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Appendix No. 4.

CEYLON.

164

Inclosure 3 in No. 56.

War Office to Colonial Office.

Sir,

War Office, July 7, 1881. I HAVE laid before the Secretary of State for War your letter of the 30th June,* with its inclosed copy of a despatch from the Lieutenant-Governor of Ceylon, reporting the inauguration of a Rifle Volunteer Corps in that island.

In reply I am to acquaint you, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that the scheme appears to Mr. Childers to be satisfactory.

Inclosure 4 in No. 56.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

RALPH THOMPSON.

Sir,

The Earl of Kimberley to the Officer Administering the Government of Ceylon,

Downing Street, July 13, 1881.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 25th May last, and to approve of the steps you have taken in the formation of a Rifle Volunteer Corps.

I have to request you to inform me whether it is intended that the Adjutant of this corps should be entitled to any of the privileges that belong to the Government service in respect of pension or otherwise.

No. 57.

I have, &c. (Signed)

KIMBERLEY.

Sir,

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

Downing Street, December 16, 1881.

I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, to be laid before the Royal Com- mission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, a copy of a despatch from the Governor of Ceylon, inclosing a copy of the Report, with plans, of the local Commission appointed to consider the question of the defences of that Colony.

2. I am also to transmit to you a copy of a despatch from the Lieutenant-Governor of Mauritius,‡ inclosing the Report of the Local Committee on the Defences of the Seychelles Islands.

3. I am to request that when the accompanying Reports are printed, the Royal Commissioners will be good enough to cause this Department to be furnished with twelve copies of each for the use of the Colonial Office, and for transmission to the War Office and Admiralty.

I am, &c. (Signed)

R. H. MEADE,

(Secret.) My Lord,

Inclosure 1 in No. 57.

Governor Sir J. R. Longden to the Earl of Kimberley.

Queen's House, Colombo, Ceylon, November 15, 1881. WITH reference to my despatch of the 28th September, marked Secret, reporting that I had issued a Commission appointing Lieutenant-Governor Douglas, C.M.G., Captain King, R.N., Colonel Warren, R.E., Colonel Smart, R.A., Lieutenant-Colonel Armitage, Ceylon Volunteers, and Lieutenant Rogers, R.N., to inquire and report upon the measures necessary for the defence of certain places in Ceylon, I have now the honour to inclose a copy of the Report made by the said Commission, together with separate Memoranda by Colonel Warren, R.E., by Colonel Smart, R.A., and conjointly by Captain King, R.N., and Lieutenant Rogers, R.N.

Some days have been unavoidably occupied since the date of the Report in completing some of the details, and I desire to lose no time in laying it before your Lordship, together with the accompany- ing plans, but I ask leave to make some remarks upon the Report at a future time.

I have caused copies to be furnished to Rear-Admiral Gore Jones, commanding on the East India Station, and to Major-General Wilby, C.B., commanding the troops in Ceylon.

I have, &c. (Signed)

J. R. LONGDEN.

*Inclosure 2 in No. 56.

+ Inclosure 1 in No. 56.

* No. 66.

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