The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-27 00:00:00

11 GUNMAKERS and Others.
The SECRETARY of STATE for WAR is desirous of
receiving PROPOSALS from Gunmakers and Others for
BREECH-LOADING RIFLES, either repeating or not
repeating,
which may replace the present Service Rifles in
future manufacture.

The following are the conditions considered essential in
military non-repeating Rifles:—
A. WIGHT.
Not to exceed 91b. soz. witEhout bayonet.
B. LENGTH.
To be 51 inches, with short stock, measured from the
hollow of the butt-plate to muzzle.
C. WEIGHT OF AMMUNITION MADE UP.
Must not exceed 61b. 4oz. for sixty rounds as packed for
service.

D. CAR
Must carry their own ic ' mitTRIDGES.
ion.
S IGH T S
The foresight mustE. he such as. to admit of a bayonet
fixed according to the present system.
F. Must be such as to carrySTOCK a light. metal cleaning-rod, and
allow a sling to be used.
G. .
•
Must not exceed that ofRECOIL tho Enfield Rifle by more than
10 per cent.

~
It. THE ARM AS A WHOLE.
ug Must be as little liable to injury by long-continued firing,
rough usag
ell br e, and exposure, as the naval rifles converted to
on
eech-loaders on the Snider system. To be as capable,
also, of being used without accident by imperfectly trained
be men, and of being manufactured in quantities and of uni-
Lill forth quality.
on I. THE AMMUNITION AS A WHOLE.
he - Must be as little liable to injury by rough usage, damp,
a" exposure in all climates, as the Boxer cartridge for
>to Sniier's converted Enfield rifle—also as little liable to acci-
an dental explosion as the same cartridge, and as capable of
ch being manufactured in large quantities, and of uniform
be quality. x.. CALIBRE.
cd , Optional.
It, L. THE TWIST AND FORM OF GROOVE.
th Optional.
an
Optional.

M. THE LOCK.

x. RAPIDITY OF FIRE.
auCapable of firing at least 12 rounds per minute, without
llimg, the cartridges bein arraed on a table.
0. ACCURACY WHEN FIRED FROM A FIXED REST.
The arm must give a mean fiure of merit of not more
than 36in. at 1,000 yards , ,
, 30in. g
at 800 yards 12in. at 500
and 6in. at 300.
The mean to be taken upon at least five targets of twenty
shots each.

P. TRAJECTORY.
Not to require at 500 yards an elevation of more than 1
deg. 30 min.

Q. FOULING.
The shooting not to deteriorate more than 20 per cent.
at 1,000 yards after firing 250 rounds.

R. PENETRATION.
The mean penetration of five shots not to be less than
that of the present service muzzle-loading Enfield Rifle—
viz., 12 half-inch elm planks, which have been soaked 48
hours in water.
Distance 30 yards.
s. LUBRICATION.
Wax on bullets is i ndis pensable, but any other lubricant
may be superadded or applied to the cartridge, if thought
necessary by the competitor.

No arms will be received without the usual proof marks.
SNeitications, and drawings of the methods proposed,
stating the probable cost per arm, and accompanied by a
finished specimen arm, with 20 rounds .of suitable ammu-
nition, should be sent to the "Director of Ordnance, War
°Mee, Pail-mall," on or before the 30th March, 1867.
The specifications and specimen arms will be considered
by the Ordnance Select Committee and its associate mem-
bers, who will be selected by the Secretary of State for
ar, and who will, after firing the 20 preliminary rounds,
select and recommend for further trial such of the systems
:a rilLaY appear to them sufficiently promising, rejecting all
-ue" as may not be considered to offer sufficient merits to
warrant their being included in the competition, the con-
ditions of which are stated in this advertisement.
f Each accepted competitor will then be required to furnish
,0r experiment, at Woolwich, six arms in strict conform 4
To the specimen arm submitted, with 1,000 rounds of am
munition per arm, within four months after date of de-
mand. Each competitor will he required to disclose to the
e?eunittee the exact nature of the lubrication he may em-
Zu'°Y. A. sum of £3OO will be paid to each of the accepted
Ipetitors, to cover the expense of the six rifles, and of
The(ay of ammunition required.
aril which Secretary of State offers a reward of £l,OOO for the
on combination of all qualities, is considered
by the committee to be the best submitted.
at-
taining second reward of £6OO for the arm which, while at-
-1.--44.1 g a satisfactory degree of excellence in other particu-
'l's, select3d for merit in respect to its breech mechanism.
fA. third reward of £4OO for the best cartridge. The qua-
7aof which will be principally taken into consideration in
jrdin.g this prize will be economy of manufacture, power
ars_ustaining rough usage, freedom from deterioration in
oar climates, and general serviceability.
as th e shooting qualities of the cartridge must be fair; but
the eY may depend upon the rifling of the arm with which
twecartridge is associated, they will not be so much con-
Itrd as those above-mentioned.
will
ts clearly to be understood that under no circumstances
tuella c"raPetitor be entitled to more than one prize ; but
givenprize will be irrespective of any reward which may be
B,rviceto the inventor of the arm finally adopted into the

IV.
lit
l MAGAZINE AND REPEATING ARMS.
ceiveagaitia and Repeating Arms for Infantry will be re-
loadi: and examined in a manner similar to the Breech-
ineb'e" itiffeß• They must not be less in length than 48
The s, i.ucyiding the stock.
eitlsivlimit of weight for these arms is fixed at 911 b. ex-
e of the charges in
atthe magazine.
It
baYoniset.
indispensable th the arms be made to take a
The Q
Ita
.Secretary of State offers a reward of 300 for the best
toriTtliAlle or RepeatingArrn produced that fulfils the above
t
Prose —as ; and in the absence of experience does not
to 11.. t define "the standard of accuracy or other conditions
fn fulfilled before such an arm can be adopted. .
for f2se Magazine orßepeatingArms, which are accepted
Tjther trial, will be paid for at the rate of £6O each.
Itrul, 18 81111 is to include 1,000 rounds of ammunition per

The V.
Ilavelt Secretary of State will take care that no ingenious_
ad Opted Y Produced in answer to this advertisement shall be
and into the service without proper acknowledgment,
Hatat the name of the individual with whom it ongi-
ireshall be recorded in connection with it.
into till° be
to which the first prize is awarded is adopted
a Bervice, it will bear the inventor's name.
J. ST. GEORGE, Major-General, Director
War 0m of Ordnance.
Oct. 22, 1866.
CObirn"
4. AA°
FOR TOWELLING FOR THE ROYAL
NAVY.

Contract Department, Admiralty,
Somerset-house, Oct. 22, 1866.
ripii COMMISSIONERS for .EXECUTING-
trti,,, the.
te.xt,.uaticTowel OFFICE of LORD HIGH ADMIRAL of the
Qii.o,l Xinzdom of Great Britain and Ireland, do Hereby
v°o%
eTeheat
ao.. nI=TDA Y, the sth November
lvith such 'l k t they will be ready to treat
Plyie e Persons as may be willing to Contract for sup-
at bg anddelivering into her MajestY's Victualling Stores
Ilse
of the all such-quantities of TOWELLING for thee
14audetdhe Royal Navy, as may from time to time be de-
and further
under a Contract for 12 Calendar Months certain, warning
until the expiration of Three Calendar Months'
paf,,'
of
the be.vrn of the Towelling may be
.seen in the Lobby
the h Parttnent of the Controller of Victualling between
tiees°7B of Ten and Two o'clock, where also the Concti TO' the Contract may be seen.'
thbeelntee'llierrsd.l4Commissioners of the Admiralty reserve to
unlimited power of selection in accepting
elNtin° Tender will be received unless made on the Pripted.
on applied PNded for the purpose, and which may be obtained
11. on in the said Lobby.
°O the Tender will be received after Twelve o'clock at noon
part,-,s'aY of treaty • and it will not be required that the
at tfi'e74,2ering or an' agent on his behalf, should attend
°ler - Office on' the dayof Contract, as the result of the
him received from each person will be communicated to
tvetld his proposed Sureties in writing.
4drai2itliender must be addressed to the Secretaiy of the
`it, --4,3', and bear in the left-hand corner the words
alf4er for Towelling for the Royal Navy," and must
Viet., e
.delivered at the Department of the Controller of
reeprilpg, Admiralty, Somerset-house, signed by two
Pers0„11811)19 Persons, engaging to become bound with the
mace- tendering in the sum of £2OO for the due perfor-
of the Contract.

By Order.
...
ANTONIO BRADY,
Public Securities.
c
Registrar of Contracts and Pub°IITRAoT FOR COALS FOR HONG KONG.
Contract Department, Admiralty,
Somerset-house, Oct. 18, 1866.
D rir . lthe COMMISSIONERS for EXECUTING
u OFFICE of LORD HIGH ADMIRAL of the
GilvV.„.ingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, do.lletrebay
Two ,-NOTICE, That on TUESDAY, the 30th insrs.,onts its it? clock, they will be ready to treat with such persons in •"'Y be willing to Contract for Supplying and Deliver-
sllt`to thong ore, or on board her Majesty's s_te!tmships ana
,0001 Coals to be shipped by the 30th November,
third of
Kong, 5,000 TONS of COALS. 1,000
reirnai""ns snore thereof in the month of December, and the
Oder thereof in the month of January next.
_One-
rnenti°f the quantity to be shipped in each of the above-
and i`"ed Periods to consist of North of England Coals,
At
forwo-thirds of South Wales
beA. Coals. All the Coals to lie
yotbill e service of her Majesty 's steamships and vessels. ge rof the Tender and Conditions of Contract m..ay
niont,enAin the Lobby of the Storekeeper-General's.l?r;
Nved ofmtralY, Somerset-house. No Tender will .
he not' ter Two o'clock on the day of treaty, nor wille_an.my
dutaincethdoriu.sneldesisntwheriptianrtgy. attends, or an agent for hi
Adt:liinivvtiS:YerTfet:der must be addressed to the Secretary of the
" 're raltY, and bear in the left-hand corner the words
Coals for Hon.- Kong," and must also be
.4,l,oired at tlie Department'of the Storekeeper-General,
by twalt3", oerset-house, accompanied by a letter signed
'with i) rasponsible persons, engaging to become bounu
the v ,in person tendning in the sum of .£25 per cent. on
lug for the due performance of the Contract.
By Oider,
ANTONIO BRADY,
IttUßegistrar of Contracts and Public Securities.
4-A-1. FItEE HOSPITAL, Gray's-inn-road,
mediate vicinity of the Great Northern Rail-
M:m ing's-eross.
ht:—.1:11111Cer Most Gracious Majesty the QUEEN.
"irll3:.::;:..trto'
A a`r°---111a Royal Highness the Prince of WALES, K.G
_ pe,t,
'rh, ment--His Grace the Duke of BUCCLEUCH. E.G.
!Ash t',, Ifospltal, founded in the year 1828, the first to estab.
the 4,1 Principle ot free admission to the sick poor, without
Deod aY fled difficulty of Governors' orders. is wholly de-
Eat for
It ha. stmport o a voluntary contributions and t :4a, .I.es.
additi ords relief to a large number of in-patients. and, in
testit°4 t') this, the average number of att,endance of the
2,000
and sick has tor a considerable period averaged between
/Ins(' 4.000 weekl bEnevee`-teoure,rnittee earnestly solicit the ASSISTANCE of the
el .tal,., ''. as the premises of this Hospital are Committee
the re'illg several hundred more beds, had the
Co RU.site hinds to maintain them.
tortrzelbuti,be
are received by the Treasurer, Edward Mu •
ilritziaa' l'''sq., Nicholaa-lane; also by Kenn. Coutts and Co.;
bey
cgdand Co.
!tad d'rmu end Co. ; Glyn and Co. ; FT.rries a. d Co.; Itans,om
11400.; l
ersct, Grote and Co.; Smith, Payne, and Co. ; ; W lhanis, Deacon, and Co.; Overend, Gur-
e,(3.:L4_ Co istiabet and Co.. Berners-street&trued and
'verl)ooli Ind at the Licapital. from 10 till S.
BTANTAILD SMITU, secretary.