192.
No. 205.
Colonial Office to the Secretary to the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, to War Office, and to Admiralty.
Downing Street, April 17, 1880.
Sir,
IN continuation of the letter from this Départment of the 31st March, I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, to be laid before the Royal Commissioners on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, Secretary of State for War,
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, printed copies of a further despatch† from the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, inclosing a minute from his Ministers on the Reports and Estimates drawn up by the military members of the local Commission on the defence of that Colony.
I am, &c.
No. 206.
(Signed)
JOHN BRAMSTON.
Colonial Office to the Secretary to the Royal Commission on the Defence of British
Possessions and Commerce Abroad, Admiralty, and War Office.
Downing Street, April 19, 1880.
Sir,
WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 13th January last, I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, to be laid before the Royal Commissioners on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, three copies in print of the Report of Colonel Lovell, Royal Engineers, on the defences of Esquimalt and Victoria Harbours, and other points in British Columbia.
I am to add that copies of the Report have also been sent to the
War Office and Admiralty,
Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad and
·
Ditto,
War Office. ditto, and Admiralty.
[§ The original Report which accompanied your letter of the 18th March || is herewith returned, as requested.]
No. 207.
I am, &c. (Signed)
JOHN BRAMSTON.
The Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bart., to Governor-General the Marquis of Lorne, K.T.
(General.) My Lord,
Downing Street, April 22, 1880.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's despatch No. 94 of the 31st March, inclosing a Report of the Privy Council and of the Superintendent of the Canadian Government Telegraph and Signal Service with reference to the establishment of telegraphic communication between England and Bermuda, and I have to inform you that the opinion expressed in Mr. Gisborne's Report will be borne in mind if it should bereafter be decided to take measures for connecting Bermuda with British North America.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
M. E. HICKS BEACH.
193
No. 208.
Governor Hennessy, C.M.G., to the Right Hon. Sir Michael E. Hicks Beach, Bart.-
(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,
(Received April 22.)
Government House, Hong Kong, March 16, 1880. SINCE my de patch of the 6th instant was written, inclosing the Report of the Local Committee on the proposed scheme of supplementing our small Imperial force by recruits to be raised in the Colony, the Naval Commander-in-chief on the China Station, Vice- Admiral Coote, C.B., returned to Hong Kong. As I referred, in paragraph 10 of my despatch, to the views of the Naval Authorities, that is, the views of Commodore Smith, R.N., and Captain Cleveland, R. N., of the "Iron Duke," I took the liberty of sending Admiral Coote a copy of the Report of the Committee and the principal papers connected with the inquiry, including Major-General Donovan's dissent from the recom- mendation of the Committee as to employing any Chinese for combatant purposes, and a copy of my despatch for any observations he might think fit to favour me with.
2. I have the honour to lay before you a copy of my letter to him and of his reply. It is satisfactory to see that, broadly speaking, he concurs in the views of the Committee in their Report as to trying the experiment of employing Chinese for combatant purposes. I agree with the Admiral in thinking that the Hakkahs are the best available material for this purpose.
(Secret and Confidential.)
Šir,
I have, &c.
(Signed) J. POPE HENNESSY.
Inclosure in No. 208.
Government House, Hong Kong, March 12, 1880. DURING your Excellency's absence in the southern part of your command, a Secret Committee, appointed under instructions from Sir Michael Hicks Beach to consider the possibility of raising a local force for the defence of Hong Kong, sent some questions to the Senior Naval Officer then in Hong Kong, Commodore Smith, R.N., and to Captain Cleveland, R.N., of the "Iron Duke.' I presume those officers have mentioned this to
you, and that you are aware of their views.
2. To complete your information as to the proceedings of the Committee, I now send you 'its Report, and the observations of General Donovan upon it.
3. I also send you Sir Michael Hicks Beach's despatch under which I appointed the Committee, a despatch from Sir Thomas Wade (30th September, 1878), a despatch from the War Office (8th January, 1879), and some other papers, including my despatch to Her Majesty's Government transmitting the Report of the Committee (6th March, 1880).
4. In the latter you will see the opinions I have ventured to express on the defence
of Hong Kong, and the possibility of raising a local force here for that purpose.
5. No doubt your Excellency is in direct communication with Her Majesty's Govern- ment on this important subject, and from our many conversations I believe I have rightly gathered your general views respecting it, but it would be of manifest advantage if you would kindly read the inclosed papers and favour me with any observations you might think fit to make upon them.
6. As they are mostly originals, I should be glad to get them back as soon as conve- nient.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. POPE HENNESSY.
His Excellency Admiral Coote, C.B.,
Naval Commander-in-Chief, China,
&c.
&c.
&c.
• No. 208.
[1093]
3 E
• No. 189.
t No. 191.
↑ No. 96.
To War Office only.
No. 177.
No. 199.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO]
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