The Express.
London, England, 1860-03-31 00:00:00

MIL WHITWORTH'S INVENTIONS.

The Earl of CAMPERDOWN asked what steps the go-
vernment had taken in order to secure for this country the
benefit of Mr. Whitworth's inventions in rifled fire-arms sod
projectiles.

Earl DE GREY and RIPON said it would scarcely be
necessary to tell the noble earl or to assure their lordships
that the greet results of the trial of the gun which bad
been invented by Mr. Whitworth, as exhibited by the ex-
periments at Southport, had engaged the attention of his
right hon. friend the Secretary at War and of her Majesty's
government. Those experiments had attracted attention in
every part of the country, and the report of their results
had received the beet consideration at the hands
of the ministry. He begged further to state that
the object of the government in regard to this matter being
simply to obtain for the coun the weapon which was
most efficient for warfare, his right hon. friend had deter-
mined that a formal trial of this gun should take place,
to be under the supervision of officers of the government ap-
pointed to superintend experiments of this nature, and
who were wholly unconnected with any particular manu-
facturer or inventor—namely, the members of the Ordnance
Select Committee, presided over by an officer of great ex-
perience, Colonel St. George, who himself was pre.
sent at Southport at the first display of the
riled cannon invented and recently exhibited by
Mr. Whitworth. Nothing could be more important
than that this country, distinguished as it was for its
triumphs of mechanical genius, should be provided with the
beet weapon of defence that could be invented ; and he
(Earl de Grey) could assure the noble earl that no ad-
herence to preconceived opinion would deter her Majestic
after government from selecting that weapon which, .•
In-
vestigation, should turn out to be the best. He was sure,
however, that the house would not desire her Majesty's go-
vernmeat to decide without a full and complete examina-
tion. (Hear, hear.) They were anxious, theref to
propose this trial ; Mr. Whitworth had declared
self ready to submit his gun to the examination, and there
could be no question, as the results at Southport showed,
that the gun would prove itself a most valuable engine
of warfare under any circumstances under which it might
be tried. There was one point, however in his noble friend's
speech which he (Earl de Grey) had heard with loss plea-
sure than the rest. His noble friend appeared to draw an
unnecessary comparison between Mr. Whitworth's inven-
tion and that of Sir W. Armstrong. Both the inventors
were men of great ability and of remarkable talent—(hmar,
hear)—and whilst he quite agreed in the eulou which had
been passed upon Mr. Whitworth, he must take exception
to that part of ins noble friend's speech which seemed to
convey something of a reflection upon Sir William Arm-
strong's present position. There was no intention on the
part of her Majesty's government to give to any one a mo-
nopoly of government manufacture. It would be granted
neither to Sir W. Armstrong nor to the company which he
represented. The noble earl must remember that the late
government entered into certain arrangements with Sir W.
Armstrong relative to the works at Elswick, which were of
• very peculiar character. Sir W. Armstron gave up his
invention and all the improvements ie.h be had
subsequently made in it. In return he was ap-
pointed to the office of overseer of riled ordnance,
with a salary of 3,0001. a-year. Very shortly after
a large supply of rifled cannon was required. Sir W.
Armstrong was the only person who could make these par-
ticular cannon, though other gum could be made at ordi-
nary iron works or anywhere else. Consequently, Sir W.
Armstrong's foundry was established at Woolwich, and
General Peel devoted the energies of the gunmakers at
Woolwich to rifled ordnance. But his right bon. friend
had no intention of giving either to Sir W. Armstrong or
to any one else any exclusive monopoly. if Mr. Whit-
worth or any other inventor could show any superiority
in his invention, an opportunity would be afforded
to him of displaying it. There was one paint,
however, connected with the Whitworth rifle to which he
would venture to allude. It must be borne in mind that at
the time when the comparison between the Whitworth and
Enfield rifle which had been referred to was made, the
Whitworth rifle was a much more costly weapon than that
which was ultimately adopted. He was not speaking of
great guns ; but in speaking of the rifle, the expense did
materially enter into calculation, when there was a qoestion
of supplying the army with one sort of weapon. Mr. Whit-
worth, however, was now able to produce JAM at
lase bet. He had, he believed, stated all that
his noble friend wished to know. He begged
to enure his noble friend there was every intention
on the part of the government to examine this question in
the fullest manner, and to decide in the fairest spirit upon
the invention which might prove most efficient; nor need
any inventor be afraid of not obtaining a fair and honour-
able trial if he were only willing to submit to it. (Hear.)
The Earl of CAMPERDOWN, in explanation, begged to
disavow having used any expressions which were intended
to cast any 'ideation upon the character or position of Sir
W. Armstrong.
The subject then dropped ; and their lordships adjourned
at ten minutes to eight o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—FRIDAY, Wham 30.
The firsacia took the chair at the usual hour.
PRIVATE BUSINESS._

The following bills were mad a third time_ : Nor-
wich Corporation Markets, he.; and Fist Somerset Railway,
Rills ordered to lie upon the table : Cornett District
Water; Lincoln Heath and Market Deepiog Reeds,
from " Lincoln Heath sad Peterborough Roads ;''
Railway • Wellington Phi* Water; Inver-
Tand berdeen aunction Railway; Bar.
UNIVERSITIES OF OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE.
Mr. FREELAND presented a petition dyed by the
Mayor and other inflesetial inhebitants of Manchester and
its vicinity, stating that the members returned to parlia-
ment for the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge have the
same powers with other members of parliament to legislate
respecting the lives and property of all denominations of the
subjects of the realm, and praying that the electoral suf-
frage in the said uuivers may be conferred without
any subscription to Stikke of faith, or to church member-
ship.