e. The tables were covered with documents connected with
the sale and purchase of rifles and munitions of war. One of them set
forth the particulars of a German offer of two hundred and forty-five
thousand Mauser rifles, the arm lately discarded by the Prussian
Government, with fifty million cartridges. As I had frequent
opportunities of observing the manufacture of a hundred and fifty
thousand of these weapons by the National Arms and Ammunition Company
of Sparkbrook, I noted the present quotation, which was 16s. each, the
cartridges to be thrown in for nothing. Another offer referred to a
hundred and forty-nine thousand stand of arms with thirty million
cartridges. There were numerous offers from Birmingham, and a large
consignment of rifles and bayonets were about to be delivered in
Ireland, the entire freight of a small steamer, at a place which I was
then forbidden to mention, but which I may now say was Portaferry. An
enormous correspondence was submitted to me in confidence, and I was
surprised to see how deep and sincere was the sympathy of the working
men of England, who with gentlemen of position and influence, and
rifle volunteers by thousands were offering their aid in the field
should the bill become law. I saw a letter from a distinguished
English soldier with an offer of five hundred pounds and two hundred
men. Money was coming in plentifully, and all the correspondence was
unsought. The office had over fifty thousand pounds in hand, and
promises for more than half a million. The forces at that moment,
organised and drilled, numbered 164,614, all duly enrolled and pledged
to act together anywhere and at any time, many of them already well
armed, and the remainder about to be furnished with modern weapons.
The Government was becoming nervous. An order from headquarters
required a complete survey of the three barracks of Belfast, with an
exhaustive report as to their defensive capabilities. Plans of
existing musketry loopholes were to be made, and commanding officers
were to state if it would be advisable to add to them. Suggestions
were invited, and Mr. Morley, who at that very moment was telling
Parliament that no precautions were being taken, wanted to know if the
said barracks could be held against an organised force of civilians,
arriving unexpectedly, and when Tommy Atkins was taking his walks
abroad. At the same time, military officers were being secretly sworn
in as magistrates. Does this look like t