Miscellaneous. No. 35.
ر
Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. April 1878.
SECRET AND CONFIDENTIAL.
: .
Report of a Colonial Defence Committee on the Temporary Defences of the Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, Ceylon, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
*
Admiral Milne to the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. (Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
>
Committee Room, Whitehall, April 4, 1878.
I AM requested by the Colonial Defence Committee to transmit, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Report which they have completed on the temporary defences of the Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, Ceylon, Singapore, and Hong Kong, which the Committee have thought it desirable should be placed in his hands without awaiting their further report on the other Colonies.
I have, &c.
(Signed) ALEX. MILNE, President.
Inclosure.
Report.
THE Committee, appointed at the instance of the Secretary of State for the Colonies
to inquire and report as to the Defences of the more important Colonial ports, assembled
for the first time at the Horse Guards on the 5th March.
The Committee consisted of the following members :—
Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, Bart., G.C.B.
Sir Henry Barkly, G.C.M.G., K.C.B.
General Sir Lintorn Simmons, K.C.B., R.E.
The instructions received from the Colonial Office were of a comprehensive character;
but the Committee were specially directed to consider "how to provide some early and temporary defence in case of any sudden outbreak of hostilities."
Before entering upon the question of defence, the Committee deemed it advisable to consider the nature of attack to which the Colonies are liable, and against which it is therefore necessary to provide.
Defences intended to be permanent differ very materially from works provided for temporary defence to meet a particular emergency. In the former case, the possibility of attack by the means at the disposal of any of the maritime Powers, or even of two or more combined, would require consideration, involving strong works and powerful armaments capable of coping with the heavy artillery carried in armour-plated ships of war; whereas in the latter, the means only need be considered which are at the disposal of the Power or Powers from whom hostile action may be immediately apprehended.
Some of the maritime Powers have armour-plated ships in the Pacific and China Seas, but the Committee is informed that Russia, so far as is known, has at present only four unarmoured ships abroad, outside her own ports, armed with guns of about equal power with our 7-inch 7-ton gun, and, in one instance, with our 9-inch 12-ton gun; and
[520]
B
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
CO. 885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
Page 220Page 221