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(No. 83.)
SIR W. F. D. JERVOIS to SIR H. T. HOLLAND.
DEFENCE OF NEW ZEALAND.
Dunedin, February 7, 1887. WITH reference to my despatch of 14th ultimo, I have the honour to enclose a memorandum from the Premier, covering the various returns relating to the defence of New Zealand, required in your telegram of the 13th ultimo.
I have, &c.,
The Right Hon. The Secretary of State for the Colonies.
&c.
&c.
&c.
(Signed) WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.
Enclosure in No. 83.
MEMORANDUM addressed by the PREMIER of NEW ZEALAND to SIR WILLIAM JERVOIS.
Premier's Office, Wellington. February 3, 1887. REFERRING to the telegraphic despatch from the Secretary of State through the Governor of South Australia, dated 13th January 1887, the Premier has the honour to state that there has been prepared by Major-General Sir G. Whitmore a memorandum dealing with what had been done since the 10th March 1885, together with reports by Major Boddam, which the Premier thinks will afford useful information for the approaching Conference, and he has the honour to forward them herewith.
So far as the question of exterior defence is concerned, nothing practically had been done after the withdrawal of the Imperial troops, till the importation of certain guns in 1878, during a war scare. In that year there were purchased 11 seven-ton guns and 11 64-pounders; these guns were obtained from the Imperial Government for harbour defences. They were stored, however, in 1879, and nothing was done with them or their ammunition pending the erection of proposed fortifications on which they were to be mounted.
In 1880 the late Major-General (then Colonel) Scratchley, R. E., visited New Zealand at the request of the Government, and made certain recommendations relating to defences. These were provisionally approved, and the preparation of the necessary plans was authorised. Four spar torpedo boats were also purchased.
Subsequently his Excellency Sir W. F. D. Jervois, in a public address on October 4th 1884, went fully into the question, and made proposals which were adopted by the Government. Early in 1885 active steps were taken for carrying them into effect, the services of Major Cautley, R.E., having previously been obtained from the Imperial Government for the preparation of the necessary plans under the directions of the Governor.
Since then the measures recommended, as mentioned in Major Boddam's report, have been proceeded with; and the total cost from 1878 to 31st December 1886 on armaments and stores, defence works, torpedo boats, has been 256,6991. 6s. 8d. The returns forwarded herewith, marked A, will show the total expenditure.
The memorandum of Major-General Whitmore, formerly referred to, will explain what has been done in reference to the Volunteers, and also will show how a perma- nent military force has been created in the Colony; and the table marked B will give the expenditure during the past two years. These returns will fulfil what is required in the telegram as to fortifications, military buildings and establishments, floating defences, and submarine mining apparatus.
As to the personnel and their respective grades of men employed on the permanent defences, Return C will show; and Return D will comply with the second requirement in the telegraphic despatch.
The Premier may add that as the Hon. the Defence Minister is absent from Welling- ton, he has forwarded these various returns and memoranda, but it may be necessary to supplement the information now given, especially regarding the future intention of the Government in dealing with the question of external defence.
He thinks it, however, right to add that this Colony has been placed in exceptional circumstances, having had to deal in years past with what might be called an internal
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foe, namely, to provide for the peace of the country against Maori aggression. This has accustomed many more colonists to the use of arms than has been the case in other Colonies, and has no doubt tended to make the volunteer force more efficient.
R. Srour, Premier.
(Signed)
I,
MEMORANDUM by SIR GEORGE WHITMORE, K.C.M.G.
About the 10th of March 1885, the first intelligence of the unsatisfactory relations with Russia reached the Colony, and the Government was pressed on every side to take proper steps for the protection of our chief centres from foreign attack. The Ministry addressed itself unhesitatingly to the task, accepting the responsibility of action in anticipation of the approval of Parliament.
It fortunately happened that in his Excellency the Governor, the Government found an adviser at once willing to give the Colony the fullest advantage of his great experience, and possessing an European reputation as the highest authority on harbour defence. Thus no time was lost in reference or weighing the views of different advisers, and the result was that his Excellency's plans were almost literally adopted, and on the 20th March, 10 days after the first authoritative intelligence reached the Colony, an order was sont home by cable for the armament of the fortifications to supplement the 21 guns of position imported in 1878.
Although the question of harbour defence had been before the Colony and frequently discussed, nothing had practically been done, The 1878 guns remained in store; the second-class torpedo boats imported in 1884 had not been fitted with dropping gear, supplied with sheds, or any experts enrolled to use them.
The Government decided not to call out the militia, but to trust to the volunteer force as a first line of defence. On this decision being reached, the young men of all the districts in the Colony were encouraged to enrol. In taking the responsibility of these steps, Government was encouraged by the universal approval of the Colony, as a spirit had arisen, which danger usually excites in Auglo-Saxon communities, of stubborn determination to defend its soil and homes. Instantly the volunteer spirit spread throughout the country, and the Government was asked to accept the services of more volunteers than seemed prudent or necessary. The volunteer force, numbering 4,997 on the 31st March 1885, was increased by the 30th June to 8,000. Meanwhile Colonel Sir G. Whitmore was placed at the head of all the colonial forces, and directed to organise them on such a principle as to make them efficient to repel any aggression by a foreign civilised enemy.
Major Cautley, R.E., had for some time been in the Colony preparing plans and surveying sites for fortifications. Immediately on receiving the Governor's advice on the subject, Major Cautley was directed to mount the guns imported in 1878, and to use every effort to carry out the schemes of fortifications of the several ports approved by his Excellency.
The volunteer force was now formed into the usual organisation for civilised warfare; Sir G. Whitmore visited each centre and made the necessary arrangements, so that in three months all were so incorporated that nothing but practice together and drill remained to be done to create proper battalions, and to make the force one that could be moved and used in any necessary duty by a single commander on the spot. Up to this time the force had, practically, been composed of a number of separate and independent companies. By September 1885, it was consolidated into nine battalions of infantry, with auxiliary forces of cavalry, navals, artillery, and engineers.
The permanent force was then called the armed constabulary reserve and consisted of 450 men. It was deemed desirable to reduce this force to a minimum, retaining the best men so as to use all money not absolutely required for general defence and volunteer purposes. Therefore, the Government has reduced the force to 350 men, the least, in its opinion, it can maintain. This body, which by last years' Defence Act is now a distinctly military body, and styled the permanent militia, is divided as follows:
120 artillery (garrison).
50 torpedo corps.
20 engineers.
50 artillery (field).
110 rifles.
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