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8. Page 53, paragraph 5.-Presumably, the boats referred to are small Maltese boats. If boats of other class are meant, it should be stated how they are to be procured.

9. Page 58, paragraph 6.-Pensioners from the Royal Navy and Dockyard staff would most probably not be available for police duties, as they would be required by the Naval authorities. The Admiral Superintendent of the Dock- yard should be consulted on this point.

10. It has been brought to the notice of the Committee that a comparison of the Defence Scheme with the Schedule of Stores to be held by the Ordnance Store Department as a reserve for the defence of the fortress, which was forwarded to the War Office by the General Officer Commanding-in-chief with his letter of the 8th September, 1894, shows that the majority of the articles contained in the Schedule find no mention whatever in the Scheme. Reference to the latter fails to make it clear how, by whom, when, and where the different articles enumerated in the Schedule would be utilized, whereas the Scheme should supply the key to the Schedule. It therefore remains a matter of conjecture how the case really stands. If the Schedule is correct, the needs of the garrison in respect of these stores have not been adequately tabulated in the Scheme, and it would follow that in the event of war the Commandants of Sections, and the other officers charged with the execution of the different arrangements in war time would have an incorrect knowledge of the resources really available. A more detailed communication on this subject will be made by the War Office to the Station, and it is suggested that a copy of the Schedule, brought up to date, should, on the occasion of each revision, be incor- porated in the Scheme, at the end. Also, that the Schedule should be indexed, to facilitate cross reference, by placing in a separate column, opposite each article, the number of the page in the Scheme at which mention is made of the purpose to which it is put.

11. The Colonial Defence Committee have lately had before them the Report of the Local Joint Naval and Military Committee, and have furnished their remarks on it direct to the War Office. They therefore think it unnecessary to refer again here to any portion of the defence of the harbours, which formed the subject of that Report. When the joint decision of the Admiralty and the War Office is received at the Station the necessary modifications in the Defence Scheme should be made at the next revision.

February 22, 1895.

(Signed)

W. PEACOCKE, Secretary,

Colonial Defence Committee.

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PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY T. HARRISON.—26/2/95.

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