PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TLC.O. 882
سلسلسلت
5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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to touch upon these details; but I will state the reasons which influenced Her Majesty's Government in determining that the cost of their construction should be borne by the Colony.
27. Four different heads of expenditure were required in 1884-5 for putting the Colony into a proper state of defence, viz. :-. Forts. 2. Armaments. 3. Submarine defences. 4. Barracks for additional troops. Under the agree- ment of 1871, it was contemplated that, in addition to expenditure on new barracks, the Colony should provide defences at an estimated cost of 30,000/ These defences were not provided, but in 1878 other defences were constructed mainly at the cost of Imperial revenues. Further defences becoming necessary in 1885, it was determined, in the special agreement of that year, that the Colony should provide the works, and the Imperial Government the armaments, the estimated expenditure being—
Works Armaments
•
75,000 49,000
28. The expenditure on works, armaments, and new barracks between 1878 and 1888 has been as follows :—
Defences of 1878, including
submarine defences
Fortifications, 1885-8
Imperial. £
25,325 Works,
24,653 Armaments,
121,914 Armaments,
6,160 Works, 16,500 Vessels and
Colonial. £ 6,891
-
· 81,000
1,291
stores,
New barracks, 1878-1885
·
4,326
3,704
93,508
198,256
Submarine defences, 1885-8
or a total of 291,7641., of which 68 per cent. has been borne by Imperial, and only 32 per cent. by Colonial, revenues, while the 6,1607. for submarine defence works should properly have been paid by the Colony. No reliable estimate of the cost of the new barracks has yet been received, but even should they cost as much as 60,000, the Imperial Exchequer would still bear about 22,000l. more than half the cost of constructing defences and new barracks since 1878.
29. Upon this view of the case the Colony cannot complain of receiving unfair treatment, especially as the additional barracks are, in fact, a necessary part of the defence works. But, as you are aware, the Colony has always provided barracks for the authorised garrison, not only constructing any additions that have been required, but maintaining existing barracks, except as regards the Imperial wing prior to 1871. And on this ground also this expenditure properly falls to the Colony; and I may at once state that if there is any difficulty in providing the money, I shall have no objection to the cost being spread over several years, the amount being advanced from the accumulated balances of former years.
30. It must be added that if, in the course of the five years, necessity for new works should arise, their cost would form the subject of a separate agree- ment, and that it is not to be understood that the whole charge of them would be borne by the Imperial Exchequer.
Claims and Counterclaims.
31. I have already pointed out that under the arrangement of 1871 the Colony was to expend 30,000%. upon works and armaments, which were never executed, while the Colony has also saved the expense of the 150 native artillerymen, whom it was to raise in connexion with these works. On
the other hand, defence works were constructed in 1878 upon which the Imperial Government have expended--
Works and subsequent maintenance Armaments
Total
-
£ 25,325 24,653
49,978
the Colony contributing only 6,8917, of which, repaid the sum of 4,1917. Her Majesty's Government, however, maintain that, understand, it claims to be applying the principle of the 1885 agreement, the Colony should refund to them the above sum of 25,3251., the cost of the works portion of the defences of 1878.
32. In 1885 the Colony erected barracks for a battalion of submarine miners, which, it was coutemplated, should be employed in the Eastern Colonies, having its headquarters at Singapore, and the Imperial Government paid to the Colony 3,7041. as the proportion due for the men to be employed in other Colonies. This sum Her Majesty's Government claim should be refunded, on the ground that these barracks are wholly occupied by the Singapore garrison.
33. The loss on exchange is shown by Appendix C. to amount to 57,9521., but as one half of this sum will form part of the Colonial contribution for 1889, it is only necessary here to specify the other half, 28,976/.
34. On the other hand, the Colony claims, besides the 4,1911. for money spent on the works of 1878 and the 1,2917. on submarine defences, a further sum of 2,1841. for barracks provided for the garrison in excess of that for 1871, and some small unascertained amounts for lodging allowances. I attach ́(Appendix E.) a return showing the payments for these barracks.
35. These claims and counterclaims may be thus stated :—
Imperial Claims.
No. 1. For works expenditure on defences of 1878, and
subsequent maintenance
"
"
3. Ditto on barracks, 1885 -
2. Ditto on submarine defences of 1884-85,
»
£
-
25,325
6,160
3,704
4. Loss on payment of Colonial military contribution 28,978
Total
Colonial Claims.
No. 5. Expenditure on works of 1878
6. Ditto submarine defences, 1885 -
64,165
4,191
,, 7. Ditto on barracks for garrison in excess of that
of 1871
1,291
2,184
"
8. Ditto for lodging allowances, amount not known,
but supposed to be trifling
Total
7,666
36. In order to arrive at a prompt and final arrangement of these trouble- some matters, and in return for the acceptance of the present proposals for this and the four next years, Her Majesty's Government are willing to deal liberally with the Colony, and they accordingly will consent, as an element in the settlement, that these claims and counterclaims should be written off on both sides.
37. In the confident hope that their liberality will be met in a similar spirit, and that the present arrangement, which they consider both equitable” and
8
reasonable, will be readily accepted by the Colony, Her Majesty's Government request that you will lose no time in laying this Despatch before the Legisla- tive Council, and in pressing forward the necessary votes by all the means in your power.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
(Signed)
Governor Sir C. C. Smith, K.C.M.G.,
&c.
&c.
&c.
KNUTSFORD.