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Appendix No. 7.
AUSTRALIA.
Sir,
Appendix No. 8.
Page 538
510
No. 4.
Colonial Office to Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad.
Downing Street, May 27, 1882.
I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th instant,* relating to the question of the presentation to the Colony of Western Australia of two heavy guns for the protection of the shipping at Freemantle and of the town of Perth.
Lord Kimberley desires me to acquaint you, for the information of the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, that, in consequence of the opinion expressed in your letter, the Governor of Western Australia has been informed that Her Majesty's Government do not feel justified in making a grant to the Colony of the guns in question.
With regard to the remarks contained in your letter relating to the appointment of an Inspector of Volunteers, I am to state that this appointment has been accepted by Lieutenant-Colonel E. Angelo recently in command of the local forces in Tasmania.
I am, &c.
Appendix No. 8.
(Signed)
R. H. MEADE.
CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE COMMAND OF MIXED IMPERIAL AND COLONIAL TROOPS.
No. 1.
Sir,
Colonial Office to Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad.
Downing Street, November 30, 1880.
I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, for the information of the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, a copy of a correspondence which has taken place between the War Office and this Department with reference to the question of the command of colonial troops when assisted by Imperial troops.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.
Sir,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
War Office to Colonial Office.
War Office, October 25, 1880.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for War to acquaint you that a question has been raised by Lieutenant-General Leicester Smyth as to the command of the colonial troops in Cape Colony in the event of its being found necessary to assist them with Imperial troops.
After the stringent instructions which have been issued that Imperial troops should not be employed in suppressing the Basuto rising, Mr. Childers does not think it necessary to contemplate the possibility of their employment on that service; but he thinks it might be desirable to settle some general rule on the subject applicable to all Colonies, in order to prevent the evil consequences resulting from a divided military command, which were so apparent, and led to so much difficulty, in the Transkei war.
He would suggest, for Lord Kimberley's consideration, that the rule should be that the officer commanding the Imperial troops should invariably have the command of both Imperial and colonial forces.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
RALPH THOMPSON.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Colonial Office to War Office.
Sir,
Downing Street, November 4, 1880.
I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 25th October,† with reference to the question of the command of colonial troops when assisted with Imperial
* No. 2.
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Inclosure 1.
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