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Appendix No. 4.
SINGAPORE.
you to invite the Naval Commander-in-chief on the Station to nominate a Naval Officer to serve on the Committee.
As soon as you are in possession of the Committee's Report you should submit it to the General Officer commanding the troops for his remarks, and you will transmit to me any Memorandum with which he may favour you, and furnish me at the same time with such observations of your own as you may desire to lay before me.
No. 74.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
KIMBERLEY.
Sir,
Colonial Office to Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad.
Downing Street, July 4, 1881. WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 22nd June,* I am directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, to be laid before the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, a copy of a despatch from the Governor of the Straits Settlements, inclosing the Report of the Local Committee appointed to consider the question of the defences of Singapore.
I am also to inclose a copy of the correspondence noted in the margin,† which has since passed on the subject, from which it will be seen that the further Report, called for in Lord Kimberley's Circular despatch of the 8th June, will not be required, but that it is proposed that Colonel Crossman, while at Singapore, should be afforded an opportunity of considering the Report of the Local Committee.
I am, &c. (Signed)
R. H. MEADE.
(Secret.) My Lord,
Inclosure 1 in No. 74.
Sir F. A. Weld to the Earl of Kimberley.
Government House, Singapore, April 29, 1881.
I HAVE the honour to inclose the Report of the Committee appointed by me, in accordance with instructions contained in your Lordship's despatch, Secret-General, of the 21st August,1880, consisting of Lieutenant-Colonel Parnell, C.B., Commandant; Mr. C. C. Smith, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary; Captain McCallum, R.E., Acting Colonial Engineer; Commander Johnstone, R.N.; Major Hannen, R.A.; and Lieutenant Rhodes, R.E., to consider the question of the defences of Singapore.
2. As directed by your Lordship, I caused to be laid before the Committee, at its first meeting, a Memorandum, drawn up by myself, embodying my own views on the question; and as those have been generally adopted by the Committee, I will not now make any further lengthened remarks. On matters of technical detail, I do not consider that my opinion would be of sufficient value to render it desirable that I should do so.
3. I will, however, say that I adhere to my original view, that the most desirable way of strengthening the dead angle in front of the town is by constructing a sea fort, and am glad that this is also the view of the majority of the Committee. The arguments of the naval member of the Committee in favour of floating batteries or iron-clads do not appear to me to be at all conclusive; and I am authorized by Admiral Willes, C.B., commanding the Station, to say that in this he concurs with me.
4. With regard to the defence of the dead angle at Blakang Mati South, pointed out in my preliminary Memorandum as especially important, I am of opinion that the rival propositions of Captain McCallum and the majority of the Committee being now clearly put forward, it is unnecessary for me to offer any further remarks.
5. In regard to the strength of the garrison, I may observe that our police force has already been strengthened by the arrival of a body of Sikhs, exceedingly fine men; and it will be doubtless advisable to increase that element in its composition. In the event of imminent war, more especially, it may become also advisable to add a small body of Ghoorkas to the force, as they are very specially adapted to field light-infantry operations in this country, as has already been proved. I do not think it would be advisable to withdraw troops from Penang, in view of its large low-class population and the vicinity of the native States.
6. I regret that the transmission of this Report has been delayed by various causes beyond my control.
I have, &c. (Signed)
FRED. A. WELD.
* No. 12 in Appendix No. 1, First Report.
† Inclosures 17, 18, and 19 in No. 74.
Inclosure in No. 73.
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