(Secret and Confidential.)
Sir,
164
No. 297.
Colonial Office to Post Office.
Downing Street, August 17, 1878. I AM directed by Sir Michael Hicks Beach to transmit to you the accompanying extract from a despatch from the Governor of West Australia, relative to a proposal made by Mr. Shenton, an influential member of the Legislative Council, for the calling of the mail steamers at Freemantle in future.
(Secret.) Sir,
I am, &c.
(Signed)
ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.
No. 298.
Colonial Office to Colonial Defence Committee.
Downing Street, August 19, 1878. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to call the attention of the Colonial Defence Committee to their Report, dated the 1st April last, on the defence of Esquimalt and Victoria, in which it was recommended that certain guns should be provided for the purpose, and to the despatch from the Governor-General of Canada, dated the 21st June, inclosing a Report by Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Selby Smyth on the subject.
2. As important Imperial interests are involved in the defence of Esquimalt, Sir Michael Hicks Beach will be glad to be informed whether the Committee consider the defensive measures referred to in the last paragraph but two of Lieutenant-General Sir Selby Smyth's Report are sufficient, or whether the Committee would recommend any other steps to be taken for the defence of Esquimalt and Victoria.
8. I am to inclose, for convenience of reference, a copy of the letter from the Admiralty, dated the 26th April, in which it is stated that it is extremely desirable that the harbour of Esquimalt should be provided with shore defences, to guard it from attacks from the sea.
I am, (Signed)
&c.
R. H. MEADE.
No. 299.
The Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart., to Governor Hennessy, C.M.G. (Secret.) Sir,
Downing Street, August 19, 1878.
I HAVE the honour to transmit to you, for any observations which you may have to offer, a copy of a letter from the War Office,† requesting to be informed as to the neces sity of the loan of the arms and accoutrements therein mentioned for the equipment of the volunteer force in Hong Kong.
2. I also transmit to you, for your information, a copy of the reply‡ which I have caused to be addressed to the War Office pending the receipt of your Report on the subject.
M. E. HICKS BEACH.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
No. 300.
The Right Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart., to Governor Sir H. St. G. Ord, R.E., K.C.M.G., C.B. (Secret.) Sir,
Downing Street, August 20, 1878.
WITH reference to your Secret and Confidential despatch of the 17th June and to your telegram of the 20th June, I have the honour to acquaint you that I have no intention that my despatch of the 26th April should be understood as imposing upon you the obligation to lay before your Legislature, or otherwise to make public, the proposal
• No. 259.
+ No. 217.
↑ Nos. 276 and 299.
165
that the mail steamers should cease to call at King George's Sound in the event of war. Such an announcement would obviously have been highly impolitic. Although it was necessary to consider beforehand what arrangements should be made in such a contingency it was ever proposed that they should be carried into effect except upon the actual outbreak of hostilities. Nor, as you will since have gathered from my despatch of the 22nd May, was it contemplated that the mail steamers should cease to call at King George's Sound without other provision being made for the West Australian mails,
2. With reference to the tenth paragraph of your despatch, I may observe that whilst King George's Sound will be without defences the other harbours referred to by you will be protected by land works, and when the mail steamer has reached them she will be secured from molestation. I may also observe that should war break out at any time, it would be easy to take the precaution of altering the advertised dates of arrival and departure.
3. I shall be glad to hear further from you respecting the proposal that the mail steamers shall in future call at Freemantle, but as it was made without reference to the question of what should be done in the event of war, it will be convenient to keep it quite distinct, and not to refer in dealing with it to the secret correspondence.
4. In the meantime I have brought the question to the notice of the Postmaster.
General in a letter, copy of which is inclosed for your information.t
5. This subject is, however, one for the consideration, in the first instance, of those Colonial Governments which may join in adopting a fresh contract for the conveyance of
the mails to Australia on the expiration of that of the Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Company now in force.
て
I have, &c.
(Signed)
No. 301.
M. E. HICKS BEACH.
The Earl of Dufferin to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach.-(Received August 21.) (Secret.)
Sir,
WITH reference to the correspondence which has recently passed relative to the
Citadel, Quebec, August 6, 1878. defences of the Dominion, I have the honour of forwarding herewith a copy of a Report addressed to the Minister of Militia by Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Selby Smyth, K.C.M.G., on the subject of the defences of Esquimalt and Victoria, British Columbia.
I have, &c. (Signed) DUFFERIN.
Sir,
Inclosure in No. 301.
WITH reference to the despatch of Rear-Admiral de Horsey to his Excellency the
Ottawa, July 20, 1878. Governor-General, dated 1st July, on board Her Majesty's ship "Shah," at Esquimalt, I have the honour to state that previous to its receipt instructions had been given to Lieu- tenant-Colonel Irwin to carry out the project proposed by him after consultation with the Rear-Admiral, the Flag Captain, and other officers who had been selected to inspect the site, and to report thereon.
The last instructions sent to Lieutenant-Colonel Irwin were to construct and arm two 2-gun batteries at foot of Beacon Hill, near Finlayson's Point. One of these batteries bas been already completed; the other one, Lieutenant-Colonel Irwin to-day telegraphed to say would be in a more commanding position on Holland Point, but 400 dollars were demanded for the ground, whereas the original spot approved of was Government ground, and nearly as effective a position. So he has been instructed to adhere to the original approved project, although, doubtless, Holland Point would give a larger arc of fire towards Victoria Barbour.
A 3-gun battery has been nearly completed on McCaulay's Point.
Brothers' Island was pointed out by Lieutenant-Colonel Hewitt, Royal Engineers, as
a better position than Cape Saxe, and there accordingly the erection of a 1 or 2-gun battery has been approved.
Rodd Point was the next position recommended and approved of for defence of Esquimalt.
• No. 121.
[793]
+ No. 297.
2 D
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