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If any expenditure, not described by any one of the above sub-heads, is expected, it should be shown in an additional sub-head or sub-heads, and full details should be supplied of the amount estimated for incidental expenses.

In order that there may be no omissions from the estimates, I am to request that the Secretary of the Commission may be desired to take special care that all expenditure which can be foreseen may be provided for.

I am to add that the estimates should be accompanied by a statement, for the information of Parliament, of the present progress and probable duration and total expenses of the Commission, also showing the date on which the Commission commenced, the period for which it was originally appointed, and the term of any subsequent extension.

I am, (Signed)

&c.

R. R. W. LINGEN.

No. 102.

Sir,

57

No. 104.

Colonial Office to the Secretary to the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad.

Downing Street, December 10, 1880. WITH reference to your letter of the 15th October last,* I am directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, for the information of the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, a copy of a letter from the War Office respecting the proposed establishment of direct telegraphic communication between Mauritius and this country. I am also to inclose a copy of a despatch‡ which has been addressed to the Acting Governor of Mauritius on the subject.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

No. 105.

ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.

Sir,

War Office to Colonial Office.

War Office, December 10, 1880.

I HAVE laid before the Secretary of State for War your letter, dated the 25th June last, with its inclosed correspondence, relative to the question of raising a Canadian contingent for the Imperial reserve.

In reply, I am to acquaint you, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that, after giving the subject of Lord Lorne's despatch careful consideration, it appears to Mr. Childers that the proposal which it contains raises a question of primary importance, not referring to Canada only, but to all Her Majesty's Possessions beyond the seas. That question is, whether it is expedient that Her Majesty's Government should defray the cost, and, as a consequence, undertake the control of any local forces; whether in the nature of a standing army, or of militia, or of reserves, raised and serving in a Colony, especially in a Colony enjoying responsible Government.

I am to state that, in Mr. Childers' opinion, the financial is not the most weighty element of this important question, which deeply concerns the future organization of the military power of the Empire, and that, standing alone, the proposal of Lord Lorne appears not very practical, but that its discussion should be preceded by a decision on the larger question.

Colonial Office to the Secretary to the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad.

Sir,

Downing Street, December 11, 1880. I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, to be laid before the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, a copy of a letter from the Treasury,§ requesting to be furnished, at as early a date as possible, with an estimate of the probable expenditure in 1881-82 of the Commission, and also with a statement of the progress of the inquiry intrusted to the Commission, and its probable duration.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.

No. 106.

Sir,

I have, &c. (Signed)

RALPH THOMPSON.

No. 103.

The Right Hon. the Earl of Kimberley to Lieutenant-Governor Broome, C.M.G.

HER Majesty's Government have had the despatches under their consideration which

Downing Street, December 10, 1880. Sir G. F. Bowen has addressed to this Department on the subject of the proposed establishment of direct telegraphic communication between Mauritius and this country, as well as your letter of the 13th April last on this subject. I have also consulted the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad.

Although there can be no question that the establishment of telegraphic communi- cation with Mauritius would be of great value to the administration and commerce of Mauritius, and would materially assist the defence of public and private interests in time of war, Her Majesty's Government are not of opinion that existing circumstances would justify the grant of a large subsidy from Imperial funds; and as the unaided resources of the Colony could apparently not bear the cost, I fear that the proposal must, for the present at least, remain in abeyance.

I have, &c. (Signed)

KIMBERLEY.

Sir,

The Secretary to the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad to Colonial Office.

13, Delahay Street, December 16, 1880.

I AM directed by the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 11th December, and to submit, for the information of the Treasury, the inclosed estimate of expenses of the Commission for the ensuing financial year, together with a statement of its present position.

The estimate now submitted being based on the experience of the year which has elapsed since the appointment of the Commission, it is anticipated that the amounts asked for will cover all expenses; but I am to observe that there is some uncertainty as to the sum required under the head of travelling, for which the past year affords no guide.

Up to the present time the expense incurred under this head has been trifling. The Commissioners have as yet had no occasion to travel long distances; the expenses of witnesses from distant Colonies have not fallen upon the Commission, and in many instances witnesses from different parts of the United Kingdom have attended gratuitously. It is not improbable, however, that the requirements of the Commission may call for a larger expenditure in travelling during the next financial year, though there are at present no means of foreseeing its amount. The expenditure may, as in the present year, be inconsiderable; it may, on the other hand, be necessary to exceed the estimated sum of 1,0007.

The estimate does not include the cost of printing, of materials supplied by the Stationery Office, and charts furnished by the Admiralty. Charges of this nature for the year 1881-82 will not differ materially from those of the same kind incurred in the current The principal items under the head of incidental expenses are newspapers, telegrams, drawing materials not supplied by the Stationery Office, and luncheons.

year.

• No. 25.

+ No. 201 of "Miscellaneous No. 99."

• No. 80.

[508]

† No. 96.

‡ No. 103.

§ No. 101.

|| No. 105.

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58

With regard to the progress of the inquiry since the appointment of the Commission on the 8th September, 1879, I am to state that a large amount of important evidence has been taken, and that the Commission have considered generally the subject referred to them, and have taken measures to obtain information which they require to enable them to deal with the different branches in detail, so as to be in a position to make their recom- mendations complete; they have also reported on some special points upon which their opinion was desired by the Admiralty, Colonial Office, and War Office.

The Commission hope that their labours may not be prolonged beyond the end of the ensuing financial year, but, looking to the magnitude of the inquiry and the time necessarily taken up in communicating with remote stations, they consider it is not.impro- bable that they may be extended beyond that period, their termination depending entirely upon the rapidity with which the information they require may be furnished, and its sufficiency.

The total expenses of the Commission must, of course, depend upon its duration, and also very materially upon the amount which may have to be spent in travelling, and which, as stated above, cannot yet be foreseen. It is, therefore, impossible at this stage to give any estimate which would be of real value.

Salarice

Travelling

Shorthand writing Incidentals

Total

I have, &c. (Signed)

ESTIMATE FOR 1881-82.

::::

No. 107.

War Office to Colonial Office.

::::

HERBERT JEKYLL.

£

950

1,000

200

150

2,300

Sir,

War Office, December 17, 1880. IN reply to your letter of the 4th ultimo,* in regard to the question of the command of Colonial troops when associated with Imperial troops, I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to acquaint you, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that Mr. Childers will be glad if the opinion of the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad on this question can be procured quickly.

I have, &c. (Signed)

RALPH THOMPSON.

No. 108.

War Office to Colonial Office.

Central Department, War Office, December 18, 1880.

Sir,

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Childers to forward herewith, for the information of the Earl of Kimberley, the accompanying Memorandum, which has been received from Lieutenant-General Sir E. Selby Smyth, on the subject of Canadian regular regiments, an Imperial reserve in Canada, and the localization of the 100th Royal Canadian Regiment in that Colony; and, in laying the same before Lord Kimberley, I am to request that state to his Lordship that Mr. Childers fears the proposals therein contained would be found impracticable.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

* No. 92.

you

will

RALPH THOMPSON.

لان

Inclosure in No. 108.

Memorandum.

IN a recent communication from Canada, I have been requested to submit the following points for the consideration of his Royal Highness the Field Marshal Commanding- in-chief:-

1. Supposing that, according to the plan proposed in my annual Reports to Parliament in 1878 and 1880, a small force of regulars were raised in Canada, and the services of one or more regiments were given to England, on condition she should send a regiment to Canada, would the Imperial Government consent that the British regiment stationed in Canada should be as much under the control of the Governor-General in Council as the Canadian battalion serving in England would be under the control of the Home Government ?

The Canadian Government want any regular troops they might raise to be disposable for civil disturbances; and the rotation proposed could not be carried out except on the understanding that the battalion given up for Imperial service be replaced by a British line battalion, to be used by them as their own battalions would be.

2. A three years' service with the Imperial army was proposed for the Canadian battalion. How could this three years' service be made conformable to the home shifts for Indian and Colonial service ?

Note. It was only conceived that the rotation should be between Canada and England alternately, except in the case of war in Europe.

3. What would be the incidence of transport expenses ?

Note. My Report, grounded on the knowledge of Canada's inability to incur much expense, proposed that the British Admiralty transport service should perform this duty.

In pp. 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 of my annual Report to the Dominion Parliament, dated the 1st January, 1880, the question of raising three regular battalions of infantry in Canada, with a three years' rotation system between that country and Great Britain, was sketched out for consideration. In the same pages the subject of an Imperial reserve to be raised and maintained in Canada for general service was likewise dwelt upon.

As several copies of that Report were sent to the Imperial Government by his Excellency the Governor-General, a reference to it will demonstrate the nature of the plans proposed.

They were, in short, to the effect that, for financial considerations, a period of three years should be allowed to complete three full battalions of eight companies cach, and eighty men per company, the battalion serving in England to be paid while so employed by the Army Estimates, and transported each way at Imperial cost, with the view that the mother country should encourage and aid that important dependency of the Crown.

The Imperial reserve was contemplated to consist at first of about 4,000 men, and I submitted a complete Memorandum in detail to the Canadian Government on that head on the 27th March, 1880. This was further supplemented by a copious Memorandum on the 24th April, 1880, called for by his Excellency the Governor-General. I retain copies of these Memoranda.

I am still of opinion that an Imperial reserve would be successful in Canada. I am now, however, less sanguine about the formation of three permanent corps.

Since I have had the honour of discussing that question at home, I am persuaded it would be nearly hopeless to expect a rotation with a regiment of the line, for obvious

reasons.

I am told also that difficulties not easily surmounted would lie in the way of a periodical relief of Canadian battalions for home duty, and so the important benefit of a tour of service in home camps or garrisons with British troops would not be attainable.

Since leaving Canada I have been reliably informed that every newspaper of note, from Halifax to the Great Lakes, has strongly written against the organization of regular battalions. Money is said to be the foundation of the opposition, as well as a feeling of jealousy that expensive battalions of regular troops would sap the resources and supersede the standing militia of the Dominion. This is of course entirely a matter for the consideration of the Government.

I bave already frequently pointed out, from practical experience and observation on the spot, the unfairness of calling upon militia battalions periodically to risk a collision with the inhabitants of cities in which they reside, when required to quell riots, in which there may be relatives and friends in hostility on both sides. I do not hesitate to repeat that a small force of regular troops is therefore highly necessary for internal protection and home duties in Canada.