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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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of February last the members of the Federal Council of Australasia, then in session at Hobart, Tasmania, adopted an address to Her Majesty the Queen, to the effect that negotiations should be renewed with the other Powers, in order that the restrictions in the way of trading with the Natives of the New Hebrides group of Islands, which are at present laid exclusively on British subjects may be applied universally to the subjects of all nationalities.
In bringing the terms of the above resolution of the Federal Council to your Excellency's notice, I am directed by the Marquess of Salisbury to express the earnest hope of Her Majesty's Government that the Government of the Republic will no longer delay to return a reply to the note which I had the honour to address to your Excellency on the 9th of November last.
His Excellency Monsieur Hanotaux,
&o.
&c.
&c.
APPENDIX VIII.
Colonial Defence.
I have, &c.
MARTIN GOSSELIN.
COLONIAL PREMIERS AND COLONIAL DEFENCE, 1897.
Memorandum by the Colonial Defence Committee.
(For the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies.) Mr. Chamberlain considers advantage should be taken of the presence of the Colonial Premiers in this country in connexion with the celebration of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee to discuss with them various questions of interest to the Empire at large, and has asked for suggestions from the Colonial Defence Committee as to the defence matters which should be discussed, and for the views of the Committee in regard to them.
After careful consideration of the subject, the Committee recommend the following topics, stated in what appears to be their order of relative importance, for discussion:
I. Colonial assistance towards the maintenance of the Imperial Navy. II. Uniformity of military laws, regulations, and conditions of service.
III. Uniformity in arms, equipment, stores, &c.
IV. Preparation of defence schemes, and organisation of Colonial forces in
accordance with them.
V. Interchange of military units between Great Britain and the self-governing
Colonies.
VI. Federal defence of adjacent Colonies.
VII. Colonial military manufacturing and educational establishments.
VIII. Regulation of civil population and utilisation of private property in war. The views of the Colonial Defence Committee on these subjects are given in the following notes.
¡
I.—Colonial Assistance towards the Maintenance of the Imperial Navy. The Committee understand that the Agreement with the Australasian Colonies entered into in 1887 was to be for a period of 10 years calculated from the date of the first vessel being put in commission, and that it only terminates it and provided notice has been given previously, viz., at the end of the eighth year or of any subsequent year, and then two years after such date. Under these circumstances the Agreement cannot now be terminated before the 27th January 1901. The Committee also understand that Sir Gordon Sprigg has been requested by the Cape Parliament to enter into negotiation with Her Majesty's Government with a view to arranging some basis of contribution by the Cape Colony towards the Imperial Navy.
The Committee consider that if agreements are to be made with other Colonies than the Australasian they should be drawn upon a common basis,
II.-Uniformity of Military Laws, Regulations, and Conditions of Service. The Colonial Defence Committee have been informed that the Governments of Victoria and New South Wales are at present considering the question of their military Laws with a view to obtaining greater uniformnity. The subject is of too technical a
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matter to be discussed in detail with the Premiers, but the Committee suggest that before further legislation is undertaken a complete Act generally suitable to the six Colonies of Australia and Tasmania should be drafted and discussed by a Committee of the Commandants of those Colonies, and introduced, with such modifications as the Commandants may suggest, in the various legislatures. The issue of generally uniform Regulations based on this Act should then follow, modified, if necessary, for each Colony to meet its special conditions.
The Committee see no reason why New Zealand should not also join in the framing of such an Act and Regulations, most of the provisions of which would further be suitable to the conditions of Canada, the Cape of Good Hope, and Natal.
Those parts of Imperial Acts and Regulations which are applicable to the Colonies should be embodied in Colonial Acts and Regulations. The Imperial Official Secrets Act should form part of the Law of every Colony.
The Acts at present governing the military forces of South Australia and Queensland might form the basis of a general Defence Act for the Colonies, and Section A. of the Australian Federal Defence Agreement, amended to February 1896, which has already received the concurrence of the Australian Commandants, might also usefully be consulted in its preparation.
III.-Uniformity in Arms, Equipment, Stores, &c.
The Colonial Defence Committee made recommendations on this subject in their Memoranduin No. 90 M., and the Australian Inter-Colonial Conference of Ministers of March 1896 laid down in their Third Resolution that uniforinity should be secured as soon as practicable as a necessary step towards a complete scheme of Australasian defence. It should be pointed out to the Premiers of Australasia that the best way to secure uniformity in most matters is by definite regulations being agreed to at the periodical meetings of Commandants, and then being put into force in the various Colonies. It might be suggested that New Zealand should in future send a military delegate to Australasian Military Conferences when such matters are discussed. An attempt should also be made to produce uniformity in arms, equipment, stores, &c., in South Africa. This part of the subject is now under consideration of the Colonial Defence Committee on reports that have been referred to them elating to the military forces of the Cape of Good Hope and Natal.
The equipment regulations in the Imperial Service should be followed wherever possible.
The most important matter in which uniformity should be insured throughout the Colonies is with regard to small-arms. A decision of Government may shortly be expected on the Colonial Defence Committee's recommendations that Martini-Enfield rifles may be supplied to the Colonies at advantageous rates, and in the case of Colonies already armed with Martini-Henry weapons that credit should be given for such small- arms received in exchange for those of 303-inch calibre sent to them. The Colonies should be pressed to take advantage of this decision, if favourable, to re-arm all their forces with 303-inch small-arms, and provide in addition the reserve recommended in Memorandum No. 90 of the Colonial Defence Committee. It should be pointed out that whether the Lee-Enfield magazine or Martini-Enfield single-loader rifles and carbines are adopted, the great desideratum of all Colonies having small-arms using the same ammunition will be attained. This question affects the self-governing Colonies of Australia, New Zealand, the Cape, and Newfoundland. Canada and Natal have already provided themselves with small-arms of 303-inch calibre. More are required in
Natal as a reserve.
The adoption of one pattern of field-gun with cordite ammunition, already recom- mended to the Australian Colonies and New Zealand in Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum No. 65 M, dated the 12th June 1896, might be urged on the Premiers of those Colonies.
IV.-Preparation of Defence Schemes, and Organisation of Colonial Forces in accordance
with them.
The Governments of the Cape Colony, Natal, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland have prepared and submit annually revisions of schemes by which their existing military and naval resources are to be utilised for the defence of these Colonies.
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