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Frontier Armed and Mounted Police, whom it is proposed to call hepceforth, "The Cape Mounted Rifles." If occasion should require, ample reinforcements can be supplied by the organized volunteers and burghers.

It is proposed that each regiment shall finally reach 1,000 in number. The head-quarters of the first, which it is intended shall be composed of men of the divisions of King William's Town, East London, Victoria East, Peddie, Albany, Bathurst, and Alexandria, is to be stationed at King William's Town. The second will have its head-quarters at Queen's Town, and will comprise men of that division and of the divisions of Wodehouse, Fort Beaufort, Stockenstrom, Bedford, Cradock, Albert, and Aliwal North. The third will rendevouz at Uitenhage, and be raised from the men of that division, and of Graaff-Reinet, Somerset Fast, Port Elizabeth, and Humansdorp.

The Governor, however, may change any of the head-quarters if it should appear advisable to do so.

The Bill authorizes the Governor, who will be the Commander-in-chief, to appoint a Commandant-General of all the Colonial forces, who will be responsible for their efficiency. For this officer provision was made in the last session of Parliament.

The enrolment in the yeomaury will be voluntary, but, as the effectiveness of the force would be wholly impaired by resignations and continued changes, recruits will be Each man will have such liberal annual required to enrol for three years certain.

allowance as Parliament may provide, the payment of which will bind him to keep in good order and condition a suitable horse, saddle, and bridle. There will be local drill, and rifle or artillery practice, once a month, at the different towns and villages most con- venient to the nen serving; and each regiment is to be called out for general muster for training at head-quarters, or some other convenient place or places, once in each year, for a period of not more than five consecutive days. Each man is to receive pay, rations, and forage for these days, and the same will be continued when the regiments are called out for actual service so long as the service lasts; but no pay, rations, or forage will be given for the one day musters, as they will take place close to the men's homes.

Regulations are to be made by the Governor in Council respecting arms, ammuni- tion, accoutrements, discipline, and the like, and these regulations will from time to time be laid before Parliament.

The 21st, 22nd, and 23rd sections of the Bill impose penalties for the suppression of certain offences against discipline, the suppression of such offences being absolutely neces sary to the maintenance of the force.

In time of active service the articles of War will apply to this as well as other corps which may be called out, but flogging is not permitted.

A suitable permanent staff of commissioned and non-commissioned officers and clerks necessary for maintaining the efficiency of the force is provided for each regiment, at such rate of pay as Parliament may provide; and the Commandant-General will, under his responsibility for the efficiency of the forces, of course utilise the services of such staff to the best advantage, so as to secure effectiveness amongst the members of the several regiments. Power is also given to the Governor to issue Commissions as officers to residents within the several districts mentioned.

The commanding officer, as permanent head of the regiment, will have the nomina- tion of non-commissioned officers; but he will not have the power of reduction to the ranks unless upon the judgment of a regimental .court-martial.

Persons who shall be enrolled shall not absent themselves from any monthly or general muster unless they have obtained leave of absence from the commanding officer, or unless the absence be caused by illness. Courts of inquiry into complaints can be summoned by the Governor.

The Burgher Bill embodies most of the amendments of the Select Committee appointed during the last session of Parliament. Under its provisions the burgher lists are to be framed by the field-cornets, to whom it is proposed to give a moderate remunera. tion for their services. The lists having been framed, they are to be forwarded to the Civil Commissioner of the district, who will hold a Court for hearing objections.

The burghers shall elect their field-captains or deputies, and the field-captains shall elect the field-commandants.

The Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, shall be at liberty to call out the burgher force or portion thereof for service in any part of the Colony whenever he may think fit, and with the same advice he shall be at liberty to call them out for training or inspection.

Such pay as Parliament may provide shall be given to burghers while in actual service, compensation shall be made to burghers losing their horses or accoutrements in war, and pensions may be given to the families of burghers killed in action.

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The burgher lists shall be in the form annexed to the Act, in order to enable the Government to select from the list such burghers as they deem fit to be entrusted with

arms.

In cas a portion only of the burgher force be called out, substitutes are allowed. The Volunteer Bill provides for greater effectiveness in the volunteer forces, and gives power to the Governor, acting by and with the advice of the Executive Council, to call out the volunteers for service in any part of the Colony. Provision is, however, made for relieving volunteers after a reasonable term of service, and it will of course rest with the volunteers themselves to arrange by their internal regulations how such reliefs may be best provided, and also to settle, by ballot or otherwise, the order in which men

shall serve.

In time of active service the Articles of war shall apply to the volunteers as well as to all other Colonial forces.

It is proposed to form the volunteers into battalions, and to appoint one of the field-officers to assist the Commandant-General of Colonial Forces generally in his dealings with the forces. Regulations as to the management of the different corps shall be hereafter laid before Parliament. The Bill for the remodelling of the Frontier Armed and Mounted Police is a consolidation of various Acts regulating that force, which hence- forth is to be designated "The Cape Mounted Rifles." There are some alterations in the powers given by the repealed Acts, as, for instance, in the enactment which enabled dismissal without appeal. By the proposed Act, every sentence of dismissal will be subject to the approval of the Governor or Commander-in-Chief of the Colonial forces.

The new force will be divided into two wings, each under the control of competent officers, and no promotion can take place until test examination has been passed.

The new force will be available for military as well as civil duties.

No. 148.

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

(Secret and Confidential.)

Sir,

Committee Room, Whitehall, May 31, 1878.

I AM requested by the Colonial Defence Committee to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd May,* transmitting a copy of a letter from Mr. Kennelly, having reference to the port of Louisburg, Cape Breton.

The Committee have carefully considered the representations of Mr. Kennelly, as contained in his letter of the 18th May,† and repeated verbally at an interview on the 27th instant, in which he favoured the Committee with his views in detail.

The most important fact relating to Louisburg is that owing to its position on the south-east coast of Cape Breton, the harbour, like that of Halifax, remains open during the winter months at a time when Sydney and other ports are closed with ice. It is also connected by railway with the coal-fields and with Sydney, where, at the present time, the whole of the coal raised in Cape Breton is shipped.

It is intended, with the assistance of this railway, which has only lately been completed, to make Louisburg a coaling port; but the necessary wharves have not yet been built, and as yet no store of coal has been accumulated there.

It may be mentioned that at the time of the French occupation Louisburg was strongly fortified. It was captured by a combined sea and land attack, after a siege of forty-four days in 1745, after which the fortifications were razed and have never since been reconstructed.

The population consists only of fishermen, who inhabit the site of the old town, but there are no commercial establishments nor buildings of consequence on the shores of the harbour.

Under these circumstances the Committee are of opinion that it is unnecessary to provide any special means for its defence at the present time, although some defence may become desirable hereafter, should the expectations above referred to be realized.· ́

It would be sufficient for the present not to encourage the formation of any consider- able depot of coal. The railway has, however, some bearing upon the port of Sydney, upon the defence of which the Committee have already submitted their recommendations; and it is in their opinion important, in the event of war and on the appearance in any force of an enemy off the port of Louisburg, that steps should be taken to deny him the use

* No. 129 of Miscellaneous, 35 E.

+ No. 112 of same Paper.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

PET CO. 885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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