War Office
107
Lord Carnarvon
Jan 2
to decide whether the following should be instituted for the arrangements proposed in my letter of 4th Jan.
26. Mine :- that the Straits Settlements form part of the Ceylon command, and the wing of the European Regiment, required for Singapore, should be furnished from Ceylon, instead of from Hong Kong - giving to Ceylon a Regiment and a half, instead of only one - The great and increasing importance of Galle points out the expediency of this additional wing being stationed at that Port, and while General Peel will leave it to be considered whether the Colony should be called upon to contribute any further sum towards the support of its garrison than the £160,000 already agreed upon, he instructs that the colony will consent to defray the necessary cost of the erection of the Barrack accommodation for the wing at Galle.
Lieutenant General Peel has been led by the reports of Major General Guy and Major General Macpherson to doubt the success of supplying the native troops required for Hong Kong from the Ceylon Rifles