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Appendix No. 7.

AUSTRALIA.

Sir,

500

Inclosure 17 in No. 1.

Treasury to Colonial Office.

Treasury Chambers, April 6, 1882. I AM directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you, for the information of the Earl of Kimberley, that my Lords have received a letter from the War Office, trans- mitting a copy of Mr. Bramston's letter to that Department of the 13th ultimo requesting the gift of two 7-ton guns, with carriages, to the Colony of Western Australia for the purpose of protecting the shipping at Freemantle.

I am to request that you will point out to the Earl of Kimberley that the request thus put forward is an unprecedented one. It is true that military stores deposited in Colonies have often been made over as a free gift to the local Governments; but, so far as my Lords are aware, there is no instance of new and efficient munitions of war being presented by the Imperial Government to a self-governing Colony, and sent out thither from home with the avowed intention of putting that Colony in a state of defence.

Before my Lords can consent to this proposal they must be satisfied as to the reasons which would warrant the creation of a new and dangerous precedent. In particular they would ask how the proposed method of defending Freemantle falls in with the general questions referred to the Colonial Defences Commission. They must further observe that they have not received from the Secretary of State any assurance that the means of defence proposed would be efficient.

No. 2.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

J. H. COLE.

Sir,

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

13, Delahay Street, May 12, 1882.

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 21st April,* having reference to the request of the Governor of Western Australia for two heavy guns for the defence of Freemantle.

The views of the Commission with respect to Western Australia are before Her Majesty's Government, and it will be seen that, in their Report upon this Colony, the defence of Freemantle is not touched upon.

They considered that the importance of Freemantle, in common with many other sea-port towns in the Colonies, was not such as to warrant the adoption of special measures for its defence; and I am directed to state that, after a careful consideration of these papers, they see no reason to change their opinion, especially as the recent alarm appears to have been unfounded.

At the same time, they consider that it would not be wise to discourage the Colony in any efforts which they may be making for their defence; and they need hardly observe that the organization of a volunteer force on a sound basis would go far to prevent the recurrence of sudden panies such as that which recently occurred. The appointment of a competent Imperial officer as Inspector would greatly promote the efficiency of the local forces, and the Commission think that the request of the Governor in this respect should, if possible, be complied with.

I have, &c. (Signed)

HERBERT JEKYLL.

No. 3.

Sir,

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

Downing Street, May 19, 1882. WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 2nd December 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 despatch from the Governor of South Australia, inclosing a letter from Colonel Scratchley, forwarding an Intermediate Progress Report on Australian defences, together with a copy of a letter addressed to Colonel Scratchley by Sir William Jervois.

# No. 1.

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I am, &c. (Signed)

R. H. MEADE.

† No. 12 in Appendix No. 4, Second Report.

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