The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-16 00:00:00

THE ROYAL GUN FACTORY.

Major ANSON moved that a committee of five members
bo appointed by the committee of selection to inquire into
the following allegations :—T hat in 1864 the royal gun
factories, on being applied to by the. Ordnance select com-
mittee for estimates for cheaper 9-inch guns than those that
were being made at that time, sent 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 afterward.", 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 add to Major Anson's mo-
tion—" That Sir John Pakington and Major Auson be
added to the committee, for the purpose of examining wit-
nesses and taking part in the pro'eedings, but without the
power of voting."
Sir J. PAKINGTON said he had no objection to the
nomination of the committee, but he must decline to serve
on it on the ground of his public duties, and also he
thought, if the house decided to have the investigafion, it
was but fair that Colonel Campbell, the head of the gun
factory, whose conduct was in some degree impugned,
should be added to the committee as assessor, as ho was
not a member of the house.

Lord HOTHAM thought it objectionable to appoint
persons on a committee and relieving them of the respon-
sibility of taking part iu its decision. He did not think the
committee ought to be appointed 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-
rotary 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.

001. 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 daughters of non-commissioned officers and
soldiers of the army. The honourable and gallant gentle-
man said an institution supported by the Government for
the support of soldiers' dau_;hters was urgently required.
The institution referred to iu the motion had done incal-
culable good, au I there were now 176 inmates therein. It
was not because that former efforts to provide fur the
daughters of soldiers failed that further efforts should not
be made.

(LEFT sirmo.)

AEITII.

The Edinburgh correspondent of the Ayrshire
Express states that " the King of Prussia is about
to present a statue of Marshal Keith to the town of
Peterhead. Previous to the rebellion of 1715 the
Marshal was proprietor of all the land in the neigh-
bourhood, including that on which the town is
built. For the part he took in the rebellion, how-
ever, he forfeited his estates, which were then
bought by a company of fishermen. This company
became embarrassed, and the property fell into
the hands of the Merchant Maiden Hospital in
Edinburgh, which still derives a considerable por •
tion of its revenue from the fens. After leaving
this country, the Marshal went to Germany, and
rose high into rank and favour in the Prussian ser-
vice. Some time ago the Town Council of Peter-
head learnt that a marble statue of Marshal
Keith at Berlin had been replaced by one of
bronze, and that the former was lying in a dila-
pidated condition in ona of the military
schools. They therefore made efforts to secure
possession of the marble statue, but these proved
ineffectual. Lately, however, a public-spirited
citizen took the matter up, and brought it under
toe notice of Count Bismark, who showed the letter
to the King. Ills Majesty at once resolved t.)
gratify the people of Peterhead, not by giving them
the broken marble statue, but by presenting them
with a new one in bronze, which is to be sent free
to some convenient port in this country. This in-
formation wa3 last week conveyed, through the
Prussian Ambassador in London, to the gentleman
who made the application."

Foreign Mail Packet Lie.

MAILS DUE.

instralia and New Zealand. via dOiltilmilPtoll.....July IS.
Ditto, via Itarseilles l3.
Ditto, via Panama July 29.
Brazil, Buenos Ayres, and .Monte Video Aug. 4.
Ditto. by French paoket
Cape Verde, by Brazil paeitet Aug. 4.
Gape of Good Hope, Asoension. and St. Helena.— Aug. 12.
Alma, Penang, and Singapore. via bOuthampton July IS.
xibraltar, via coutliampton

India, via Southampton ..... . ... • ....July
unto, vla Marseilles ...... July 13
llalta, Egypt, SfC. July 18.
Ditto, Ad.radtles July 17.
Mauritius, Cape of Good lope, and Natal, via
Southampton
Ditt), Idarbeiltes July 13.
Newfound Lana ...... ..... __July 2).
Portugal ..• .. Aug. I.
United States, l anada, California, &G., by British
packet . • • July 18
Ditto, by Canadian packet July Ir.
Ditto, by L. Lited States packet
Ditto dittc (Baltimore) ..
Wept Indies and Pa;.litio (except Mexico and Baha-
mas) July ii.

THE APPROPRIATION BILL—An erroneous idea
prevails that the Appropriation Bill must necessarily
occupy ten days in its passage through both heuses. Tho
bill can pass through the Commons in three days after its
introduction. The Lords can pass it through its stages in
two days, and it might receive the Royal assent the fol-
lowing day. The prorogation it is expected will be ca
Saturday week.
GOSSIP ABOUT ABYSSINIA.—The Abyssinian Calll-
paign was as remarkable probably for the slight amount of
,ickness and mortality as fur the small number of wounds
which attended it. We have ascertained that the deaths
among the British part of the forces, from the first landing
in December last until its departure in May, amounted to
seven officers and twenty-five men. Two officers and eight
men died below Senafe, and five officers and seventeen
men at different places below the station. The major part
of the force was, we believe, beyond Senafe. Dysentery
was the cause of about half the number of deaths. The
army is supposed to have quitted the ,country just at the
right time. There can he no doubt that several promo
the
of
medicalpar
liamut, service in Abyssinia failed to obtain
the head
w rsi e
tions in the Army Medical Department must follow the
n Qtlio
successful termination of th
thanks
hee campaign. Although the
cpQrret44i,
s3um e4t19:1444t he
;iz is,
lianotznia-
n with four or Zvi;
rwalvi:rito lanes,