176
No. 313.
Administrator Way to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.—(Received
(Secret and Confidential.)
Sir,
August 27.)
Government House, Adelaide, July 10, 1878.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch Secret and Confidential.*
(Secret and Confidential.)
Šir,
No. 314.
Colonial Office to War Office.
I have, &c. (Signed)
J. WAY.
Downing Street, August 29, 1878.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to acknowledge the receipt your letter of the 10th instant,t stating that the armament for Barbadoes will be ready for shipment in October next.
of
2. As you are aware, the general question of apportionment of cost between the Colonies and the mother country has been referred for the consideration of the Colonial Defence Committee, and the matter has also engaged the attention of the War Office. As, however, the time is rapidly approaching when the guns will be ready for shipment, it seems desirable that the apportionment of the expense in this case should at once be decided; I am, therefore, to request to be informed whether Secretary Colonel Stanley would consider it fair to charge the cost of the guns, &c., estimated at 6,4001., to Imperial funds if the Colony will pay for the batteries, &c., estimated at 4,8001. It seems a con- venient division to charge the Colony with the local expenditure, together with the cost of maintenance, leaving Imperial funds to provide the armaments necessary for the works If the Secretary of State for War should concur in this suggestion, Sir Michael Hicks Beach will ask the consent of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and if they concur he will then consult the Colony; but it will not be advisable to send out the guns until this question has been finally settled.
be
3. I am to draw attention to the inclosed copy of a letter from the Admiralty, and to point out that it is not within the means of the Colony to bear the whole cost of defence; and I am to observe that although the Lords Commissioners express an opinion that the defences of Barbados are not of urgent importance, the Secretary of State for War may be of a different opinion, having reference to the fact that the Colony is the head-quarters of the military in the West Indies.
I am,
(Signed)
&c.
R. H. MEADE.
177
Inclosure in No. 315.
Report.
August 30, 1878. THE arrangements proposed, so far as they can be judged of in the absence of plans, appear judicious. so far as the protection of the town and shipping in the harbour are concerned, but the protection afforded to ships in the roadstead must be always imperfect, as an enemy's cruizer would be always nearer to those ships than the batteries on shore would be to the cruiser. It would therefore be most advisable in the event of war that the roadstead should be used as little as possible, but that ships should, whenever practicable, take shelter in the harbour.
As regards the site of the batteries, it does not appear clear from the Report of the local Committee where the northern battery is proposed to be erected. If it be the point marked in the Admiralty chart as "Sandy Point," it would appear more advisable-should the position be otherwise suitable-to place it some 2,000 yards to the north of the North Pier, from which point, while crossing its fire with the proposed battery on the Bluff, it would afford a better protection against the apprehended bombardment of the town.
With regard to guns, the Committee are of opinion that 18-ton guns would be preferable: 9-ton guns are now obsolete, none have been manufactured for some years, but considering the position of Natal, that it is not in the course of ships proceeding between any great centres of commerce, and therefore is only liable to attack by ships specially detached for the purpose, the Committee are of opinion that a good defence would be afforded by three 7-inch 7-ton guns in each battery.
The advantage of having three guns in each is, that in case of a gun being disabled the defence would still be capable of being sustained in a more satisfactory manner than if each battery only mounted two guns.
The cost of six 7-ton guns, with carriages and 100 rounds of ammunition, would be approximately 6,0001.
(Signed)
HENRY BARKLY. J. L. A. SIMMONS.
P.S.-The comparative cost of 18-ton and 7-ton guns is given approximately in the following table :—
Gun
Carriage and platform Ammunition (100 rounds)
Total
18-Ton.
£
7-Ton
£
1,400
550
300
220
500
230
2,200
1,000
No. 315.
Thus the total cost of four 18-ton guns would be 8,8001, or of six 7-ton guns 6,000%.
Colonial Defence Committee to Colonial Office.
(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
War Office, August 30, 1878.
I AM requested by the Colonial Defence Committee to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th instant, transmitting a copy of a despatch from the Lieutenant- Governor of Natal, inclosing the Report of a local Committee on the defence of Port Natal and Durban.
I am to forward in reply, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the inclosed Report, in which the Committee state their opinion upon this subject.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
HENRY BARKLY, Acting President.
No. 316.
The Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart., to Governor Sir H. F. Robinson, K.C.M.G. (Secret.)
Sir,
Downing Street, August 31, 1878.
I HAVE the honour to transmit to you, for your information, a copy of the Report of the Colonial Defence Committee upon your Confidential despatches of the 23rd May and 8th June, inclosing copies of correspondence showing the steps taken for the defence of the Colony, in which the Committee recommend that no departure from the arrangements already sanctioned should be permitted, and that none of the guns destined for Hong Kong should be diverted for other purposes.
2. I also inclose a copy of a letter which I have caused to be addressed to the War Office on the subject.†
• No. 53.
↑ No. 279.
t No. 213.
f No. 270.
• No. 312.
[793]
I have, &c.
(Signed)
M. E. HICKS BEACH.
↑ No. 318.
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