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it appears to be proposed at the outset of war to derange or set aside the whole of the existing system of administration. A state of siege would naturally require that the Governor should possess full powers over the civil population, and over the resources of the fortress, but to replace the entire existing machinery by new methods of procedure in the hands of persons unaccustomed to administer them would tend to confusion and inefficiency. Subject to the control necessary for military purposes, the civil administration should be carried on as far as possible in war as in peace.

3. It seems to be proposed to abolish all Civil Courts of Justice, and to deal with all offences by Military Courts. This is unnecessary and inexpedient. Although the inhabitants of the fortress may be placed under the Army Act, it does not follow that the new offences thus created should be adjudged by Military Tribunals in the case of civilians. These offences should as far as possible be dealt with by the Police Magistrate. Military expediency alone would dictate this course, since it could not be desirable that the time of officers, required for their proper duties, should be taken up in the administration of law upon civilians.

4. The scheme further contemplates the immediate withdrawal of all the civil officials except those specifically ordered to remain. This is wrong in principle. A civil officer should no more quit his post at a time of danger than a soldier. His plain duty to remain should be distinctly recognized.

5. Under" Financial Arrangements," p. 11, it is proposed to remodel all the accounts, civil and military. This is inexpedient, and a joint charge, with a joint account, of the Colonial Treasurer and the Chief Paymaster would never answer.

6. With regard to coal supply, the whole should be taken possession of at once on behalf of the Government, and paid for by bills on England, and it would therefore be unnecessary to have any representatives of coal firms left, except such as might be required to assist in the distribution of the coal to merchant-ships.

7. The Colonial Defence Committee recommend that the new Governor should be requested to give the Scheme further consideration in the light of the foregoing remarks, and of some 10,000 to 12,000 of civil population having, for some years to come, to be dealt with instead of 4,000.

8. In these circumstances, the Committee suggest that the draft Order in Council prepared by the Colonial Office for the purpose of conferring certain powers on the Governor in case of war, or immediate anticipation of war, and approved by the Secretaries of State for the Colonies and for War, should be at once proceeded with. The Committee understand that it has been suspended pending the consideration of the present Scheme.

9. Finally, the Committee desire to press on Her Majesty's Government the urgent importance of taking legislative action for the purpose of permanently and persistently reducing the civil population of the Rock.

In its present far too large proportions, it constitutes a grave danger to the fortress-on this point there can be no two opinions--and, as will be gathered from paragraph 1 of these remarks, it is a danger which, in the opinion of the Committee, cannot be removed in any practicable way by the sudden adoption of any measure on the occurrence of an emergency. The very possibility of the Governor finding himself forced, under present conditions, to adopt the drastic measure referred to in the same paragraph of turning out the excess population into Spain, supplies an additional argument, so that as few people as possible should be exposed to such an uncertain fate.

The Inter-Departmental Committee of 1889 suggested two effectual measures for dealing with the difficulty, viz., the suppression of smuggling and the extension of the Alien Order in Council to British subjects not natives of the Rock. By the latter measure the bulk of the Maltese, who furnish a large proportion of the criminal cases, would be got rid of.

The Committee understand that the question of dealing with the contraband trade is at present under consideration, and venture to urge that the negotiations on the subject may be brought to a speedy issue. The tobacco trade involves the employment of many residents in the local factories, and its cessation, consequent on the suppression of smuggling, would appreciably reduce the civil population.

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