PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
CO. 885
90
Her Majesty's Government, and that he fully concurs in the suggestion to refer the question to the Royal Defence Commission for their opinion.
I am, &c.
(Signed) RALPH THOMPSON.
Sir,
Inclosure 5 in No. 112.
Admiralty to Colonial Office.
Admiralty, January 22, 1877.
I HAVE laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your letter of the 21st ultimo, and the inclosed copy of a letter addressed to the Earl of Carnarvon by Mr. Walter Armstrong, inquiring whether Her Majesty's Government would be prepared to lay a telegraph cable between Bermuda and St. Thomas in the event of a Company laying a cable from the Azores to Bermuda and thence to New York.
2. In reply, I am to acquaint you that my Lords would suggest that this proposal should be declined, as the present project for connecting Bermuda and New York with Europe by way of the Azores would not secure, in the event of war, a perfect control over the European end or at the Azores junction. Similarly, in a cable from Bermuda to St. Thomas, in war, our control would be imperfect at the latter station.
3. Since the receipt of your letter my Lords have received a despatch from the Commander-in-chief on the North American and West Indian Station calling attention to the necessity of establishing telegraphic communication between Halifax and Bermuda.
4. From a naval point of view this appears to their Lordships far the most desirable route, and, looking to the large sums which have been spent on Burmuda, both as regards defences and naval establishments, and having also in view its great importance as the head-quarters of the North American Squadron and a central position between the North American British Possessions and the West Indies, my Lords are strongly of opinion that telegraphic communication ought to exist between Bermuda and Halifax.
5. My Lords believe that to lay down a cable would probably cost some 200,000%., but a more convenient mode would be to endeavour to arrange with one of the telegraphic Companies, to lay down and maintain a cable on condition of receiving from Her Majesty's Government such annual subsidy as might be agreed on, because as a commercial trans. action such a line can never pay the interest of the money sunk and the working expenses.
6. Before proceeding further in this matter, or bringing the same under the con- sideration of the Treasury, my Lords would be glad to learn if Lord Carnarvon would be disposed to take joint action with the Admiralty and contribute a portion of the annual subsidy which would be required.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure 6 in No. 112.
ROBERT HALL.
Sir,
91
Inclosure 7 in No. 112.
War Office to Colonial Office.
War Office, February 16, 1877. IN reply to your letter dated the 21st December, 1876,* transmitting copy of a letter addressed to the Earl of Carnarvon by Mr. Walter Armstrong inquiring whether Her Majesty's Government would be prepared to lay a telegraph cable between Bermuda and St. Thomas, I am directed to acquaint you that since the receipt of the letter under reply, the Secretary of State for War has been in communication with the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty on the subject, and that he takes the view expressed by their Lordships letter to you of the 22nd ultimo,† that telegraphic communication ought to exist between Halifax and Bermuda.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Sir,
Inclosure 8 in No. 112.
Admiralty to Colonial Office.
h
J. L. A. SIMMONS,
Lieutenant-General.
Admiralty, March 8, 1877. WITH reference to former correspondence respecting the necessity for telegraphic communication between Bermuda and Halifax being made, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you, for the information of the Earl of Carnarvon, that the Treasury have stated, in reply to a communication addressed to them by their Lordships, that they are not prepared to sanction any expenditure of public funds for this purpose.
Sir,
No. 113.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
ROBERT HALL.
Colonial Office to G. F. Smith, Esq.
Downing Street, January 30, 1880. WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 16th instant, I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to inform you that replies have now been received from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and from the Secretary of State for War, respecting the scheme referred to in your letter of the 6th instant,§ for estab- lishing telegraphic communication with Bermuda, and that Sir Michael Hicks Beach has caused the whole of the correspondence to be referred for the consideration of the Royal Commission which has recently been appointed to consider the question of the defence of British Possessions and Commerce abroad, with a request that the Commission would as soon as possible furnish the Secretary of State with its opinion on the subject of your proposal.
I
am, &c.
(Signed)
No. 114.
JOHN BRAMSTON.
4
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Sir,
Colonial Office to Admiralty,
Downing Street, February 7, 1877.
I AM directed by the Earl of Carnarvon to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd ultimo,† upon the subject of a proposed cable between Halifax and Bermuda.
In reply I am to state, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that Lord Carnarvon would be glad to support the proposal in the interest of Bermuda, but that his Lordship could hold out but little hope of any substantial financial support, as the revenue of the Colony is only about 30,0001. per annum.
I am, &c.
• Not printed.
(Signed)
W. R. MALCOLM.
+ Inclosure 5.
(Confidential.)
Sir,
Admiralty to Colonial Office.
Admiralty, January 30, 1880. IN reply to your letter of the 16th ultimo, || relative to furnishing information to the Dominion Government of Canada in regard to the conversion of merchant vessels into armed cruisers in time of war, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to forward herewith the information required, with a view to its being supplied to the Governor-General of Canada.
2. With reference, however, to the concluding paragraph of the Governor-General's letter, dated 24th November last, in which he states that it is proposed to adopt the
• Not printed.
† Inclosure 5.
‡ Not printed.
§ Inclosure 2 in 112.
I No. 76.
No. 68.