PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Sir,
36
No. 15.
Lord Fitzroy Somerset to J. Stephen, Esq.
Horse Guards, January 26, 1839. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th ultimo, with its several inclosures, requesting the opinion of the General Commanding-in-Chief, how far any reduction in the amount of the British troops, maintained at Malta, is likely to result from the contemplated change in the constitution and objects of the Royal Malta Fencibles, and from its being made wholly disposable for military purposes; and the attention of Lord Hill has been more especially directed to copies of letters from the Secre- tary at War and the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, amongst the inclosures trans- mitted; and having duly laid the same before the General Commanding-in-Chief, I have nis Lordship's commands to offer the following observations thereon, for the consideration of the Secretary of State.
The Secretary at War states in his letter of the 17th July, 1838, "that he does not think that this corps should be considered or maintained as merely a police force; that it is indeed true that the Fencibles have in a great measure been employed most usefully in aid of the police, who have been entirely dependent upon them for the maintenance of military order and the support of their authority, but they have also been employed as a body, and Sir Henry Bouverie speaks in the highest terms of their fidelity in the discharge of their duty, and the advantages they offer for the formation of a nutive force to assist in the defence of the Island against any threatened attack; and the Secretary at War has no doubt that, whatever is to be the future garrison of Malta, it should in part consist of this local corps, which does not require to be periodically relieved."
In every part of this opinion, so expressed, I am instructed to convey the General Commanding-in-Chief's entire concurrence.
As the question put in your letter appears to be the same as that contained in the letter from the Treasury, I have to observe that, upon reference being made to the Go- vernor of Malta, that General Officer has distinctly reported that, while he has every reason to believe that the duties of the garrison would be done by the Maltese Fencibles in a manner equally vigilant and soldier-like as by British troops, and that the officers and non-commissioned officers would be found equally to be depended upon, yet he considers the present duties of the troops to be more severe than they ought, even though they have been reduced below what is desirable, and indeed necessary for the preservation of the works.
Upon the whole of this question, therefore, Lord Hill is of opinion that, while it is impossible to speak otherwise than in just terms of commendation of the efficiency of the Maltese Fencibles, it would not be expedient, under any circumstances, to diminishi further the force in the Garrison of Malta, when it is stated, upon the best authority, that the duties now performed by the troops of that garrison are more severe than they ought to be.
I have, &c.
FITZROY SOMERSET. J. Stephen, Esq.
(Signed)
37
That in the districts of Valletta, Florians, and Cottonera, there are thirty-five separate daily guards, amounting in the whole to 262 men.
That, in addition to these constant duties on guards, cach regiment has three field days a week, and finds the usual fatigue parties for the ordnance and barrack department, the work of which is frequent and heavy, so that the strength of those parties often amounts to the whole of the men of a regiment off duty.
The daily military guards mounted by the Royal Malta Fencibles in aid of the duties of the garrison are eight, amounting in the whole to thirty-three men, the remainder of that regiment being employed in aid of the police and coast-guard.
In transmitting these returns to the General Commanding-in-Chief, the Lieutenant- Governor of Malta has stated that the number of sentinels has been reduced to within the very lowest number, by which the works, the stores, the magazines, and other public pro- perty, can be guarded; and that, so far from considering that any further reduction can be made, consistently with the due preservation of all the important objects within the garrison, he is of opinion that they ought rather to be increased, as the mischief daily per- petrated by boys and idlers on the ramparts, &c. cannot be prevented by the sentinels now employed, nor is there any other means of protecting them at his disposal.
I have, &c.
FITZROY SOMERSET.
J. Stephen, Eay.
(Signed)
ST. HELENA.
No. 17.
Extract of a letter from Lord Fitzroy Somerset, K. C. B. to J. Stephen, Esq.
Horse Guards, December 24, 1838.
IT has occurred to Lord Hill, and his Lordship has directed me to offer it as a sugges- tion for the consideration of Her Majesty's Government, that the duties of St. Helena might be well done by three companies of veterans, in like manner as at Newfoundland and with the further advantage, that these companies may in part be composed of men, invalided from India.
61
C.O.
Reference :-
885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC. COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Sir,
No. 16.
Lord Fitzroy Somerset to J. Stephen, Esq.
Horse Guards, February 26, 1839. WITH reference to my letter to you of the 26th ultimo, and more especially to that part of it which conveyed the opinion of the General Commanding-in-Chief, that it would not be expedient, under any circumstances, to diminish further the force in the Garrison of Malta,"
"I have now Lord Hill's commands to request that you will be pleased to submit to the consideration of the Secretary of State the following detailed report of the garrison of that fortress, showing the force and the daily duties of the regiments of the line serving in that cominand.
There are the service companies of four regiments of the line at Malta, each at the establishment of 479 rank and file (1,916), and from the returns now before the General Commanding-in-Chief, it appears that from this must be deducted the numbers as shown in the margin,* 458, thus leaving 1,458 men for all the ordinary duties of the garrison.
Rank and File.j
Rank and File.
Sick
58
Attending Officers' Mess
15
Attending Sick
14
Imprisonment
26
Band
58
Civil do.
6
Staff Officers' Servants
2
Regimental Clerks
7
Officers' Servants
72
Boys
36
Tailors and Shoemakers
44
27
430
28
Absent at Gozo
28
Garrison employ
8
Regimental Orderlies
ཀ
458
Attending Drill
20
Cooks
Pioneer
IONIAN ISLANDS.
No. 18.
Sir Howard Douglas to Lord Glenely.
Corfu, June 21, 1898. My dear Lord,
IN the discharge, now upwards of three years, of the duties of Lord High Commis- sioner in these States; well acquainted, I trust, with the actual circumstances and affairs of the several Islands, the state and condition of society, the wants of the country, the peculiar condition and necessities of the rural population; reflecting, earnestly, on the necessity and means of effecting amelioration and improvement in all these: observing what is passing around, in the several countries bordering upon the Mediterranean and adjoining seas; and becoming daily, more and more impressed with the great present value and vast future importance of these Islands to Great Britain, as naval, military, and com- mercial stations; and considering more particularly the political influences she may wield from this centre, I reflect, much, upon the particular lines of policy and conduct which it behoves Great Britain to pursue, to rivet this highly interesting and valuable connection as firmly, in the confidence, interests, and affections of the people as our military possession is becoming secure in the stronghold which we occupy upon their soil.
I examine whether the nature and terms of the connection which at present subsists hetween Great Britain and these States, be tending, in all respects, to strengthen and per- per- petuate our tenure of these Islands, by conciliating all their inhabitants to desire the manency of British connection; or whether there be any thing in the subsisting relations and arrangements which require to be reconsidered and corrected, to dispose the Ionian people the more decidedly to prefer our rule and so deprive the opponents of British con- nection, and the enemies of British interests, of any pretexts for endeavouring to subvert that connection in the minds of the people, and so bring about a change in favour of the ubjects, ambition, and interests, of other nations.
When the Treaty of Paris shall be abrogated "de facto" by a state of war, the political condition of these Islands must obviously undergo a great change. Whether the transition
L
· 1