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Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. March 10, 1896.

SECRET.

No. 134 R.

VICTORIA.

C.O. No. 2037.

Report of Local Joint Naval and Military Committee

of December 1895.

Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.

THE Local Committee have accepted the recommendations of the Colonial Defence Committee on their Report of July 1894, except as regards the proposed eastern limit of the Examination Anchorage and the electric light beams to be exhibited from Nepean and Queenscliff.

2. With reference to the former, they consider the limit "Swan Island Beacon bearing north" preferable to the lines suggested by the Colonial Defence Committee, as it would enable Franklin Battery to have more ample warning of the intention of a hostile vessel to pass up the South Channel without bringing to.

The Colonial Defence Committee are unable to concur in the line now proposed. It should be borne in mind that every arrival from seaward must be identified by the examination vessel, who should direct the stranger to bring to. Should she, from ignorance or treachery, attempt to evade the examining vessel, the latter would signal to the batteries, and they, irrespective of any examination line, would bring her to either by a signal, in the shape of a shot across her bows, or, if this was ineffectual, by firing at her. In the event of no signal being received from the examining vessel or in her temporary absence any ship proceeding at speed towards the examination line may be presumed to be hostile and must be brought to by the batteries, and as soon as she is on that line treated as an enemy. The examination line should therefore be drawn from a battery to prevent any mistake as to the position of the approaching ship, and so that the crossing of the line may be instantly followed by the fire necessary to stop or sink her.

The Committee, therefore, consider that the eastern examination line at Port Phillip should start from the Franklin Battery and go to the proposed gas-buoy or intersect the northern line on some convenient bearing.

3. With regard to the electric light arrangements which the Local Committee propose should be adopted as the result of further experiments carried out at Port Phillip, the Colonial Defence Committee agree that they are, on the whole, well calculated to secure the detection and exposure of hostile vessels attempting to enter at night. They would point out however that the use of electric lights in the face of ships entering ports or harbours is fraught with such danger to general navigation that, in the interests of our own vessels and commerce, it has been laid down as a broad principle that it should not be allowed.

The Committee, therefore, consider that in the case of Port Phillip it should be distinctly recognised and entered in the Defence Scheme, that the use of the seaward search-light at Queenscliff is prohibited, except in time of imminent danger, when the mine-fields are laid and made active, and that at other times the inspection of vessels approaching is to be left to the search- light at Nepean.

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