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No. 128.
Colonial Office to D. J. Kennelly, Esq.
Sir,
Downing Street, May 23, 1878. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant,* with reference to the defence of the port of Louisburg, and I am to state that he will cause your communication to be brought to the notice of the proper authorities.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
R. H. MEADE.
No. 129.
Sir,
Colonial Office to Admiral Sir A. Milne, Bart., G.C.B.
Downing Street, May 23, 1878.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, for any observations which the Colonial Defence Committee may have to offer, a copy of a letter from a Mr. Kennelly, with reference to the defence of the port of Louisburg.
No. 130.
I am, &c. (Signed)
R. H. MEADE.
The Earl of Dufferin to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.
(Telegraphic. Paraphrase.)
(Secret.)
May 24, 1878.
REPORT of the Colonial Defence Committee inclosed in Secret despatch received; also despatch No. 95 of the 9th just received.
No. 131.
Governor Sir John H. Glover, R.N., G.C.M.G., to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.-(Received May 25.)
(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
Government House, Newfoundland, May 16, 1878.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch (Secret and Con- fidential), of 30th April, 1878,† with inclosure, on the subject of the defence of St. John's, as proposed by Committee appointed to consider temporary measures of defence of the more important Colonies.
Having consulted with Lieutenant Jackson, R.A., we arrived at the conclusion that three heavy and three light guns, with six steel mountain guns, and 1,000 stand of arms, together with torpedoes, would be sufficient to protect St. John's against "a small squadron or a single unarmoured cruizer;" this I laid before my Ministers, who in effect agreed to pay a force of 1,000 volunteers and 100 gunners. On this I sent Lieutenant Jackson to Halifax to ascertain what assistance might be obtained from that arsenal.
I inclose Minute of a Council held at Government House on the 14th May, 1878, also a Minute of a Council held this day, by which it will be seen that all that the Govern- ment feel themselves in a position to undertake is to provide volunteer gunners for guns provided at the expense of the Imperial Exchequer.
I also inclose the result of two meetings held at the Commercial Rooms, together with a petition from the principal inhabitants and merchants of Harbour Grace, also a copy of a petition from the Chamber of Commerce, and one from various persons desirous of organizing a volunteer force.
I have no doubt that if the guns, with nucleus of gunners, stores, ammunition, arms and accoutrements for 1,000 men are supplied free of charge to the Colony, I shall be
[593]
* No. 112.
+ No. 63.
R
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