125
No. 11.
HONGKONG.
DESPATCH RESPECTING THE PROPOSED DEFENCE WORKS AT HONGKONG.
Presented to the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.
Colonel The Right Honourable Fred. Stanley, M.P., to the Officer Administering the Government of Hongkong.
HONGKONG,
No. 2.
SIR,
DOWNING STREET.
5th January, 1886.
With reference to Sir G. BowEN'S despatch No. 259, of the 4th of June last, and to my despatch No. 63, of the 20th of March last, I have the honour to forward, for your information and guidance, copy of a letter from the War Office, relative to the cost of the proposed Defence Works at Hongkong.
2. I wish to express my regret that, owing to an accident, the transmission of this letter has been delayed.
3. I have now to instruct you to take the earliest suitable opportunity of asking the Legislative Council to vote the further sum required for these Defence Works. You will observe that the increase in the cost is partly due to increase of the power of the armaments, a change common to all other defended Ports of the Empire, owing to the introduction of an improved type of breechloading artillery, which involves a corresponding change in the works; and the cost is further increased by the extension of the Defences to the Eastward, on the representation of the local authorities, to take up the defence of the Ly-ee-moon Pass and more thoroughly secure the City and shipping of Victoria from more distant bombard-
ment.
4. I doubt not that the Council will loyally consent to vote the amount necessary for completing the Defences in an efficient manner.
5. In regard to the latter part of the enclosed letter, I have to inform you that I concur in the opinion of the Secretary of State for War that, for the reasons stated in the War Office letter, it will not be desirable to form a local Defence Committee, as proposed in Sir G. Bowen's despatch under acknowledgment.
6. With reference to the 12th paragraph of that despatch, I have to refer you to my despatch No. 68, of 21st October last, from which you will learn that I am unable to hold out any hope of the Imperial Government giving any exceptional assistance, by way of guarantee or otherwise, to the Hongkong Government towards raising the Loan required for that portion of the Works which will be undertaken by the Colony.
7. I have referred to the War Office Sir G. BOWEN's despatch No. 415, of the 2nd of November last, enquiring when the new heavy guns may be expected, and I will communicate with you, as soon as I receive a reply from the department on the subject.
The Officer Administering the Government of
HONGKONG.
I have, &c.,
FRED. STANLEY.