Sir,
146
No. 171.
G. F. Smith, Esq., to Colonial Office.
15, Golden Square, March 11, 1880.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th instant,* and I am sorry to find from the Secretary to the Royal Commission that there is little probability of that body again meeting before the reassembly of Parliament.
If the Commission should then report favourably upon the proposal now made, it would be almost if not quite impossible to lay the cable this year, having regard to the time which must be occupied in the settlement of terms.
I venture to draw your attention to this fact, as it is one which cannot have been contemplated by the Secretary of State, and he may probably be desirous to give directions which may obviate the inconvenience consequent upon such delay.
I have, &c. (Signed)
GEO. F. SMITH.
No. 172.
Governor the Right Hon. Sir H. B. E. Frere, Bart., G.C.B., G.C.SI., to the Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bart.—(Received Murch 12.)
(Secret.)
Sir,
Government House, Cape Town, February 16, 1880. REFERRING to previous correspondence on the subject of the defences of Table Bay and Simon's Bay, I have the honour to forward Reports from the Commission appointed, under instructions contained in your Secret despatch of the 22nd October last,† for the purpose of reporting upon the works and armaments necessary for the defence of the Cape Peninsula.
2. I had requested my Ministers to suggest the names of one or two persons whom they might wish to be associated with the officers selected by his Excellency the Commander of the Forces in South Africa for the purpose of reporting on this subject. Mr. Sprigg, however, represented to me that they had no officers of their own whose opinion would be of value on a question like the present, and that the only question involved on which they would desire to have an opinion of their own was the financial question, ie, the share of the expense to be borne by the Colony. This my Ministers could hardly know till the Commissioners had reported, and they would have every confidence in the professional opinion of the officers selected by his Excellency the Commander of the Forces.
3. I am sending copies of the inclosed papers to Ministers for their remarks, but as I do not anticipate that they will affect the question of what works or armaments should be provided, I lose no time in submitting to you the Reports of the Commission.
I have, &c. H. B. E. FRERE,
The Right Hon.
(Signed)
Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart., M.P.,
&c.
&c.
&c.
Governor and High Commissioner.
147
Inclosure in No. 172.
Minutes of the Proceedings of the Defence Commission, assembled at Government House, Cape Town, on the 11th and 14th February, 1880, in accordance with Instructions from the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies, dated the 22nd October, 1879, to report upon and to prepare Estimates of the Cost of the Defence of the Table Bay Peninsula.~~
President:
His Excellency the Right Hon. Sir H. BARTLE FRERE, Bart., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., Governor and High Commissioner.
•
Members:
Commodore Richards, C.B., Commanding West and South African Station
(absent on the West Coast on duty).
Colonel Fairfax Hassard, C.B., Commanding Royal Engineer, South Africa,
Commandant Cape Colony.
Colonel Bellairs, C.B., Deputy Adjutant- and Quartermaster-General. Lieutenant-Colonel Law, C.B, Commanding Royal Artillery, South Africa.
Secretary:
Major H. H. Parr, 13th Light Infantry, Military Secretary to his Excellency
Sir B. Frere.
THE Commission met at Government House, Cape Town, on the 11th February, 1880, all the members being present with the exception of Commodore Richards, C.B., R.N., absent on duty on the West Coast of Africa.
2. The various papers and documents connected with the question of the defence of the Table Bay Peninsula, together with the instructions from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, were laid before the Commission.
3. The President explained to the Commission that the Colonial Government was not represented as had first been in contemplation, otherwise than by his own presence as Governor, as the Ministry had pointed out to him that the Colonial Government had no officers of its own whose opinion would be of value on such a subject as the one about to be considered, and that Ministers would desire only to express an opinion when the financial question, i.e., the apportionment of the expense between the Imperial and Colonial Exchequers had to be settled, and the questions relating to the strength and composition of the garrison were to be determined.
4. The President noticed with regret the absence of the Commodore of the Station, Commodore Richards, C. B., whose duties had obliged him to leave for the West Coast. Commodore Richards had, however, been good enough to embody his views on the naval requirements of the Table Bay Peninsula in an able memorandum upon the papers forwarded by the Secretary of State, which had proved of much assistance to the Commission.
5. Colonel Hassard laid before the Commission an approximate estimate of the works and buildings required, pointing out that an item of 50,000l. was included for the exten- sion of the Cape Town and Wynberg Railway to Kalk Bay, and that this item had been supplied him by the Colonial Government, who were apparently anxious to push on this work on their own account after the opening of the next Session of the Colonial Parliament.
6. It was decided that the military members should prepare a final Report, and the proceedings terminated.
1. On Saturday, the 14th February, 1880, the Commission again sat, when the Report of the military members was laid before it, and after being read and approved "the meeting terminated.
(Signed) H. HALLAM PARR, Major, Military Secretary,
Secretary to Defence Commission.
is
• No. 184.
+ No. 46.
Government House, Cape Town, February 16, 1880.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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