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put hors de combat in an liour, he apprehended that no more destructive effects 
against troops could be desired; so that for that purpose a larger shell than the 
12 -pr. now in the service would appear to be unnecessary. He admitted that it 
might be desirable in the attack of an entrenched position; but could not guns 
of position, whether 16 , 20, or even 40 -prs., be brought up during the time occu¬ 
pied necessarily by the general in reconnoitring and making his dispositions for 
the attack ? As England was already, as regards shells, in a superior position to any 
foreign power, he deprecated more heavily arming the ordinary field batteries for the 
sake of a larger shell. At a recent lecture delivered in this Institution by Lieut. 
Jones, many officers had been somewhat alarmed to hear that the proposed 16 -pr. 
would bring into the field only 100 rounds per gun; and it appeared that in 
repelling the last sortie from Paris, the Prussians had twice sent to the rear the 
caissons of their field batteries to be replenished. Being on their own ground, as 
it were, this had not much signified; but he put it to the meeting, how great 
would have been the inconvenience under any other circumstances, or to use an 
Americanism, in the case of a free fight. He submitted that the adoption of a 
larger shell for field batteries, involving as it did a heavier gun and a reduced com¬ 
plement of ammunition, was a matter demanding very grave consideration. 
Lieut. Jones, E.A., said that Major Geary had referred to his lecture on 
Field Artillery, and seemed to think that if 100 rounds was all that could be 
conveniently carried with the 16 -pr. gun, it would be far too little. Why he 
(Lieut. Jones) advocated the larger shell was, because he considered that at long 
ranges it would be far superior to the smaller one, and that, consequently, fewer 
rounds would do more work. (Hear, hear.) Practically he believed it would over¬ 
throw the smaller and less powerful artillery; for though the latter might carry a 
larger number of rounds, it would never have the opportunity of letting them off. 
Lieut. Sladen, B.A., said he proposed in a lecture about a fortnight hence 
to go fully into the question of equipment, in the hope that it might be properly 
ventilated, and decided once for all what weight of projectile could be carried in 
the limbers of a field battery; and (having due regard to mobility) the heavier 
that projectile was the better. (Applause). 
The discussion being ended, 
Colonel Smythe returned thanks in the name of the officers present to Captain 
Browne for his interesting and instructive lecture, and the proceedings terminated. 
