The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-04 00:00:00

'FETE FORTIFICATIONS.

Mr. O'BEIRNE asked the Secretary of State for War
whether he had taken any and what steps to prevent the
erection of the shields sent to Malta and Gibraltar until the
result of the inquiry by the Committee of which he an-
nounced the appointment on Monday last should have been
submitted to the house ; whether he could inform
the house when it was proposed that the experiments
with reference to the Plymouth and Bermuda forts should
take place: Whether it was true that, contrary to the cus-
tom usually observed on such occasions, the experiments
which took plase at Shoeburyness on the 25th of Oct ober
last to test the Malta and Gibraltar shiel is was kept
strictly private,:even the representatives of the Press being
excluded from the ground : Whether the shield was not
closely covered ,up in tarpaulins immediately after be ing
shut at, and by whose orders was that strict privacy
maintained : If he would inform the house whether
the specifications and drawings issued from the War-
office for the target intended to be shot at as a true
section of the Plymouth and Bermuda forts were in fact
identic 11 with the specifications and drawings issued for the
original contract for that fort: And if they were not identical
by whose orders were the alterations made, and what
steps have been taken, if any, to procure a perfectly correct
section of the fort. as it is being manufactured. And if he
would inform the house whether it was the intention of the
Government to observe the same degree of privacy with
reference to the experiments to be made to test the prin-
ciple upon which the Plymouth and Bermuda forts were to
be constructed?

Sir J. PAKINGTON said he would endeavour to an-
swer the series of inquiries as near as possible. The
shields destined for Malta were sent out from this country
some time ago, and whether they were fixed or not he
could not say, and if it was necessary that any strengthen-
ing was required after the trial had been made there would
be no clith eilty iu effecting it. With respect to the second
que,inn, h creild only s•ay that the target to represent
the section of the fort was being constructed under con-
tract, and it would be two months before it was deliTered.
l[e (S:r J. Pakington) intended to be present when the trial
was made, and he hoped hon. gentlemen would do him the
honour to accompany him to witness the experiment.
With respect to the third inquiry he could not say the last
experiment was kept private ; although the represen-
tatives of the press were excluded, a very accu-
rate account of the matter appeared a day or two
after in one of the daily newspapers. It was quite true
that the shield was covered up immediately after the trial,
but by whose orders that was done or the cress excluded
he could not say. lle was quite certain he (Sir J. Paking-
ton) had not issued any such orders. With respect to the
trial of the Bermuda shield, the experiment was intended
to be on a section identical with the original ; there was
to be nothing like unfair play in the matter. With
respect to the matter being kept private, it had
been determined that the attempt should not be
repeated, The motive for making these experiments in