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"I request that you will, as soon as possible, appoint a local Committee under your direction, composed of officers named by the General Officer commanding and your Government, to report upon the various points referred to in the inclosed letter from the War Office, and to prepare an estimate of the cost of the various works requisite to carry into complete effect the proposals of the General Officer commanding, and that you will transmit to me the Report and estimates at your earliest convenience, with any observations you may have to offer upon them, in order that they may receive the early consideration of the Royal Commission for the Defence of British Ports and Commerce Abroad."
You will see from above, which contains the substance of all instructions I have received, that the work of Committee is to be mainly to estimate cost of works and additions to works already suggested, partly executed and partly awaiting sanction.
The preparation of these estimates will take some time, and the mail just in brings a pressing reminder that the estimates should be sent with as little delay as possible.
Your Excellency will see that Secretary of State charges me and my Government mainly, as I gather, to ascertain financial facts, to appoint local Committee under my direction, composed of officers named by your Excellency and by this Government.
The framing estimates of works specified and their equipment would require aid of experienced engineer and artillery officer, and I should be glad to have the further aid of so experienced a staff officer as your Deputy Adjutant-General. As regards any question of military opinion other than estimates of cost, I should be reluctant to express any opinion without being favoured with your Excellency's own views after you have had all the papers before you, but this need not delay preparation of estimates for works already approved, for which purpose I should be very glad if your Excellency would authorize an engineer and artillery officer on the spot to assist us.
The Commodore has read all the papers, and is furnishing the information required from the naval authorities.
I have no doubt in a few days you will receive all the papers, but copies will reach you from me in case of your not receiving any sent direct.
No. 83.
Governor-General the Marquis of Lorne, K.T., to the Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bart.-(Received December 29.)
(No. 360.) Sir,
Government House, Ottawa, December 12, 1879. WITH reference to the correspondence which has passed on the subject of Colonial Defence, I have the honour of communicating to you, for the information of the Secretary of State for War, a copy of a Report of a Committee of the Privy Council adopting a Report by the Minister of Militia recommending that a certain number of smooth-bore gune now in Canada be made available for coast defence by conversion on the Palliser principle into 64-pounder rifled
guns.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure in No. 83.
LORNE.
Report of a Committee of the Honourable the Privy Council for Canada, approved by his Excellency the Governor-General on the 10th day of December, 1879.
THE Committee of Council have had under consideration the despatches from the Imperial authorities on the subject of Colonial Defence.
The Honourable the Minister of Militia and Defence, to whom said despatches have been referred, reports that being alive to the fact that it is of the greatest importance that the harbours and coasts of the Dominion should be made secure against foreign cruizers, be is of opinion that pending the decision of the Government as to the purchase or manufacture of the required guns of heavy calibre for coast defence, the smooth-bore guns, which are now useless, and of which there is an ample stock in Canada, should be made available by conversion on the Palliser principle into 64-pounder rifled guns, thus effecting a large saving in cost, as appears by the Reports of the Inspectors of Artillery.
The Minister, therefore, recommends that the offer of Messrs. Gilbert and Son, as conveyed in Lieutenant-Colonel Strange's Report of the 22nd November, 1879, be accepted,
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and that the General Officer commanding the militia be instructed to have ten of thes guns converted with carriages complete; the Minister further recommends that Mesars Gilbert and Son be entrusted with the manufacture of two 7-inch 8 ton rifled breech- loaders with carriages complete.
And that for the above purpose a sum of 15,000 dollars be placed in the supplementary estimates for the current year, and meanwhile be defrayed out of the grant for unforeseen expenses,
The Committee submit the above recommendations for your Excellency's approval.
No. 84.
Certified,
(Signed) J. O. COTÉ, Assistant Clerk, Privy Council, Canada.
Governor Hennessy, C.M.G., to the Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bart.-
(Received December 30.) (Secret and Confidential.)
Sir,
Government House, Hong Kong, November 22, 1879. IN accordance with the instructions in your despatch of the 23rd June, 1879,* I have appointed a local Committee to consider and report on the proposed scheme of supplementing from local sources the Imperial force ordinarily maintained at Hong Kong.
2. On General Donovan's return from Peking he gave me the names of the following officers whom he had selected to serve on the Committee:-Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart, R.E.; Lieutenant-Colonel Hall, R.A.; Lieutenant-Colonel Geddes, 27th Regiment. To those I added Mr. Tonnochy and Mr. Creagh, the two officers of the Local Government, with the exception of Dr. Eitel, most conversant with the Chinese inhabitants of the Colony. Mr. Creagh, who is now the senior acting police magistrate, is the officer who raised and brought to Hong Kong the Sikh contingent of our police force.
3. I inclose, for your information, a copy of the Minute appointing the Committee. Colonel Stuart has been selected as Chairman; and, at the request of the Committee, I have appropriated 1007. for the pay of a Secretary.
J. POPE HENNESSY.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure in No. 84.
Minute by his Excellency John Pope Hennessy, C.M.G., Governor and Commander-in-chief of Hong Kong. (Secret and Confidential.)
IN accordance with instructions from Her Majesty's Government (and after com- munication with his Excellency, General Donovan) I proceed to appoint a Confidential Committee consisting of the Honourable Malcolm Struan Tonnochy, Acting Colonial Treasurer; Colonel Stuart, Commanding Royal Engineers; Colonel Hall, Commanding Royal Artillery; Colonel Geddes, Commanding 27th Inniskilling; and Charles Vandeleur Creagh, Senior Acting Police Magistrate, to consider and report to me on the practicability of raising an auxiliary force composed of Europeans, Chinese, Malays, or any other material to supplement the small Imperial force ordinarily maintained in Hong Kong, and of turning every available and trustworthy local means to account by organizing it so as to make up the garrison to what is requisite for an effective defence in time of war.
I herewith lay before the Committee a copy of the correspondence noted in the margin,t and request that they may Report on-
1. The strength of the garrison requisite for the defence of the Colony.
* No. 36 of "Miscellaneous No. 38."
+ Governor Hennessy, 24th May, 1878, suggesting raising auxiliary force of Chinese for service in Hong Kong, India, or elsewhere; Sir Thomas Wade's Report, 30th September, 1878, on this suggestion; General Donovan's inquiries respecting local corps, 81st July, 1878: Governor's reply, 2nd August, 1878; Secretary for War, 8th January, 1879, suggesting an inquiry in Hong Hong on the subject; Secretary for War, 19th April, 1879, further as to inquiry in Hong Kong: Governor, 14th May, 1878, on the defence of the Colony: Governor 18th May, 1878, on the active measures of the military authorities in providing batteries; Colonial Office to War Office, on same subject, 9th July, 1878; correspondence between Governor and officer in command of troops from March to May 1878, on same subject.
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