And, again, I repeat that Nanaimo, from whence all the coal for the North Pacific is produced, is totally undefended and unfortified.
Sir,
E. SELBY SMYTH, Lieutenant-General.
(Signed)
No. 2.
Treasury to Colonial Office.
Treasury Chambers, July 4, 1879. I AM directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to transmit to you herewith a letter which has been received from the War Office respecting a further expenditure of 2,7001. proposed to be incurred upon the works of defence at Singapore, and I am to request, with reference to the letter from this Department of the 25th June, 1878, that you will move the Secretary of State to cause my Lords to be informed what arrangements have been made as to the share of the expenditure in question which is to be borne by the Colony.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure in No. 2.
WILLIAM LAW.
5
arrangements have been made as to the share of the expenditure in question which is to be borne by the Colony.
2. In reply, I am to request that you will state to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury that, in the letter from this Department of the 21st June, 1878, it was stated that the Secretary of State proposed to await the recommendations of the Colonial Defence Committee, to whom the general subject of the apportionment of cost had been referred, and a copy of the Colonial Office letter of the 31st May, 1878, to the Defence Committee
was inclosed.
3. The Committee were occupied with other questions, until all apprehension of any immediate danger of war had subsided, when their labours terminated, the special circum- stances on account of which the Committee was originally constituted having materially
altered.
4. I am to add that Her Majesty's Government contemplate the appointment of a new Committee to consider the question of permanent defences, together with the appor- tionment of cost, and it is hoped that no long period will elapse before the constitution of such a Committec. In the meantime I am to suggest that the proposals of the War Office should be approved, as they seem necessary for the stability of the works already commenced, especially as Sir Michael Hicks Beach does not anticipate any difficulty in requiring the Government of the Straits Settlements to bear whatever may be laid down as their fair share of the cost of their defences.
I am, &c.
(Signed) R. H. MEADE.
།།།།།།
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
mmmnt MC.O. 885
Sir,
War Office, June 27, 1879. AT the time of the preparation of the annual estimate it was anticipated that the expenditure during 1878-79 on temporary defences at Singapore would amount to 17,0001., and provision was made in the Army Estimates of 1870-80 for 4,8001, the balance on 21,800%., the total amount authorized.
Under the urgent circumstances which induced the immediate execution of these works the amount of expenditure within the year was necessarily left very much at the discretion of the local officers, so that, at the time of framing the estimates, the Secretary of State for War was not in possession of such full information as in ordinary cases. It appears from reports since received from the station that the expenditure on the spot, instead of reaching 17,000l., as anticipated, did not exceed 15,800, so that there is a deficiency of 1,2001. in the amount voted for this year.
IIe
Under ordinary circumstances the case could be met by postponing work to that amount until next year, but owing to the state of the works at Singapore, and to their liability in their present unfinished condition to suffer damage from the heavy rains of the wet season, Secretary Colonel Stanley deems it unadvisable to adopt this course. therefore desires me to request that the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury will be pleased to sanction a further expenditure of 2,7001. this year, increasing the amount at his disposal from 4,8001. to 7,5001. for completion of the batteries, and for the provision of store accommodation at a cost of 1,5001. (in excess of the original estimate) for the submarine mining stores for harbour defence, sent to the station last year, and for which stores no accommodation could be made available on the spot.
I am to state that, owing to the expenditure in 1878-79 upon the defences of Ceylon having exceeded the sum anticipated, the amount required this year for these defences will be less than the sum provided in the estimates by 2,2001, This surplus of 2,2001. will meet the amount now asked for with the exception of 5001, which can, with their Lord- ship's approval, be met by savings upon Vote 13 generally.
The Secretary to the Treasury.
>
(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
(Signed)
No. 3.
Colonial Office to Treasury.
R. LOYD LINDSAY.
Downing Street, July 10, 1879.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th instant respecting a further expenditure of 2,7001. proposed to be incurred upon the works of defence at Singapore, and requesting to be informed what
• No. 2.
No. 4.
Acting Governor Anson, C.M.G., to the Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bart.- (Received July 14.) (No. 204.)
Sir,
Government House, Singapore, June 10, 1879.
I HAVE the honour to report that, at the close of last year, the Commanding Royal Engineer applied, under instructions from the military authorities in England, that arrangements night be made for immediately placing him in possession of a suitable site for a battery at Tanjong Katong, situated on the sea-beach to the eastward of the town.
2. Some years back a portion of land in this neighbourhood had been set apart for a military reserve, and this was at once pointed out to Lieutenant McCallum, but, after inspecting it very carefully, he pronounced it to be unfit for the works he was required to construct. It therefore became necessary to obtain some adjacent land in lieu of it.
3. I inclose copies of the correspondence and other papers referring to the purchase of the new site, which are necessary to show all that has been done in this important
matter.
•
4. It will be observed that, in the first instance, an application was made to the Commanding Royal Engineer to guarantee the cost of the land, but that he was not armed with authority to defray any other expenses than those connected with the actual construction of the battery. Action was then taken by this Government to place him in possession of the land, the cost of doing which was estimated by the Colonial Engineer at a sum "not less than 7,000 dollars," against which could be placed the value of the old military reserve, which he roughly estimated to be worth 3,800 dollars.
5. The agent for the proprietor of the site required, having no authority to dispose
of it, it became necessary to acquire it under the "Public Purposes Act,”—Indian Act No. VI of 1857.
6. The Colonial Engineer was appointed Arbitrator on behalf of the Government, and the agent for the proprietor appointed Mr. Rodyk, of the firm of Rodyk and Davidson, lawyers practising in this Settlement. These two Arbitrators then jointly appointed Dr. Little to act as the third Arbitrator in the case.
7. On the 21st April received the award under which the compensation was fixed at 15,000 dollars, to which had to be added, for fees, expenses, &c., a sum of 762 dol. 76 c.; making the total outlay for obtaining the land 15,762 dol. 26 c.
8. As this award was, in my opinion, far beyond the actual value of the site, which was part of a cocoanut plantation, and measured only 7 acres 3 roods 22 poles, I at once consulted the Acting Attorney-General as to what power the Government possessed to get the award set aside. Mr. Bond, however, advised that the proceedings of the Arbitrators appeared to be quite regular, and the requirements of the Act fully complied
4 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- 'ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Page 410Page 411