The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-17 00:00:00

NEW MEMBER.

Mr. ASSHETON took the oath and his scat for Olitheroe.
SOUTH EASTERN, LONDON AND BRIGHTON,
AND SOUTH COAST RAILWAYS.

On the order of the day for considering the Lords
amendment to this bill,

Mr. WATSIN moved to disagree with so much of the
amendment as related to the omission of clause 88, issuing
of preference and deferred ordinary stock by the South
Eastern Company. The amendment was carried by a very
small majority, and over 5,000 persons being affected by it
he hoped some opportunity would be:given for its consi-
deration.

The motion was agreed to and, a committee appointed
to draw up the reasons for disagreeing.
BREECH-LOADING CANNON.

Mr. S HER' DAN called the attention of the house to the
petition of Mr. Goddard, who had succeeded in construct-
ing a cannon on the above principle, which had been suc-
cessfully tried at Shoeburyness. He had overcome the
great difficulty, viz., that of properly closing the breech
and preventing the escape of gas on discharge. That dis-
covery had been a lopted by the Government, but the
inventor had never received the slightest compensa-
tion, although he had made application for it. He
should be quite content if the right hon. Bart. (Sir John
Pakington) would read the petition, in order to see what
could be done under the circumstances.
THE ROYAL GUN FACTORY.

Major ANSON moved that a committee of live members
be appointed by the committee of selection to inquire into
the following allegations :—T hat in 1861 the royal gun
factories, on being applied to by the Ordnance select com-
mittee for estimates for cheaper 9-inch guns than those that
werebeingmadeat that time, seat in erroneous comparative
estimates, on the strength of which the Ordnance Select
Committee decided in favour of the gun proposed by the
Royal Gun Factories ; that a simple 9-inch gun was then
made by the Royal Gun Factories, the details of the cost of
which, on being compared with the details of the cost of
similar guns manufactured two years afterwards, show
great and apparently inexplicable discrepancies ; and that
like errors have been made by the Royal Gun Factories with
regard to the comparative cost of new wrought-iron and
converted guns, thereby entailing a heavy and unneces-
sary expense upon the country.

Captain ViVIAN moved to aid to Major Anson's. mo-
tion—" That Sir John Pakington and M. tjor Ansoa be
added to the committee, for.the purpose wit-
nesses and taking part in the pro,eedind.s, but without the
power of voting."
Sir J. PAKINGTON said ho had no objection to the
nomination of the committee, but he must &Ain° to serve
on it on the ground of his public. duties, and also ho
thought, if the house decided to have the investigation, it
was but fair that Colonel Campbell, the head of the gun
factory, whose conduct was in soma degree impugned,
should be added to the co:nmittee as assessor, as Ito was
not a member of the house.

Lord HOTHAM thought it objectionable to appoint
persons on a committea and relieving them of the respon-
sibility of taking part in its decision. He did not think the
committee ought to be appointad by the committee of se-
lection, but that, as the matter was a public one, he
thought a committee of seven members, including the Sec-
retary of War and Major Anson, ought to be appointed by
the house, and that the sittings of the committee should
be continuous.

The suggestion of the noble lord was agreed to.
SOLDIERS' DAUGHTERS.

Col. NORTH moved an humble address to her Majesty,
that she would be graciously pleased to direct that an
institution should be established to receive and educate
the orphan dingleers of non-commissioned °Mears and
soldiers of the army. The honourable and gallant gentle-
man said an institution supported by the Government for
the support of soldiers' daughters was urgently required.
The institution referred to in the motiun had done incal-
culable good, and there were now 176 inmates therein. It
was not because that former efforts to provide for the
daughters of soldiers failed that further efforts should not
ba made. He hoped that the Government would bo dis-
posed to contribute to the funds of the Soldiers' Daughters
Home until an institution could be founded.
Sir J. PAKINGTON said that there was an institution
now in existence at Wandsworth, established under the
Patriotic Fund, in which 300 daughters of soldiers and
sailors were carefully attended to. He thought it better
to give further trial to the institutions at present in exist-
ence before any final decision was come to with respect
to the formation of an institution such as that suggested
by the hon. and gallant gentleman.
The motion was withdrawn.
THE COMPTROLLER OF THE WAR DEPART-