THE BATTLE OF THE GUNS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 155, 12 May 1864, Page 4

THE BATTLE OF THE GUNS.

(Iran the " I luted Ni'Vln: i-ii/ i'nh. discussions widen i.iKc [•! *.> «' <-\eiy M-.sion in .he h llle ihe comparative ei.dms oi "iir ui;uw;u'.'i> f- tic- u».m uvi ry < d tie* : ■ 'un n-'- Uiiu,'.uii'-r iur ship < r iorl;« .uo ;ni:i V euii\ Uii;, ami I'iiU <a !■-h t" tin: pool' -.auier v.'iio iji.ils it l>» j;»*i I•• y < • U't i.j> shiiiing ;t dav, j*c matter now m'tm-y may get cm-ap, • »r Us « 'piivuieut.-j dv.ir, or l»«»w iiiu«-ii ih«; rale o; wages mav rise m every other m paitm« iit oi eiui f io\ me J it. 11' prop< >-!• c \ • U t he .-lighted ad vain • • in the st»lditi 's pa \, our hnanciei s i al>«. im-ir han-l- in i pioc.i horror, aim us wiietuer we nave cab. ulateii : u.i- magnitude in' ti.e .-uiii v. hlcn w< /u 1»i oe r« ipuie.i f lo compiv "with our demand.-. \teli, it woulu ne a goou lound sum u.itaiidy. It \souid uke a iuii 1 i*>ii i i.«r mj t<» make John Sehiiv iiox comtoitable, ami to lessen the innumerable ib ms into which pipe-clay . uivides itself--to bring him ie» frequently than it : hoe.- at pre.-ent to the minimum penny a day wnich 1 is »u ui.-agrt. <ablv hv«pienl a rati- oi leiuunei ati< >n in i the arm\ . 'liieie is a i:ood d» al oi inom\ in a mil--1 lion sterling, and lis amount appears incalculable warn ns i; talk 1.1 giving it in iiaiea.-e ol pay to the [ soldier : but il it is to he handed over to tin- " man M : .M-l'llCf" tori !l«' pltl p«>se.-> e.\pei :»i,- ids which, Ml 1 nine cases oia-d l< ji, > n<l in i.ulun , it i.- a nun' I bagatelle, so much so, lhat wheh ail Indignant Hgi-.-i latol' aliiaic;, lu il in the cuiii'm' oi nis .-jn «-cli, Jnc iej»rcM illative oi tin* i io\'i i iiiii« nl wno. r duly :•> to I an.-wvr iiiiu, virtuailv i:i"Vr.i "im* pri* tpa >1 i-»n ny ii t.ntm-iy out <>l his rt-oiy. It vou iiavc a go<.»d fa< t lik«- puti ting it in van. 1 iit* <»i I il 1' on J'ue&.iay nigiit, in Uie lloum- "I J.oru>, tiiat t:ie (•.\j»eniiicnt.i oi \\ iiiitim Ann.-liuiig liatl cor>t the cuunti v twu j ullJi«'U.- ami a Jiai: >;ri and tiiat wr » Ji;nJ lu-L g'.'t in the way ol' n'.uma gi:n t liat I" \V.i» Jit t»ii" aelAlei;. N-'illi' l" tin* Ihll.e <•! .>i.|jiel>el m-r l„al'l t «r> >' uont radict* tnis r l,»t« iin nl, whicii \\v may, lheivi"U.-, t;.!-.«- a-> a " lixrd laet," .tuu mur.,|i/.e then on. Supp->.-e Ihi .-. Iwm inilla-n;, ar. i a half had im■ i'ii iaid oui m increa>:nL r 11a- pay «a Uir xyNliei-, Jiow many fine nliov..-. u'm.iM it ii*>t liave attracted into tni: army, li"\v m.my w • il-[ rained t« n veai'h' men would il not haw lialueed lo r. in w ii.» i: ' t»-nu ol .-ei vice ! A good i.> in-Ui r lu.ui a bad ' gun any d..v, ami, iiieici-a- , h.i\e inv.-.Med li.c * moiiev tiiat wav v.oidil iiavo- I.« en a pr.'Mai... invtvtnieikt*; hut no, that \.ouid :.'-t Jiai'iu.jii.y-.- v.iin l**.-H'-nius ol tin; jiii'i*. We want. M"l«-lav, W" Want « \- 1 p'-iiihcntrs wo want inip<js.>ii'iliS i«-.-, and the ipiack u who |jionii.M'S the last named « an uraw our millions ireely, whilst the man wJio g'ive> his labour ami his ' life to his eountry is to be kepi perpetually under the L ' paring-knife. lie is tin; "i-übjecL" upmi whieh our v political Magendies are to make all tin ir exj(i'rimeut>. L * His jM'tiny is the leatliei* whi.-ii is t" break the Lu-k r ol that patient eamel, the nalioji, whieli never even u winees when the "man oi science" ih liver.- hi> pala\'er ami demands iiis millions to be wa.-ted jjj constructing guns whieh are certain to either at the breech or the muzzle, and prcpaiing ].r..j.-etil's whicii hil everything hut the object int«-mied. There is a homely proverb which t< h.-> us that wlieh a certain class of the eominuiiiiy, members ot which are s.oinelihies to be lotihd wru.tu tne :-c;eiitllie circle, tall out, honest lm.-u coi;:-: ny their own, and, look" d at in»m tlii.s point oi view, Uh- '• liatiie r of tiie (_*uus, ' or rather oi the gun ii> , \_ treinely eiiiiying. iSir W'iliiaiu ArmMionii (jjieiied tin.* ball, and laid it down as a principle tiiat a great [ gun must be rilled, must be constructed to load al the* breech, and must be made ol separate cods ol » iron, no noveJtv, by the way, as it \\m.> men iy a l revival of the pnnciplo upon wlucii the old Spanish lowling-picees were i-oiislructed. He got his money and lie made his gulls, and now we aie cooliy told by , Lne 1 )uke ol Somerset, by the Kari of* Jiardwicke, >nd l.al'l oj J A; Cil'eVj that we* have nut a> y> I i;i t..».i nt »i • I n.i I i.s lit ior r\n-e. I 111, tin- \>y> «-vhloailli.g' Din i.ioery is so inll leale a lid so O'li-Mle a> .♦> be bnmaiii'ge.ii ie; seondly, the long tang»sd>» not gv/ siraiu'ht ; ami I Jmoi \, l he guns n.: \ e an a. i\- , .vain habit o] iMii>ling at tin- In«•.»« o aii< i lne • <<u«i i ■ »r tidrd it iseiai i li'e, a jx'eiiliarit y .ni. n , i:k• • t ha t i i i the eh jil.ant:- oj i'vrrnu.*», limn: t«' IlilileL iilui'V on our irieiids tiian our em n.i« >. \\ e no no; ay thai ah L:a.> is t; lie ol I he AI m di oiig guii.i, but ; we say thai it nas been stall d 111 the House oi Lords waet'c the lurt'cer agneabie iidormalion has been , -mMjaheii tiiat. these paragt'ii guns have ain-ady '.he country two millions and a halt. Hord iiardwicke says so, and neither the iJuke oi f!*ouierset nor ; Earl I)u Grey (iony thu toll impi.'achim.'ht, indeed, oi i .so liitle iniporlaiß-e did tliu.se noble J'ccrs (h;ein the ; linaneial fact, that neither thought it worth while to allude to it in their replies. We should like to know wljHt the Minister of War would sny if it won.- pro-

posed to liim lo add t-v*. millions and » half to t-lm 1 iorthcoiaiug Army hs-aiiude.-, u vi«w of raising i tin? p t v en- increasing the comforK of the soldier. Aexl to Sir W ill :;mi A filial rolls: comes Mr. Whitwur!!i, llit- in >.-t imU l';Lio r national benefactors. m f ;tii"i i.v s.-ience. by pfi'r.o'iMu, <tml b\ the i scent of tin- tw.i initlioi:.- an > a had" -i-'r;: •/ wh : .-h , in* ri\ai has absorbed, he c,i IJ *.*. I \ ai lhe | War O/ice and lIi»* A dmi/alty. deciar-s he ha- invented ilif right sort of -run, and that it- ]>riiu*iph- is . wnoirv dunvent from that of Sir William Are.'strong. , , Sir \V.;ii:u;i naif- hi- colour.- lo the ,l coil," whilst i' Mr. Whiiworth niiist have " hoatogeu-vnis iron?" cr ! « nothing. Wi i :c] i is il to be." Ihe "roil" has ah\al\ would its-df iil:** a boa numd t x uiiilioii.- and it half of i lit* public 111'>11<* v. are we to ; simi another two nuiiious and a !ia!l in ''homogene- • ous iro:i ? " Tho 1 )iikt* of .Suner-et does not profess to be a man of -deuce; but he is a man uf common > st'ii.v', and h'.s (.trace evidently does i;ot 111iiiK safetv of ihe nation :i b.!ulcly w-mukl up hi tlit? coil, or lji:11 oar palladium is oniy to ho found in homoiron. i»e Si.nl not moral courage to tell the i.ii'i'i of science what hi' thought : bat he asked thcta , to give hna a good gun, and when he found liiat neither eoil nor homogeneous iron eoahl supply him he ignore.l science altogether, and set about inakdiii 1 one himself, and ia doing so slyly found oat the real ; secret of all that is valliable in eilher of !he recent invention.-. Hi* Grace found that coils would rnv wind themselves, and that seicntmc breeehes would ' blow uj). The Armstrong guns would not pierce; the iron plates, and t!ie Wiiit«or; hs were not | forthcoming f<-r v.aid of homogeneous iron, j the Duke, finding that i li«" Whit worth j projeetne- would (io in the Armstrong nans set > .\s.'ui soivir.u' tise mystery. Mr. Wnilworth tohi ' iiihi th;it ti.e mv.-teiy lav in the projeetile, ami that ; tin- .-ueee»;al ]'iinei]'ie was the making the proiretite witii a l!;;t head. I lis dul not l),-:ie\ ein tiiis liu-oi-v, hal in ti.e cur.-e oi'lsis investigations foand j liiat the new pn-jertiif had another tj uality. wliieh ' the inventor Jiad not tiroanlit prominently I'orward, . namely, its euliar ii:udue-.s > and -hrewaiy mi.-;u eiinl;" tiiat ia t!ii> lay its perforating virtue, lie iia.d a j uun niadi- on the old >mootn-bore jinneiple, loaded it j with >ti el siiot made in tin' old orthodox way, and ; l.eaola in joiuid that with it ):•• O'lild pi'T.-. : i;•<>ii m:% im he-. in liiii at a dhtanee »jail<: h>a';' . i-nouuh [!,;■ :la' field, tin- I'-Un-...-, or tin- m i. ; To ;iii>, the;], we iiaVr e'.iue at Ia:-t, alter tin; ( X- : ].er:mea!s at Sliot'iau vaes>, thn intei minahje d;S.Mitaliona o! the m: w-pa pel-.-, Mid tie- expenditure of , f.\o million- and a half of the publie money. Foiled practical .-ervieo tile old smoorii-l'orc i.s i found l«> be the be.-t, cdi«a' fill, ami the only real ' practical di.-eoyery lias been the .substitution ol steel ! lor the old-iasliiotied eannon balls. Tlic coils are j condemned, .-o ale the patent luvcehc>, and tin* Wniiwoith rilled cannot he mad'- for want of iioji. A ]jra« iit al .-late-man has eat the (iordian knot whieh th.e na-a of i'oand it impossible to unravel, anil the latter, having been tiiiown ti!ieereiimniou>ly overboard "we are a "i;oo.i una" at last, we hope in time fur eventualiTieft whien we canno! help are not very far oh. If the hardened sh"t be the tiling* the ne rit f ot tln-ir invention eertainiy )'«:lon - i»s to .Mr. Whit- ] wiatti, ah Ui'jy are totally dilfereut trom the • jtrojeelile.i oi hi.- rival, which had an nirly tr.eiv ot Ih ini;' in jiieee-i almo.-t immediately aft-or tla-y ' had Ie 11 lie: UIU/./leot the i;un. Tile latter W-.'lviiiaj in »-t eia i»' >i - ati-, « xpen.-ive, and tedi< ai.-> <4' mar.uli.e- ! • tale, ami it Would, tiieleiole, liaN'e beeil Ul"-t 1 tiiijjcull to keep up the .-apply at a station j w.ia the alternative thai without them tin* ; could not be tired at all. Then- i.-, on tic* -»therhand, ; an e ant simphcity, as Lord Stowell u.-ed to say ot : : i tic i nr-e per I \ ntaboti I the -l i-ei ?lu»t whieh re- i ; cn;iii!ie!Ki> them at oinv, and ton nsuclt credit cannot j i-eni\en !o lin 1 Duke of omcr>ct m iindiiiLC ihe one i e]*,11a of wheat wh.ch i*tv iiui in ihe immeu.-e bushel • of rhaif of I he modern in \ cat i"ii>. i lv»race is too . p"iMe a i.am to ica\e tin' na ii *i f science lo de.-pair, j iiv wdi i>e iiio.'t ii:ip;»y in hear from them strain. Jle j 1 a.'p> .- \ei in a i*i J led in>)n Sir \\ il ham -Vrni- j .-iron- the \ ciitpa e r ~f w mch will not burst utter the ! s.-c'>;id di-' harj.e. kI he e\peet> wonder." trom Mr. j \\ hd v« oiili when thai ui ui l-'iuan has obtained the ' (ie-i'i: •.-•in-a -uppiy of homogeneous iron. In ! the uui.ntiaie, rc.eit. i 1,1 i'«" «dd way.- lor his 1 _:un. and laKiii'j n laid lrni;. .Mr. \\ Itilwurlii a? to the | »sc!:ml\' ('I tli*.' projri tde, he ha- a. " yood i|an wSdeh will send a round .-hot through six inches ol i iron plate at l.^."> ; i yanls, and \ei so as ; to bea'.ahal.li- lor the ordintiry purpo-es ot warfare. Willi respi-ct to the two nniliojis anrl a half ! which have been wa.-led, it L- ieo lnsiynitieant a trifle ! lo be thought of for a moment. ila«l any one pro- : po-ed to «;i\e it to the soldier.-, the Mini.-trv would ha\c rtsuned ; a- It has merely been wasted by the w i.-c m. not (! ot iia, win we ha\ e only to w rite il oil and he lhanktui it no Uoi'.-i'.