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my predecessors. On the contrary, I need hardly say that it contains one of the most important Appendix No. 4- depots of shipping and commercial harbours in the Empire, and that it is a first class naval station.
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10. In addition to expressing my concurrence with the Committee and the naval authorities as to making a beginning of a local force of Chinese, I strongly recommend Her Majesty's Government to rely more on floating forts, such as the iron-clad "Wivern now coming out, and on torpedo defence, than on a costly scheme of numerous land batteries, and, as a necessary consequence, a considerable increase of the garrison.
11. The existing little Volunteer corps I shall endeavour to improve, in accordance with the suggestions of the Committee. I contemplate also submitting for your approval a plan for forming a torpedo Volunteer corps, to utilize, when necessary, for defensive purposes, the numerous fleet of steam-launches we have in this harbour.
12. With reference to forming a local corps of Chinese, whether we begin with one company or with a battalion, I would venture to draw your attention to the evidence given by Lieutenant-General Sir Hope Grant before a Committee of the House of Commons in 1866, in which (questions 2160-2164) he recommended the raising of Chinese troops for the defence of Hong Kong, adding that he would have English officers for such troops, but that the non-commissioned officers should be Chinese. Whilst fully aware of the very bad characters to be found in Hong Kong at that time, General Sir Hope Grant, who saw how Chinese can fight, and had experience of the fidelity and courage of those he had employed, said he considered them next to Europeans as fighting men. "I think," he says, "the Chinese have the making of a very fine class of soldiers," and he gives his reasons for preferring them to Indian troops for garrisoning Hong Kong.
13. Not only do I concur with General Sir Hope Grant in thinking that the Chinese in this Colony should furnish the material for its defence in the shape of soldiers, but, looking to the loyalty and wealth of the Chinese now in Hong Kong, I believe Her Majesty's Government might count with confidence on obtaining from the local community the whole of the requisite funds to pay for such troops and for the floating batteries I have referred to.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
J. POPE HENNESSY.
HONG KONG.
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Inclosure 2 in No. 88.
Colonel Stuart to Governor Hennessy.
(Secret and Confidential Committee.)
Sir,
Hong Kong, February 17, 1880.
I HAVE the honour to forward herewith the Report and proceedings of, and evidence taken by,* the Secret and Confidential Committee appointed by your Excellency to investigate certain questions connected with the defence of Hong Kong.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
W. J. STUART, Chairman
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Inclosure 3 in No. 88.
Report to his Excellency J. Pope Hennessy, Governor and Commander-in-chief of Hong Kong.
(Secret and Confidential.)
THE Committee thought that, under the particular circumstances of the case, they could best carry out the investigation committed to them by drawing up a series of questions for submission to certain selected gentlemen of position and special knowledge of the subject-matters of the inquiry. Accordingly, that was done, and the written answers to these questions will be found in the Appendices.*
The Committee, having taken into consideration the evidence thus obtained, have arrived at the following opinions :-
The danger to which Hong Kong might be exposed in the event of war with any of the Great Powers would probably be deliberate, protracted attack by a large, well-organized, formidable expedi- tion specially prepared for the purpose, or else a sudden descent, in the nature of a raid, by a small force which had eluded our fleet for a brief time. To meet such an eventuality as the first mentioned the Colony should be defended by a much larger force than, it is to be presumed, would ever be maintained permanently in it, and therefore the Committee, leaving to Imperial consideration such a case, in regard to which, presumably, there would be ample time to make special preparations, have addressed themselves to the task alone of investigating how the defence of Hong Kong could best be supplemented by auxiliary forces as against the ordinary dangers to which it might be exposed in times of war.
The existing strength of the garrison of Hong Kong is: one battalion European infantry; onc battery European artillery; one company gun lascars; one small detachment Royal Engineers.
A second company of gun lascars has been authorized, and is about to be raised, and therefore, for the purposes of this investigation, it may be considered as forming part of the garrison. As regards the artillery, this force seems hardly sufficient for the demands that probably will be made
* Evidence not printed.
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