90
No. 182.
Colonial Office to Treasury.
(Secret and Confidential) Sir,
Downing Street, June 21, 1878. WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 20th April, inclosing the Report of the Colonial Defence Committee on the Cape of Good Hope and the Eastern Colonies, together with a copy of a letter to the War Office respecting the Colonial contri- bution towards the proposed defences of Singapore, I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, a copy of a letter in reply which has now been received from the War Officest
2. In accordance with the suggestion of the Secretary of State for War, Sir Michael Hicks Beach would recommend for their Lordships' sanction the expenditure of 4,2001. on the battery at Tanjong Kutong and 3,0001. for the guns, making altogether 7,2001, forming part of the extra proposals of the Colonial Defence Committee for the Straits Settlements, which expenditure was not authorized by their Lordships' letter of the 2nd ultimo.
3. With reference to the letter to the War Office, I am to observe that it was of course intended to obtain the sanction of the Lords Commissioners before making any proposal to the Colony, but that it was necessary, in the first instance, to ascertain if, in the opinion of the Secretary of State for War, the suggestion there made was a fair and proper one.
4. I am to add that Sir Michael proposes to await the recommendations of the Colonial Defence Committee, to whom the general subject of the apportionment of cost has been referred, and I am to inclose, for their Lordships' information, a copy of a letter which has been addressed to the Committee on this point.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
R. H. MEADE,
No. 183.
91
from St. John's when the works were dismantled was 4,000, whereas that of the guns, with a due proportion of ammunition, now demanded, is 4,8001., and of small arms, secoutrements, &c, 7,0161., making 11,8167. in all,
Under these circumstances, as there appears to be no especial interest involved which would remove St. John's from the category of numerous other Colonial ports which are of consequence chiefly by reason of their trade, I am to suggest that, if the Imperial Govern- ment furnish the required guns, the Colony should undertake, at their own charge, to place the guns in position and maintain the necessary force for manning and defending the port, including the provision of their arms and equipment.
By this arrangement the Colony would become possessed of the full value of the armament that was moved when the works were dismantled, with the great advantage of having it in the form of modern rified guns, and would thus be spared the expense to which the Government of the Dominion of Canada is now being put for the conversion of the old pattern guns made over to that Government upon the withdrawal of the Imperial
I have, &c. (Signed) EUSTACE G. CECIL.
troops.
No. 185.
Governor-General the Earl of Dufferin to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.— (Received June 22.) (Telegraphic.)
>
PLEASE ask Admiralty to instruct Senior Naval Officer, Esquimalt, to comply with requisitions from Dominion Government by mistake above order addressed to Provincial Government who are not concerned.
No. 136.
Colonial Office to Admiral Sir A. Milne, Bart., G.C.B.
(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
Downing Street, June 21, 1878. WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 31st ultimo, § I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, in order that the Committee may have the matter fully before them when they take up the subject of the Singapore contribution, a copy of a letter which he caused to be addressed to the War Office on this subject, together with a copy of the reply which has now been-received to that letter; and 1 am to inform you that Sir Michael Hicks Beach has recommended to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury that the additional works should be undertaken.
I am, &c.
Signed)
R. H. MEADE.
No. 184.
War Office to Colonial Office.
Administrator Sir T. Shepstone to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.— (Received June 22.)
(Secret.) Sir,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Circular despatch, marked Secret, dated 20th March, 1878, furnishing me with instructions on certain points relating to the defence of the territory under my Government, and to state, in reply, that those instructions, so far as they apply to the Transvaal, shall receive my special attention.
I have, &c.
T. SHEPSTONE.
Government House, Pretoria, Transvaal, May 13, 1878.
(Signed)
No. 187.
(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
War Office, June 21, 1878. WITH reference to your letter dated the 29th May, 1878,|| on the subject of guns, &c., required for the defence of Newfoundland, I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to request that you will inform Sir Michael Hicks Beach that the six 64-pounder guns therein referred to are Naval Reserve guns, and that if he will obtain the consent of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to their being lent for the defence of St. John's, Secretary Colonel Stanley will have no objection to their removal from Halifax.
With regard to the opinion expressed by Sir Michael Hicks Beach that it would only be fair that the three 7-ton and three 64-pounder guns recommended by the Colonial Defence Committee, together with the small arms and accoutrements, should be presented to the Colony, it should be stated that the full value of the guns and stores brought home
§ No. 140.
• Me. 45.
+ No. 172.
1 No. 67.
No. 136.
Governor the Right Hon. Sir H. B. Frere, Bart., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.—(Received June 22,} (Confidential.)
Sir,
Government House, Cape Town, May 29, 1878. I HAVE the honour to inform you that the present Cabinet has made good progress with the Defence Bills, which they lost no time in introducing into Parliament.
2. The Bills have been received in a manner to justify a hope that they will pass as useful measures of self-defence.
3. The Colonial Budget will follow, and unless the present temper of the Colonial Legislature should change, there is good ground for believing that Ministers may, in a few weeks, be in a position to discuss practically the financial part of future measures of
defence.
4. Meantime, progress has been made, rendering Simon's Bay and the Naval Dock- yard and Stores safer from attacks by privateers or light vessels during the occasional absence of a man-uf-war. Colonel Hassard, C.R.E., hopes that in a few weeks the 2nd or Northern Battery may be advanced sufficiently to mount guns.
⚫ No. 15.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
MC.O. 885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO