Mr. H. Baillie made a great speech on Thursday against
the Ordnance Department. According to him, the 3,000,0001. spent upon Armstrong guns has all been thrown away, all Sir W. Armstrong's guns being for one reason or another bad. They were rejected in France, America, and Spain, and only adopted in England because Sir Benjamin Hawes had a corrupt understand- ing with the Elswick Company, having two nephews in that firm, a statement most unequivocally denied by General Peel. It would appear from the subsequent debate that the War Office believes the Armstrong gun, if not the best in existence, to be a very good one ; that it is rather complicated, but that foreign nations are buying it by contracts with the Elswick Company pretty rapidly. We see no reason why the dozen or so of Com- mittees who have tested and praised the Armstrong gun should all be wrong. They certainly were not all corrupt, and they com- prised men quite as likely to judge correctly as any the country can obtain. The heaviest fact against the gun is its rejection by Colonel H. Maxwell, Superintendent of the great Indian gun factory at Cossipore ; but it must be remembered that the Indian Government does not want a perfect gun, but only one better than any piece natives are likely to bring against it.
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