War Ones, 7th December, 1870;
Colonial Office,
9th January, 1871; War Office, 23rd January, 1871;
Colonial Office, 6th February, 1871; War Office. 17th February, 1871.
28
Colonial authorities, under the arrangements notified in your letter, and to forward detailed lists of the stores handed over to the Colony, and well as of the stores retained in Imperial charge.
In reference to the concluding portion of your letter, I am to state, for Lord Kimberley's infor mation, that the paragraph of the War Office letter referred to was by no means intended to imply that the Imperial Government would not fully carry out its engagements with regard to the Straits Settle- ments, but simply that the War Department could not take charge of, and pay for, the permanent armaments and their equipments, the custody and maintenance of which formed no part of the respon- sibility incurred by this Department under the arrangements made by the Imperial Government for the protection of the Straits Settlements.
I have, &c.
Sir,
APPENDIX X.
(Signed)
Sir F. Rogers to the Under-Secretary of State, India Office.
H. K. STORKS.
Downing Street, February 28, 1871. With reference to your letter dated the 19th December last, I am directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, for the consideration of his Grace the Duke of Argyll, copies of further correspondence between the War Office and this Department respecting the stores and armaments left in the Straits Settlements by the Government of India on the transfer of those Settlements from the Indian Government to the Colonial Office.
Lord Kimberley will be glad to be informed whether the Duke of Argyll is prepared to transfer the armaments to the Straits Settlements free of cost, the War Office paying for such stores as they may deem it advisable to retain for the defence of the Settlements.
In this case he would request to receive, for communication to the War Office a full detail of the armaments and stores transferred to the Colonial Government.
I am, &c. (Signed
F. ROGERS.
Sir,
29
APPENDIX Z.
Sir F. Rogers to Mr. Merivale.
Downing Street, April 22, 1871. I am directed by the Earl of Kimberley to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 80th ultimo, on the subject of the armaments and stores left in the Straits Settlements by the Government of India at the time of the transfer of those settlements to this Department.
I am to inclose, for the information of the Duke of Argyll, a copy of a despatch which Lord Kimberley addressed to Sir H. Ord on the 28th February,
With respect to the concluding paragraphs of your letter, I am to observe that, by referring to the letter from this Department of the 27th April, 1869, it will be seen that Lord Granville did not admit the right of the Government of India to remove the armaments therein mentioned; and I am to state that Lord Kimberley concurs with Lord Granville in considering that these armaments are the property of the Colony, and is, therefore, unable to acquiesce in their removal from the Straits Settlements.
A copy of this correspondence will be sent to the officer administering the government of the Straits Settlements for his guidance.
I am, &c. (Signed)
F. ROGERS.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
C.O.
882
2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Sir,
APPENDIX Y.
Mr. Merivale to the Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office.
India Office, March 80, 1871.
I am directed by the Duke of Argyll to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th ultimo, inclosing copy of a correspondence between your Department and the War Office respecting the stores and armaments left in the Straits Settlements by the Government of India on the date of the transfer of the Settlements to the Colonial Office.
In reply I am to state, for the information of the Earl of Kimberley, that, as no answer has yet been received from the Government of India to the references addressed to that authority, commencing from the 20th October, 1869, inquiring whether they are disposed, in accordance with the suggestion contained in your letter of the 27th April, 1869, to transfer the armaments together with certain stores forming the equipments of the armaments to the Colonial Government free of cost, a further despatch will now be addressed to India forwarding copy of your letter under reply with inclosures, and again directing the attention of the Indian Government to the subject.
My despatch will also give directions, in the event of your proposal being entertained in India, to furnish me, for your information, with a detailed list of the armaments and their equipments, and to state whether any of the latter are included in these stores for which a claim for 33,1427. 15#. 11d. has been made on the War Office by this Department. In the event of such being found to be the case, the amount would be afterwards refunded to the War Office.
I learn from your letter to the War Office of the 6th February, 1871, that Lord Kimberley will direct Bir H. Ord to "take charge of the armaments and their equipments, and will cause the India Office to be informed of what has been done, and the reasons for the course thus adopted." Your letter under reply, however, makes no mention of such an order having been issued to Sir H. Ord.
Should the state of the finances of India not warrant that Government in entertaining your proposal respecting the armaments and equipments, I shall, in accordance with the suggestion con- tained in the War Office letter to your address of the 23rd January, 1871, instruct the Government of India to remove the armaments and equipments from the Straits.
The proposed despatch to the Government of India will be deferred, pending the receipt of any observations which Lord Kimberley may feel disposed to offer on this letter.
am, &c.
1
(Signed) HERMAN MERIVALE.
Sir,
APPENDIX AA.
Mr. Melville to the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies.
India Office, May 26, 1871. I am directed by the Duke of Argyll to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 22nd ultimo and 10th instant, with inclosures respecting the Ordnance stores and armaments left in the Straits Settlements by the Government of India on the date of the transfer.
In reply I am to state, for the information of the Earl of Kimberley, that his Grace is unable to concur in the opinion expressed in the former letter under acknowledgment, that the Government of India have not the right to remove the armaments; for, if that authority is not entitled to remove or dispose of them, the references to it as to whether the armaments should be transferred to the Colony free of expense are superfluous.
I am to add that his Grace fails to see that the principle laid down in your letter of the 28th January, 1867, and referred to in your letter of the 27th April, 1869, respecting immoveable property, has been acquiesoed in either by this office or by the Government of India.
In the absence of further information from India, the Duke of Argyll is unable to determine whether the War Office letter, copy of which accompanied your communication of the 10th instant, is correct in stating that the cost of the armamenta is included in the charge for Ordnance stores made on that Department by my letter of the 18th February, 1871.
A despatch bas now been addressed to the Government of India calling for specific information on these points, and for a detailed list of the property transferred representing the charge of 35,1422 158. 11d.; pending the receipt of these particulars no definite instructions will be issued.
I am, &o. (Signed) J. COSMO MELVILL.
Sir,
APPENDIX BB,
The Colonial Secretary, Straits Settlements, to the Secretary of the Government of India.
•
Colonial Secretary's Office, Singapore, November 1, 1871.
•
•
As regards the Public Works' stores taken over at the transfer (paragraph 12 of the Resolution) this Government's views will be found in paragraphs 19 to 15 of the Auditors' letter.
•
I have, &o.
(Signed) J. W. W. BIRCH.
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