(Secret and Confidential.)
Sir,
14
No. 16.
Colonial Office to War Office.
Downing Street, March 13, 1879.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to request that you will inform Secretary Colonel Stanley that he would be glad to be furnished with six copies of General Sir Lintorn Simmons' Confidential Memorandum on the subject of the defence of the Colonies which accompanied your Confidential letter of the 16th January.*
(Confidential.) Sir,
I am, &c.
(Signed)
ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.
No. 17.
War Office to Colonial Office.
War Office, March 19, 1879.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for War to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th instant,† and, in reply, to transmit the inclosed six copies of General Sir Lintorn Simmons' Confidential Memorandum on the defence of the Colonies, as requested by you.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
RALPH THOMPSON.
No. 18.
15
Inclosure in No. 18.
SUMMARY of Colonial Ports the Defence of which has been considered by the Colonial Defence Committee.
Colony.
Port.
Simon's Bay Cape Town
Cape Colony
Natal Mauritius Ceylon
Straits Settlements
Labuan
Hong Kong
Western Australia
South Australia Victoria
New South Wales
Queensland
Port Elizabeth
Durban Port Louis Trincomalee
Galle.. Colombo
Singapore Penaug
Victoria
Hong Kong
Perth..
King George's Sound
Remarks.
Temporary defences provided by Imperial Government. Recommendations of Committee being carried out. Secretary of State for Colonies decided not to under-
take defence.
Committee submitted suggestions for defence. Recommendations of Committee being carried out.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
A
Defence not recommended. Ditto.
Recommendations of Committee being carried out. Committee submitted suggestions for defence. Defence not recommended.
Defence provided for by the Colony,
Adelaide
Melbourne
Ditto.
..
Sydney
Ditto.
Newcastle
Ditto.
Brisbane
Ditto.
Tasmania
Hobart Town
Ditto
Launceston
Ditto.
New Zealand
Auckland
Wellington
Nelson
Ditto.
Port Lyttelton
Ditto.
Otago..
Ditto.
British Columbia
Victoria
Defence recommended and accepted by Colony. > Ditto.
Admiral Sir A. Milne, Bart., G.C.B., to Colonial Office.
(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
Committee Room, Whitehall, April 9, 1879.
I AM desired by the members of the Committee which was nominated in the month of March of last year "to inquire and report as to the defences of the more important Colonial ports," to inform you that the Committee at once met and continued their inquiries during the months of March, April, May, and June, and submitted from time to time, and with as little delay as possible, their reports and recommendations for the temporary defences of the Colonial ports, as per the inclosed return.
When, however, the prospect of war had evidently passed, a letter was addressed to you by me on the 4th January last, stating that, as the recommendations which had been submitted were entirely of a temporary character to meet a sudden and pressing want, it would, in the opinion of the Committee, be advisable, with the view of saving future expense, if some of these defences at the more important Colonial ports were so far altered or
exended as to convert them into permanent works.
The Committee have not yet received any reply to this communication, and the members are unable to enter on the important question referred to them, respecting the apportionment of the expense of the defences between the Imperial and Colonial Govern- ments, until they are acquainted with the decision of Her Majesty's Government respecting any alterations in these temporary defences.
The members of the Committee have requested me to make their views known to you for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and would request your further instructions as to their proceedings.
I have, &c.
(Signed) ALEX. MILNE, President.
• No. 4.
† No. 16.
No. 2.
New Brunswick
Cape Breton
Prince Edward Island Newfoundland
West Indies-
Jamaica
Barbados
Tobago
British Honduras
Babamas
frinidad
St. Helena
Esquimmault Nanaimo
St. John Pictou Sydney
Louisburg. Charlottetown
St. John's
Defence recommended, and partially carried out by
Dominion Government.
Ditto.
Committee submitted suggestions for defence.
Defence recommended.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Defence not recommended.
...Defence recommended.
....! Defence recommended and partially carried out.
Port Royal and Kingston..
Bridgetown
Scarborough
Belize..
Recommendations of Committee being carried out. '
Ditto.
Defence not recommended.
Ditto.
Nassau
I Ditto.
Port of Spain
James Town
West African Settlements Sierra Leone
Gold Const Heligoland Malta
Sir,
Cape Coast Castle
++
Ditto.
Recommendations of Committee being carried out.
Defence recommended, but postponed by Secretary of
State.
Defence not recommended.
Ditto
Formation of a loenl force recommended.
No. 19.
War Office to Colonial Office.
War Office, April 18, 1879. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for War to transmit to you, to be laid before the Secretary of State for the Colonies, a copy of a despatch from Lieutenant- General Lord Chelmsford respecting the defences of the Table Mountain Peninsula.
I am to state that Colonel Stanley concurs in the views expressed by Lord Chelmsford, viz. (1.) that the defence of the two towns-Cape Town and Simon's Town should be considered as a whole, and not separately; and (2) that, in order to carry this practically into effect, the forces provided for their defence should be placed under the command of the officer commanding Her Majesty's forces in South Africa.
The Secretary of State for War, recognizing the principle that the defence of Simon's Town from attack by sca must form a charge against Imperial funds, would desire to
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