Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-02-24
F r I'd Al, FEE Arr "a, 1909.
aoirginia HegisIatare.
H-o'u E OF D GATES
Thursday, Fsbraary 9, 1909.

Il
pointed to examine into the state and
condition ofthe Mandatory of Arms
made the following report:-
lHE committee to whom was re.
ferred so much of the Governors com.
munication as relates tothe Manufacto-
nv Ut Arms, and who were instructed @
enquire into the manner in which the
institution has been conducted since
It's cosmmencement; the amount of
money appropriated and expended /;
the number OF arms completed. and,
the various descriptions thereof; the
unwrought materials on hand the
component parts Of arms the quality
OF the arms made; and to make such
iurIher enquiries into the state and O
Peration OF the said Manuiactorv. as
they NAV deem Interesting 10 the pub
lie, have, according to ORDER, perform
ed the duties 20 them assigned, and
Deg leave TO submit the following re-
Port;
Under the first branch of the duties
assigned To your committee, it was
deemed expedient to ascertain-
J.. lhe Quality of the materials of
which the public arms are made.
z. The conduct OF those TO whom
the law has committed the superintea-
dance and management of the institu.
ton.
The chief material in manufactur;ng
lire arms is iron. Since the LIST day
OF May, 1901, until the ist day of DC.
tober, 1903, a sum nearly equal to
$4,000 dailars has been drawn from
The treasury, Tor purchases made of
that article; the amount could nor be
precisely ascerra, ned, owing 10 bar
iron and sheet iron being blended in
the accclnts rendered, AMI in one in.
stsnce, the expenditure of $40 dol.
lars is stated TO have been for bar iron
and gun stocks. The sum estimated
above,aoweysr, is, in the opinion of
your committee, not far variant from
the SUN actually expended for bar i.
ron.
Il ne nature of the service in which
nre arms arc employed, req,ircs thas
they should be composed Of the best
materials, particularly that the barrels
ADD locks should be made Off and
mailaole iron, the best that could be
procused. In the opinion of your COM
mittee, the iron generally used at the
Mandatory of Arms for those pur.
poses, is not OF that description (though
there has been some Improvement of
late In that particularly great waste of
the public materials has been the con-
sequence. Large Quantities of iron O
riglnaily purchased at the price Of good
bar iron, after much money has been
expended in drawing it into scalps, well
ding IL into barrels, and boring and
grinding the barrels, becomes by their
bursting, scrap iron, much less in va.
lue than an rqual Quantity in its origi-
nal state, besides the quantities of o.
her scrap iron are much greater than
u tue iron was OF good quality. The
following statement will furnish evil
dencc OF the correctness of this conclu-
sion.
I cwt or lbs
weight OF bursted gun
barrels now at the ar
morv, 10 ~ Q ~
Do. of other scrap iron,
including 1882 lbs.
scalps, 90 SO 3
Making in the whole of
scrap iron on hand, 80 90 81
Exclusive Of some sold and other.
wise made use Of, the amount of which
cannot be ascertained.
From this it will appear that about
5000 barrels, on which much money
has been expended to bring them to
that state, when ready for the first
proof, have become scrap iron, worth
lbout Is cents each.
Your committee beg leave to pre-
sent to the house, another view ofthis
subject, which, combined with the an
nualgeports ofthe superintendent, will.
perhaps, be more satisfactory.
From the books kept at the armorv.
itPpPears that from the LIST day of May,
800, until the last day of November.