(Confidential.) Sir,
112
No. 219.
War Office to Colonial Office.
War Office, July 4, 1878. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for War to acknowledge the receipt of the copies of the printed correspondence relating to the defence of the Colonies, which accom- panied your letter of the 25th ultimo.*
(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
I have, &c.
(Signed)
EUSTACE E. CECIL.
No. 220.
Colonial Office to Admiralty.
Downing Street, July 5, 1878. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th June,† stating that the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are not prepared to accede to the suggestion that they should undertake the charge and management of the torpedoes destined for certain Colonies.
2. In these circumstances, and with special reference to paragraph 3 of the letter from this Department of the 31st May, I am to request that the Lords Commissioners will 'favour Sir Michael Hicks Beach with their views as to the manner in which these torpedoes can be kept in a secure and efficient manner, as well as worked, should occasion arise.
I am, &c.
R. H. MEADE,
(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
(Signed)
No. 221.
Colonial Office to Treasury.
Downing Street, July 5, 1878. WITH reference to your letter of the 25th ultimo,§ I am directed by Sir Michael Hicks Beach to transmit to you the accompanying copy of a letter which, on the receipt of your letter of the 22nd May (Confidential), was addressed by bis directions to the Colonial Defence Committee on the subject of the apportionment between the various Colonial Governments and the Imperial Government of the cost of carrying out the recommen- dations of the Committee.
The Committee have already made a Preliminary Report, which, Sir Michael Hicks trusts, will enable him, on receipt of a communication from Sir Lintorn Simmons, who is now employed at Berlin, to deal with the question of cost so far as it relates to the Cape of Good Hope.
1
:
On Sir Lintorn Simmons' return to England the Committee will conclude their labours, but in the meantime the Secretary of State is decidedly of opinion that, even if the immediate call for these measures should pass away, the opportunity should nevertheless not be lost of placing in a suitable posture of defence those Colonies which have recently been the subject of correspondence between this Office and the Treasury.
I am to add that he does not anticipate any insuperable difficulty in holding the Crown Colonies to any fair apportionment of expenditure which he may decide upon, nor does he anticipate any opposition as regards Esquimalt and Victoria.
With regard, however, to Barbados, it may be desirable not to despatch any arms- ment until the Colony has agreed to bear its share of the expenditure; and the Secretary of State for War has been requested to afford Sir Michael Hicks Beach ample notice of the period at which it is intended to ship the armament for that Colony.
Sir,
113
No. 222.
Colonial Office to War Office.
(Secret and Confidential.)
Downing Street, July 5, 1878. WITH reference to your letter of the 14th ultimo, I am directed by Sir Michael Hicks Beach to transmit to you the accompanying extract from a letter from the Treasury, sanctioning the expenditure of 7,2001. at Tanjong Kutong, but reserving the question of its apportionment between the Imperial and Colonial Treasuries.
I am to take this opportunity of requesting that sufficient notice may be given of the time at which it is proposed to ship the armament for Barbados, as Sir Michael Hicks Beach has referred the general question of the apportionment of cost for the various works recommended for Colonial ports to the Colonial Defence Committee, and he thinks it may be desirable to come to some agreement with the Colony of Barbados before the guns, &c., are actually sent there,
I
am, &c.
(Signed)
R. H. MEADE.
No. 223.
The Marquis of Normanby to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.—(Received (Confidential.)
July 8.)
Sir,
Wellington, May 23, 1878. I FORWARD to you, in a separate cover, the copy of your cypher despatch dated the 25th April,+ and also a copy of the same despatch as repeated on the 6th May.
2. I regret to say that, as it originally arrived, it appeared quite unintelligible, but after twelve hours' work over it I succeeded in making out, to a certain extent, its meaning, and the repeated cypher made it quite clear.
3. 1 at once communicated with the Government, and I am happy to say that, as
I informed you by telegraph, they are quite prepared to carry out the proposed defences, and I have now the honour to inclose a copy of their Memorandum upon the subject.
4. I trust that no delay will have occurred in shipping the necessary armament and ammunition, as little can be done till that arrives, there being at present no guns in the Colony which would be of the slightest use for the purpose.
Inclosure in No. 223.
Memorandum.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
NORMANBY.
SIR GEORGE GREY presents his respectful compliments to the Marquis of Normanby. The New Zealand Ministers reply to Her Majesty's Government that the Colony will undertake expense of proposed armament. Her Majesty may rest assured that her New Zealand subjects will, in the event of any crisis, loyally and resolutely, in all respects, do their duty to their Queen and country.
Sir George Grey requests that the Marquis of Normanby will be so good as at once to telegraph a copy of this Memorandum to Her Majesty's Government for their information.
At Sea, May 4, 1878.
No. 224.
Governor Sir W. C. F. Robinson, K.C.M.G., to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart. (Confidential.)
Government House, Singapore, May 23, 1878. ADVERTING to the documents noted in the margin, of which copies are attached for easy reference, I bave now the honour to submit copies of correspondence showing the
I am, &c.
(Signed)
R. H. MEADE.
Sir,
• No. 198.
↑ No. 212.
↑ No. 188.
§ No. 197.
No. 125.
• No. 172.
[795]
+ No. 49.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
mmimmi mC.O. 885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE
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