THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
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Select Committee at Woolwich, on the 8th February, 1855; but although 
this was acknowledged, and an interview I believe took place early in 
March, nothing was done; and finding no likelihood of a speedy decision, I 
wrote for the first time to Lord Palmerston on the 24tli March, 1855, and 
within a day or two had my first interview. On that occasion I presented 
my design for the 36-inch mortar and bed, full-sized sections of the shells, 
and the model to scale of the design, which is still in my possession. 
Lord Palmerston, with great readiness, grasped the leading features and 
the value of the proposal, realised to himself the scale of the mortar, by 
causing me to measure the height against the wall of his study that its 
muzzle would reach from the floor, and used a term for the shell that has 
since become common. He said, “ What you propose to throw is a flying 
mine, that by its fall shall bury itself and explode.” He appointed me to 
wait upon him the next day but one, and he then stated that the late Prince 
Consort, to whom he had mentioned my scheme, was desirous I should wait 
upon him with the design, which his Lordship requested me to do without 
loss of time. 
Within a day or two the Prince gave me an audience at Windsor, and 
devoted more than two hours to a searching and patient investigation of 
almost every point bearing importantly upon the project. 
It may not be impertinent that I place here on record the strong impres¬ 
sion left upon my mind as to the clearness of thought on mechanical 
questions, and the range and extent of technical knowledge evinced on that 
occasion by Prince Albert. 
On my next interview with Lord Palmerston, it was evident to me that he 
had decided upon having the mortars tried, and that his intention was that 
their construction should be carried out through the ordinary channels of 
the Board of Ordnance. 
It would be useless now to trace the causes of the great and needless 
delay that occurred in those channels, and which at length caused Lord 
Palmerston to write the official letter with an extract from which General 
Lefroy's memoir commences. But as ignorant newspaper writers and others 
subsequently ventured to comment upon the alleged rashness, &c. with which 
his Lordship passed over routine in favour of a project then and since sup* 
posed chimerical, and maligned through ignorance or prejudice, I may also be 
permitted to place upon record some proof of the genuine combination of 
caution and courage with which Lord Palmerston really acted. Corroborated 
in his own first conceptions by the carefully formed favourable conclusions 
which he told me Prince Albert had expressed, he was yet not satisfied to 
go on without better scientific advice than the very meagre Eeport at last 
obtained by himself from the Ordnance Select Committee. 
I had mentioned to hi in that I had laid my designs and calculations 
before my venerable friend, Dr. Thomas ft. ftobinson, E.R.S., Astronomer 
Royal, Armagh, who had carefully considered the subject with me. Lord 
Palmerston requested that I should produce to him Dr. Robinson's written 
opinion upon certain points, as well as generally upon the design, and his 
judgment as to the correctness of my views relative to the extent of range 
that might be obtained with these great shells; and it was not until I was 
enabled to present him with that formal document that, under the peculiar 
and urgent circumstances which precluded any other course for rapid action, 
