PUBLIC RECORD
OFFICE
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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Colonial
service.
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Conclusion.
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concession to the Colonies, and which will greatly facilitate the entry of officers both on the active and retired list into Colonial service.
69. It has been suggested that it would be desirable to give the Conference an opportunity of stating its opinion on the question of any alteration in the existing laws relating to the mercantile marine, in order to secure more adequate and uniform pro- vision for the preservation of life at sea. Papers on this subject will be laid before you. and I may take this opportunity of reminding you that the general question of the loss of life at sea has recently been the subject of a long and careful inquiry by a Royal Commission, which has however not yet presented its report.
70. In addition to the principal subjects which I have mentioned as about to be introduced by Her Majesty's Government to the consideration of the Conference, there are other matters of practical importance which will be brought forward, either by myself on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, or at the instance of one or more of the Colonial representatives. I will mention some which have already been noted; and while it is possible that some of them may, through want of time, or for other reasons, not be discussed, other subjects may hereafter be proposed.
Among them are :—
1. The effects of the difference between the law of marriage in this country and some
of the Colonies.
2. The provisions of the Colonial Loans Act.
3. The enlargement of the powers of trustees to invest in Colonial inscribed stocks.
1. The expediency of taking the next census in 1891, on the same day and in the
same manner in all parts of the Empire.
5. The exemption from probate or succession duty in one part of the Empire of
property owned by a British subject in another part.
72. Such practical questions, although they may not attract the imagination of those who have supposed that the present Conference had in view some large political objects, will, I have no doubt, receive careful examination from the capable men of business now assembled in London. I am aware that Colonial ministers are here at great personal and public inconvenience, and that they could not have left their Colonies for any other purpose for the settlement of matters of urgent practical importance. It will, therefore, be my desire to assist, as far as may be in my power, in so arranging the course of business as to consult the general convenience and secure the best results; and I feel much confidence that we shall be able hereafter to refer with satisfaction to this first Colonial Conference as having done good work, and what is far more valuable, con- tributed to a good understanding in many directions.
PAPERS REFERRED TO IN THE President's OPENING ADDRESS. MEASURES taken in relation to COLONIAL DEFENCE.
66
A Colonial Defence Committee, consisting of Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, Bart., G.C.B.; Sir Henry Barkly, G.C.M.G., K.C.B.; and General Sir Lintorn Simmons, R.E., K.C.B. (Lieutenant H. Jekyll, R.E., Secretary), were appointed in March 1878 to inquire and report as to the defences of the more important Colonial ports, and were specially directed to consider how to provide some early and temporary defence in case of any sudden outbreak of hostilities." In a letter dated the 19th April 1879. Sir Michael Hicks Beach expressed his sense of the good services rendered by the Committee, and intimated that Her Majesty's Government contemplated the reappoint- ment of the Committee in another shape. This Committee met for the last time on the 28th April 1879.
On the 8th September 1879 a Commission was issued appointing the Right Honour able the Earl of Carnarvon; the Right Honourable II. C. E. Childers, M.P.; Sir H. T. Holland, Bart., M.P., K.C.M.G.; Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, Bart., G.C.B.; General Sir J. L. A. Simmons, G.C.B., Inspector-General of Fortifications and Director of Works; Sir Henry Barkly, G.C.M.G., K.C.B.; Thomas Brassey, Esq., M.P.; and Robert George Crookshank Hamilton, Esq., Accountant-General of the Navy and Comptroller of Navy Pay, to be Commissioners to inquire into the state of the defences of the more important Colonial ports and coaling stations, and to consider the apportion- ment of the cost of such defences; Captain Herbert Jekyll, R.E., to be Secretary to the said Commissioners.
On the 2nd August 1880 a further Commission was issued appointing the Right Honourable the Earl of Camperdown and Samuel Whitbread, Esq., M.P., to be
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Commissioners in place of the Right Honourable H. C. E. Childers, M.P., and Thomas Brassey, Esq., who had been discharged from the Commission.
Following upon full consideration of the Report of the Royal Commission, Parlia- mentary Papers ('.—4186, 1884, and C.-4226, 1884, were issued, containing a scheme of defence approved by the Treasury, recommended by the Inspector-General of Fortifications in his memorandum on the Report of the Royal Commission, which had been approved generally by the Defence Committee, under the presidency of His Royal Highness the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-chief. mated the cost and provided for the defence of--
These Parliamentary Papers esti-
Aden,
Ceylon (Trincomalec),
Straits Settlements,
Hong Kong,
Sierra Leone,
St. Helena,
Cape of Good Hope (Simon's Bay), Mauritius,
Jamaica,
St. Lucia.
Copies of these Parliamentary Papers were sent to the Colonies concerned in a short covering Circular Despatch of the 16th October 1884.
The existing Colonial Defence Committee was appointed in April 1885, and consisted of Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Clarke, G.C.M.G., C.B., C.I.E.. Inspector-General of Fortifications; Colonel II. le G. Geary, R.A., Assistant Director of Artillery; Captain T. S. Jackson for the Admiralty; and the Honourable R. H. Meade, C.B., Assistant Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. Clarke, R.E., succeeded Captain II. Jekyll, C.M.G., as Secretary to this Committee. In June 1885 Captain G. S. In November 1885 Colonel Lord W. Seymour, Assistant Quartermaster-General, joined the Committee, and in April 1886, Captain C. C. Drury, R.N., replaced Captain T. S. Jackson, R.N., as the member representing the Admiralty.
At this time the Colonial Office was constantly receiving communications with reference to defences, which could not be rapidly dealt with by existing machinery. In cases where both the War Office and Admiralty were involved, a long period would have clapsed before answers could be received even to simple questions. These answers would frequently lead to further questions delaying the settlement of pressing matters, and precluding all possibility of rapid action at a moment of political tension.
In dealing with questions relating to defence, which involve inter-departmental agree- ment-Colonial Office, War Office, Admiralty-the system of the interchange of letters leads to delay, and occasionally to misunderstanding. Further, where paper correspon- dence is the only medium of communication, there can be no real discussion of any subject. Decisions thus arrived at may not even represent the deliberate view of the officials who are responsible for them, since, without personal discussion, there is no certainty that objections easily removed in course of conversation may not influence or determine the action taken.
This difficulty was found to exist in the case of the many matters which have to he dealt with between the Department of the Director of Artillery and Inspector-General of Fortifications, and it has been obviated by the establishment of a permanent consulta- tive body, the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineer Works Committee, which holds regular meetings, discusses all questions laid before it by the Director of Artillery and Inspector-General of Fortifications, makes recommendations thereon, and carries out experiments.
For purposes of inter-departmental discussion, no such body existed previous to the appointment of the Colonial Defence Committee, whose members now represent the Colonial Office, the Admiralty, and three several Departments of the War Office, viz., the Staff of His Royal Highness Commanding-in-chief, the Director of Artillery, and the Inspector-General of Fortifications.
Questions are submitted by the Colonial Office or the War Office to the Colonial Defence Committee, whose duty it is to discuss them and make recommendations thereon. The Secretary arranges for meetings of the Committee as soon as there are a sufficient number of subjects to be dealt with. He further obtains such information as the Committee is likely to require, himself drawing on the War Office and asking the naval member to approach the Admiralty.
Advantage is taken of the presence in this country of military and civil officers, and other gentlemen possessing special colonial experience, and they are invited to give information when questions affecting the Colonies to which they belong are under discussion.
All questions are then discussed in Committee, and the Secretary is instructed to draw up memoranda embodying the recommendations of the Committee, or to minute
A 51401.
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the papers in accordance with their views. If the matter lies within the administrative powers of the Colonial Secretary of State, action is taken on his approval. In all cases where inter-departmental agreement was required, the memoranda of the Colonial Defence Committee were, when war appeared imminent, circulated for the direct approval of the respective heads of the Colonial Office, War Office, and Admiralty. time the recommendations of the Committee, when approved by the Secretary of State At the present for the Colonies, are referred in a departmental letter to the War Office and Admiralty for the approval of the chiefs of those departments. If a Treasury question is involved, the Colonial Office addresses the Treasury as soon as Ministers' approval has been obtained.
The Secretary keeps a registry of the papers which pass through his hands, which serves as a reference for questions of defence, and thus supplements the Colonial Office registry, in which these questions are not separated from those of a general character.
A list of the principal subjects which have been dealt with by the Colonial Defence Committee since its establishment is attached (Appendix 2), together with an index of the printed memoranda issued up to date (Appendix 1). From these it will be seen that a wide range of important subjects has come before the Committee. The C'om- mittee has prepared and issued a new form of annual return of the military resources of the Colonies, which will be duly recorded, and has also prepared a Circular Memorandum on measures of preparation required to be taken by the Colonies in peace time with a view to readiness for war. This Memorandum has been sent by the Colonial Office to all Colonies (with the exception of the four Imperial fortresses, Gibraltar, Malta, Halifax, and Bermuda, which do not fall within the direct cognizance of the Committee, and for which the military authorities are responsible), with an accom- panying circular calling for schemes to be prepared by local Committees on the spot, and to be sent home for consideration and advice. The local Committees have been formed accordingly, and their reports are now beginning to arrive.
The self-governing Colonies possessing military and naval forces and works of defence are much interested in obtaining the latest information from England on all that relates to current military progress. Such information could readily be procured through the Colonial Defence Committee, and as these Colonies become fully aware of the available facilities for obtaining it, they will probably hasten to make known their requirements.
In October 1885 a special Committee was appointed to consider the distribution of the troops with especial reference to the new defences constructed or projected for Imperial coaling stations. The members of the Committee were ;—
The Honourable G. C'. Dawnay, M.P., Surveyor-General.
General Sir A. Herbert, K.C.B., Quartermaster-General.
Major-General Sir A. Clarke, G.C.M.G., Inspector-General of Fortifications. Major-General Sir R. Buller, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., V.C., Deputy Adjutant-General. Major-General R. J. Hay, R.A., Deputy Adjutant-General, Royal Artillery, R. H. Knox, C.B., Accountant-General,
To whom was added John Bramston, Esq., C.B., Assistant Under Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Colonel F. Maurice, R.A., was Secretary,
In order that a full statement of the expenditure incurred by the Colonies for purposes of defence might be laid before the Conference, a telegram of the 10th January, followed by a Circular despatch dated the 20th of that month, was addressed to the Governors of the Australasian Colonies (except Fiji) and the Cape of Good Hope, asking for a return of the total expenditure incurred on defensive measures from date of withdrawal of the Imperial forces to the beginning of the present year under the following heads:-
1. Personnel, in their respective grades.
2. Armaments of every kind, distinguishing in cach case between military and naval services.
3. Fortifications.
4. Military buildings and establishments.
5. Floating defences, exclusive of armaments.
6. Submarine mine apparatus.
7. A separate statement of
any
further expenditure projected.