CAB9-1_PT1 — Page 11

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. December 15, 1887. Page 11 of 425

CONFIDENTIAL.

Report of Local Committee.

TRINIDAD.

/will

Fany

the art of peight 9. changes incurred in

Remarks of Colonial Defence Committee.

THE Colonial Defence Committee have considered the scheme drawn up by the local Committee of Trinidad.

As it is proposed to withdraw the Imperial garrison from Trinidad, and the island would then have to depend for defence on its local resources, together with the general protection afforded by Her Majesty's navy, the Colonial Defence Commitee consider that every possible assistance should be given to the formation of local forces.

They gather that the danger to be apprehended from bombardment is slight, and that the main object of the defence should be to prevent a landing in boats near Port of Spain, either for the purpose of seizing coal or other stores, or in order to establish a military occupation of the island.

qualifud struction both

Under these circumstances, the Colonial Defence Committee strongly recommend that the four 40-pounders, or other guns of position, with a complete equipment of ammunition, 500 stand of rifles and side-arms, and 200 stand of carbines, should be presented to the Colony free of expense, as suggested by the local Committee It should, however, be made a condition that the Colony will maintain the armament in a serviceable condition, and raise and maintain the necessary local force of volunteers provide a

If this grant of arms is made, the Colonial Defence Committee consider that the Colony would be able to offer an efficient resistance to any attack for infanti preparing the

likely to be made upon it; but it is desirable that the efficiency & artillery mountings

With regard to the details of the scheme locally drawn up, the and of them for service to be Colonial Defence Committee consider that the following points should be brought to the notice of the Governor, with a view to amending that scheme, вочни

which, however, it will be unnecessary to do until the grant of arms has been Comical Funds) made, or the Imperial garrison withdrawn:-

/

the

Page 11

1. In calling for local schemes of defence, it was the object of the Imperial Government to insure the existence at each Colonial station of a definite plan of action, showing how the resources actually available could be turned to account, and thus avoiding the possibility of confusion, loss of time, and waste of force in the event of emergency, The local schemes should therefore lay down in detail all the measures which could be taken with existing resources, and the steps necessary in order to carry them out. All questions relating to further developments of the defence, such as permanent works or the need of new armaments or stores, should be dealt with separately.

2. Paragraph 2, relating to telegraph cables, appears to contain a slight inaccuracy. Two cables of West Indies and Panamá Telegraph Company leave the island at Macquerisse Bay. The first runs direct to Santa Cruz, thence to Ponea (Porto Rico), Jamaica, and Cuba, reaching the United States via Florida. The second runs to Grenada, St. Vincent (branching to Barbados), St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Guadaloupe Antigua, St. Kitts,

[1729]

of

'n

on shouldh trained as an

amourer,

the local force themed tuted by

a perioclical inspection by an offage of 425

an West Wiches command.