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No. 110.

Colonial Office to Treasury.

(Secret and Urgent.)

Downing Street, May 18, 1878. Sir,

WITH reference to your letter of the 2nd instant, and to the letter from this Office of the 4th instant, I am directed by Sir Michael Hicks Beach to transmit to you the accompanying copy of a letter from the War Office,† stating that the guns will be useless without the works, and suggesting that immediate sanction should be given for the expenditure necessary for their construction; and as it is necessary that the works should be executed under the sole responsibility of the War Office, I am to request that you will move the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury to give the requisite authority for the expenditure for the works, as their Lordships have already done for that for the guns. The amount of contribution to be paid by the Colonies can be separately considered, as has been already pointed out. I am to suggest, in order to save time, that this authority should be given direct to the War Office.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

R. H. MEADE.

८

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French, it may be afforded the means of protecting Nova Scotia, and particularly the valuable collieries with which the port is now connected.

The Right Honourable

Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.

No. 113.

I have, &c. (Signed)

D. J. KENNELLY.

Governor Sir J. H. Glover, K.C.M.G., to the Right Honourable Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.

h

(Telegraphic.)

Newfoundland, May 18, 1878. THE guns referred to in your telegram of 18th have been returned to England. The only guns now in the Colony are two unserviceable 32-pounders. There are six 64-pounders at Halifax ready to be shipped awaiting sanction.

Six 11-pounder mounted steel guns are required to oppose land forces, and in order to clear the streets of Feniaus. With the guns a detachment should be sent.

No. 111.

No. 114.

Admiral Sir A. Milne, Bart., G. C.B., to Colonial Office.

(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,

Committee Room, Whitehall, May 18, 1878.

I AM requested by the Colonial Defence Committee to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 8th instant,‡ transmitting the substance of a telegram from the Governor- General of Canada, in which he states that a fleet of armed cruizers would be necessary for the protection of the Atlantic seaboard of the Dominion in the event of war with Russia.

The Committee do not consider themselves in a position to make any recominendations with regard to this proposal, with which it would appear to them to fall within the province of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to deal, and have therefore confined their attention to the defence of the chief Atlantic ports of the Dominion, upon which they this day submit a report.

I have, &c. (Signed) ALEX. MILNE, President.

Honourable Sir,

No. 112.

D. J. Kennelly, Esq., to Colonial Office.

May 18, 1878. A FEW days ago I saw in the public papers that Her Majesty's Government intended to fortify certain places in the Dominion of Canada, amongst others Sydney, Cape Breton. And as I happen to know the Island of Cape Breton and am familiar with its ports, I have the honour very respectfully to call your attention to the fact that the port of Louisburg, at the mouth of the River St. Lawrence, is unprovided with protection of any sort against

an enemy.

This port is convenient to an extensive coal-field, and, as a fact, has within the last two years become connected with some large collieries by a railway 21 miles in length, starting from a deep-water pier in the harbour.

F

Louisburg is practically open to the depredations of an enemy all the year round, for it has seldom been known to be closed by ice.

The harbour of Sydney, not being on the Atlantic, is closed from about the 25th December to the middle of the following May.

Believing that if an attempt were made to invade in winter, Louisburg would form the point of attack and debarkation, I have taken the liberty of addressing you with this letter, in the hope that, while Louisburg may not become the fortress it was under the

‡ No. 74.

• Nos. 67 and 71.

↑ No. 102.

Governor Sir J. Longden, K.M.G., to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart. -(Received May 18.) (Secret.) Sir,

Newera Eliya, Ceylon, April 23, 1878.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge your despatch of the 20th ultimo,* marked Secret, relative to the defence of the Colony.

2. The three ports of this Colony which especially require protection, on account of the large interests in them, are Colombo, Galle, and Trincomalee. At Colombo, which has a population of 100,000 souls, there are the public Treasury, the banks, and the stores, shops, and varied merchandize which might be expected to be found in a city which is at once the capital of the island and its chief commercial port. There are almost always numbers of ships in the roadstead, and there are large stores of coal for steamer and railway uses on shore. At Galle, which has a population of 50,000, there are large stocks of coal belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, and for steamer use generally. There are usually several steamers and other vessels in the harbour. At Trincomalee, which has now a population of between 9,000 and 10,000, there is a naval dockyard and store,

3. There is very frequently a vessel of war at Trincomalee, but at present it is without that defence. The fort there is garrisoned by artillery and armed with sufficient guns to protect the naval stores from being laid under contribution by any privateer or small cruizer.

4. With respect to the protection of Colombo and Galle I have been in communica. tion with the Lieutenant-General commanding in Ceylon, who has anxiously considered what means would be most effectual for the protection of these ports and of the shipping in them. There are detachments of Her Majesty's 57th Regiment in garrison at both places, and General Street proposes to place such guns as are at his disposal in position to protect the harbours and shipping against attacks of the kind described in your despatch under reply. I inclose a memorandum I have received from the General on the subject, and in regard to the last paragraph I would beg to state that the guns which it is intended to place in position at Colombo will be taken round from Trincomalee in the "Serendib" in a few days. It is proposed to mount these guns, or some of them, on an earthwork or sandbag battery, to be thrown up on Mutwal Point for the protection of the harbour, but regarding this I shall make a further communication as soon as a final decision is taken.

I have, &c.

J. R. LONGDEN, Governor.

(Signed)

• No. 15.

[598 j

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

4

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO