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arrangement might not be acceptable to the local Governments, which it would deprive of a considerable amount of patronage and expenditure of public money, and it might possibly be inconvenient to the Home Government to be called upon to detach fleets or troops for the security of Colonies on the outbreak of a war, when it would no doubt be fully occu- pied with the care of Imperial interests. At the same time, bearing in mind that whilst the mother-country cannot resign her responsibility for the protection of her dependencies in time of war, and that the ill-defined nature of this responsibility may give rise to com- plications of a most serious nature-witness the recent case at the Cape-I venture to think that any scheme which offers a chance of relief from such embarrassments is not altogether undeserving of consideration.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

No. 348.

H. ST. GEORGE ORD.

(Secret and Confidential.)

Sir,

Colonial Office to War Office.

Downing Street, October 22, 1878. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, in accordance with the request contained in your Secret and Confidential letter of the 16th instant,* a copy of the Reports of the Colonial Defence Committee, together with the cor- respondence relating thereto, for the use of the Intelligence Department of the War Office; and I am to request that you will state to Secretary Colonel Stanley that these papers are furnished on the understanding that they will be kept strictly confidential and under proper safeguards.

No. 349.

I ain, &c.

(Signed)

R. H. MEADE.

Colonial Office to Admiral Sir A. Milne, Bart.

(Secret and Confidnetial.) Sir,

Downing Street, October 28, 1878. WITH reference to previous correspondence, I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, for the consideration of the Colonial Defence Com- mittee, a copy of a letter which he caused to be addressed to the Foreign Office on the subject of the possibility of utilizing Hong Kong as a recruiting ground for raising Chinese regiments for the Queen's service in India or elsewhere, together with a copy of the reply which has now been received to that letter.†

I am, &c.

(Signed)

No. 350.

ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.

Colonial Office to Admiral Sir A. Milne, Bart.

(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,

Downing Street, November 12, 1878. WITH reference to your letter of the 1st June‡ and previous correspondence, I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, for any observations which the Colonial Defence Committee may wish to make, the accompanying copy of a despatch from the Governor of Western Australia on the defence of the Colony.§

I am, &c.

(Signed)

ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.

* No. 345.

Nos. 312A and 346.

‡ No. 150.

§ No. 347.

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