1
(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
122
No. 226.
Colonial Office to War Office.
Downing Street, July 9, 1878. WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 24th ultimo,* I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, to be laid before Secretary Colonel Stanley, a copy of a further despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong, reporting the progress made in the measures taken for the defence of the Colony.t
2. I am to request that you will express to Colonel Stanley Sir Michael Hicks Beach's satisfaction at the active and prompt measures taken by the military authorities in Hong Kong for the defence of the Colony.
3. I am to take this opportunity of returning the inclosures to your letter of the 29th ultimo, on the subject of the defences of Hong Kong.
No. 227.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
R. H. MEADE,
123
I now beg to inclose a copy of a letter from the Department of the Minister of Militia, covering a Memorandum from the Adjutant-General on which the above telegram was founded.
Sir,
Inclosure in No. 229.
I have, &c. (Signed) DUFFERIN.
Ottawa, June 21, 1878. I AM directed by the Acting Minister of Militia and Defence (Honourable R. W. Scott) to forward to you the inclosed Memorandum from the Adjutant-General of Militia, respecting a reserve of powder, cartridges, shot, shell, &c., required at Victoria, British Columbia, and to request that you will obtain information by cable from England as to the ability of the naval authorities at Esquimalt to supply the same from time to time on repayment.
I have, &c.
The Governor-General's Secretary,
(Signed) C. EUG. PANET,
Deputy Minister of Militia and Defence.
Ottawa.
(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
Colonial Office to Admiralty.
Downing Street, July 9, 1878. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a copy of a paraphrase of a telegram from the Governor-General of Canada,§ requesting to know if the naval authorities at Esquimalt will be able from time to time, on repayment, to supply powder and shot and shell for the gun which has been lately mounted near Victoria, as Canada has no magazine at that place.
2. I am to request that you will move the Lords Commissioners to issue the necessary instructions if they see no objection.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
R. H. MEADE,
No. 228.
Governor Sir G. F. Bowen, G.C.M.G., to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.- (Registered July 9.)
(Secret.) Sir,
your
Government House, Melbourne, May 17, 1878.
Circular I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt on the 15th instant of despatch marked Secret of the 20th March. The instructions contained therein will be carefully carried out; indeed they have been anticipated in practice.
2. Before this Circular reached me, I had already, with my despatch No. 94 of the 11th instant, and with many previous despatches, transmitted full information respecting the defences of Victoria, and the loyal and patriotic spirit which animates the over- whelming majority of the people of this Colony.
て
Inclosure 2 in No. 229.
Memorandum.
AS works are being constructed by the Dominion Government and guns mounted at McAulay's Point, Beacon Hill, and Fisguard Island, near Victoria, British Columbia, it will be necessary to create a reserve of powder, cartridges, shot, shell, &c., at Victoria, for issue when required. In fact, this service is urgent, as the ability of the Imperial naval authorities at Esquimalt to supply powder, &c., on repayment, from the small reserves maintained at that station is doubtful, and because the Dominion Government has no magazine available for the storage of powder at Victoria.
It is therefore suggested that information be obtained by cable from England as to the ability of the naval authorities to supply ammunition required from time to time on repay- ment, and if the needed supply from that source be found impossible, that steps be taken to erect a magazine and procure a reserve of, say, 100 rounds of ammunition per gun for each of the nine guns ordered to be mounted.
If this action is not taken it will not be possible to carry out gun practice at Victoria,
or to utilize the guns for defensive purposes.
The General Officer in command, who is temporarily absent from Ottawa, concurs in this suggestion.
Department of Militia and Defence, June 21, 1878,
(Signed)
No. 230.
W. POWELL, Colonel,
Adjutant-General of Militia.
I have, &c. (Signed)
G. F. BOWEN.
No. 229.
·
The Earl of Dufferin to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.—(Received July 10.)
(Confidential.)
Ottawa, June 26, 1878,
Sir,
ON the 24th instant I had the honour to send you a telegraphic message in the following figures :—¶
Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G., to the Colonial Office.
(Secret and Confideutial.)
Sir,
7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., July 10, 1878.
I HAVE the honour to inform you that I have received a despatch from my Government stating that, in addition to the armament referred to in Mr. Meade's Secret and Confidential letter to me of the 27th May, they wish to obtain two more converted 64-pounder guns, if they can be had on reasonable terms. I am therefore to request that you will ascertain from the War Office, and inform me, what would be the cost of two such guns, and how soon they could be supplied.
I have, &o. (Signed)
JULIUS VOGEL.
• No. 194.
+ No. 216.
‡ No. 214.
No. 185.
No. 15.
¶ Not printed.
• No. 133.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
CO. 885
4
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO