time all the
best and most improved methods of carrying on the various
dep intimate of their trade, and the cost of it was
not to exceed ten thousand pounds. It had since
been erected at an expense much less than that.
He was not aware that the shell foundry, as stated by Sir
T. Hastings, bad been constructed on a larger scale than
the order of the board autherung its construction juitified.
He believed the banding had only cost between 7,0001.
and 8,0001.
To Lord Seymour—The shell factory, or rather the ex-
penditure for it, was initiated by the Duke of Newcastle,
and the site of it was chosen on the lentinnendation of
Captain C Altos,, an end lug officer of the Baird of
Ordnance. The election. of the abed factory, strati
speaking, was as irregular es the expenditure of 7,0001. by
Captain Boner, in that the head of the department was en-
tirely passed over in its authorisation. Witness, without
meaning any disrespect to Sir Timms, Hastings, thought
Captain Boxer was • much more efficient officer than Sir
Thomas Hastings, and therefore he preferred to follow ties
course recommended by Captain Boner in the matter of the
shell manufacture.
To General Peel—This prmeeding was envied on by two
members of the board, the third member, Sir Thomas
Hastings, strongly protesting. Sir Thomas Ilaatiogs had
no share in the responsibility of it.
Lord S 'moue brought under the notice of the witness the
ease cited by Sir Thomas Hastings in the comes of his evi-
deuce on a preceding day, in which Sir Thomas stated be
bad felt it his duty to bring under the consideration of the
Bond of Ordnance the relationship subsisting between two
subordinsle officers of the boardwithout naming them to
the committee—which relationship militated in his opinion
against the efficiency of the service, and was calculated to
bring it into discredit with the public; but, before the Booed
of Ordnance had decided upon the matter, It was taken out
of their hands and placed in those of Lord Penman, at the
instance of witness.
Witness replied that the statement of Sir Thomas Hash.
ings is reference to that can was in the main correct, and
admitted that he (witness) did lay tbs circumstances betore
the Secretary for War, and that Lord Penman did 'sam-
bas in the matter.
Lord Seymour—Dia you ever before hear of such inter-
ference on the part of the Minister fur War 1
Wanted' said, since the consolidation of the War Depart-
ment, the position of the Board of Ordnance was a must
anomalous one. The Secretary of State for War was now
charged with the responsibility of the civil duties of the
Ordnance ; and if the Master-G 1 of the Ordnance were
now in Ennui], he would have to obey the instructions of
the Secretary for War. With regard to the Ordnance de-
partment, they had been endeavouring to work out a ever
idea with an old organisation before that organisation was
changed ; but, Wittig into account the responsibility of the
Secretary for War, and the circumstance that the civil de•
;memento of the Ordnaeoe were about no be te-orgainsed, if
the Secretary for War had not taken the step he did in that
case (and he took it on witness's recommendation), he
would most grossly have neglected bis duty.
Witness read and put in the official correspondence which
had token place in the case mentioned by Sir Thomas Has-
tings, and which served strongly to inn Mate the confixt og
action and the antagonism of the members of the Board of
Ordounce in reference to it.
The committee then adjourned until this day at