CAB7-1 — Page 131

Page 131

146

might be entertained, with a view to increasing the garrison of Ceylon; but for the present, there being no immediate prospect of war, the Committee are of opinion that it would be prudent to limit the action to the extent required for placing the defences of Hong Kong on a better footing.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

HENRY BARKLY, Acting President.

No. 259.

Governor Sir H. St. G. Ord, R.E., K.C.M.G., C.B., to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart.—(Received July 29.)

(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,

Government House, Perth, June 17, 1878.

I HAD the honour to receive yesterday your despatch, Secret and Confidential, of the 26th April, 1878,* covering the second Report of the Colonial Defence Committee on the temporary defence of the Australian Colonies.

2. I notice that it is stated in this Report that the attention of the Committee has been called by Sir W. Jervois to the fact that if the mail steamer, which sometimes contains very valuable freights of gold, are required to call at King George's Sound, it will become a point at which, in time of war, an enemy's cruiser or privateer might lay in wait for them with a view to their capture.

3. On this the Committee remark that as they cannot recommend permanent defence and a large garrison at Imperial cost for the protection of King George's Sound, they suggest for consideration whether, in the event of war, the mail steamers should not cease to call at King George's Sound, and some other arrangements be made for the trans- shipping of the mails to Perth.

4. In the second paragraph of your despatch you inform me-I presume in reference to this suggestion-that you are in communication with the Admiralty on the subject of King George's Sound.

5. You will have received, long before this despatch reaches you, a telegram from me, stating that I felt called upon to bring to your notice that, in the present state of public feeling in the Colony, the announcement of any intention on the part of the Government to deprive them of their present mail communication would almost certainly lead to a pronouncement in favour of responsible Government. As I have not lately made any communications to you on this subject, you will, perhaps, be surprised at this statement, but the explanation of this omission is attributable to the extreme rapidity with which the feeling in favour of a change in the constitution has proceeded within the last few weeks, and is still, I fear, proceeding. As I have stated in a former despatch, I noticed on my arrival that there existed, especially in the rural districts, a wide spreading belief that the administration of its affairs by the Colonial Office was very injurious to the Colony, and this led to the cry being raised for responsible Government. When I arrived I thought I saw a disposition to give the Government a fair trial and not to press the point unless it failed to remedy the grievances under which the Colony was supposed to labour, and I directed my efforts to securing this result; and so far as some of the leading promoters of the scheme were concerned, I met with considerable success, but no sooner did this success become apparent from their remarks at public entertainments where I was received, than the two newspapers which have fostered the movement took alarm, and have recently availed themselves of every opportunity of impressing on the public that the Governor, with the best intentions, can do nothing beneficial for the Colony so long as it remains under its present form of Government, and that there is but one course open to it, to insist during the present Session on a Bill being introduced for its alteration.

6. There have been three elections during the past three months, and in each case a candidate favourable to responsible Government has been returned; the last is Mr. Parker, who has been elected for Perth (which has hitherto supported two candidates opposed to the measure), under a pledge to introduce a Bill for altering the constitution during the present Session.

7. What the result of this proposal will be I cannot venture to predict; parties are still somewhat evenly balanced, but the constant repetition of the statement that a change is absolutely needed and should be no longer deferred can hardly be without its effect upon some of the more nervous members, and it will not surprise me if it should be carried.

* No. 53

Page 131

Page 131

Page 131