28
No. 32.--
War Office to Colonial Office.
Sir,
IN reference to the letter from this Office of the 8th instant, and to the personal
War Office, September 26, 1879. inquiries since made from your Office, on the subject of the payment of a sum of 2,7001. as a contribution by the Colony in aid of the defence works at Singapore, I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to inform you that he has no objection to the payment being made upon the spot; and I am, therefore, to request that arrangements may be made for paying the sum in question into the hands of the District Army Paymaster at Singapore.
1 have, &c.
29
J. C. R. Colomb, requesting that his name might be added to the Commission, and submitting a memorandum of his services in support of his application, together with a copy of the reply which has been returned to him.*
Sir,
I am, &c.
(Signed)
ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.
No. 36.
(Signed)
No. 33.
H. G. DEEDES.
President of Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce abroad to Colonial Office.
Sir,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your three Secret and Confidential
Highclere Castle, September 29, 1879. letters of the 20th September, relating to the defence of the Colonies of South Australia, the Cape of Good Hope, and the Straits Settlements; and of that of the 23rd September, on the defence of Western Australia;† and to request you to inform the Secretary of State for the Colonies that I will take an early opportunity of laying these communications before my colleagues of the Royal Defence Commission.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
No. 34.
CARNARVON.
President of Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce abroad
to Colonial Office.
Sir,
I
WITH reference to your letter of the 20th September,‡ as to the proposed appoint-
16, Bruton Street, October 9, 1879. ment of a local Committee at the Cape of Good Hope to consider and report on the permanent defences of that Colony, I think that, although there has as yet been no meeting of the Royal Defence Commission, it would be desirable to take steps at once for giving effect to the proposal of the Secretary of State for War contained in his letter to you of the 18th April, 1879.§
I propose to take the earliest opportunity of convening the members of the Commis- sion, and will immediately bring the subject before them; but, looking to the assistance which the Commission would derive from a Report of the nature proposed, and the length of time which must necessarily elapse before it could be received from the Colony, I would suggest, for the consideration of the Secretary of State, the advisability of at once issuing instructions for the formation of the Committee, with a view to obtain their Report at the earliest possible date.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
CARNARVON.
No. 35.
Colonial Office to President of Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce abroad.
My Lord,
Downing Street, October 10, 1879.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, to be Jaid before the Royal Commission on Colonial Defence, a copy of a letter from Captain
Admiralty to Colonial Office.
I AM commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to request that you
Admiralty, October 13, 1879. will be so good as to inform the Secretary of State for the Colonies that, under an agree ment with the War Department, the Admiralty is required to provide the undermentioned vessels and boats for the submarine defence of Mauritius, viz. :-
Two 42-feet steam-launches; 1 torpedo or store lighter; 1 service launch (sailing), 42 feet; 1 service cutter (sailing), 30 feet; 3 dingheys.
2. My Lords have communicated with the Naval Commander-in-chief of the East Indies Station as to whether these vessels and boats could be provided locally, or whether they must be sent from England, and that officer (Vice-Admiral Corbett) reports that, in his opinion, the whole of them could be built in the Government factory in the Island of Mauritius, and that if the requisite machinery for the two steain-launches and the torpedo lighter were sent out from England, it could be fitted in these boats by the factory in the island.
3. Under these circumstances, I am to request that you will move the Secretary of State for the Colonies to authorize inquiries to be made of the Government of Mauritius-
(1.) As to whether the building of the before-mentioned vessels and boats could be undertaken in the factory at Mauritius, the machinery being sent out from England complete, to be put in place on arrival, or
(2.) Whether it would be preferable to build them in England, take them to pieces, and then send them out to the Mauritius to be reinstated there.
4. Drawings (six in number) and specifications of the torpedo lighter and steam- 'launches are inclosed, with a view to their being forwarded in the letter of inquiry to the Government of the Mauritius, and my Lords desire me to add that, if the building of the vessels and boats in question can be undertaken in the factory there, they would be glad to be furnished with an estimate of the time and cost of constructing the same in each
case.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
THOS. WOLLEY.
No. 37.
President of the Royal Commission on Defence of British Possessions and Commerce abroad to the Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bart.
Sir,
16, Bruton Street, October 15, 1879.
I BEG to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th October, and to thank you for informing me of what has passed with regard to the request of Captain J. C. R. Colomb that his name might be added to the Royal Defence Commission, to whom I will communicate the substance of your letter.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
CARNARVON.
• Withdrawa by the War Office
+ Nos. 25, 26, 28, and 30.
§ No. 19 of "Miscellaneous No 38."
‡ No. 26.
• Nos. 20 and 31.
4
+ No. 35.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference:
C.O. 885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO