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available at the station, or, if not, how they are to be obtained. This should be made clear.

20. Page 43, Chapter V.-This Chapter may be conveniently divided under the headings—

(1.) Management of civil population.

(2.) Harbour Regulations.

(3.) Miscellanea.

As regards (1), the Committee understand that an Order in Council to be brought into operation in Sierra Leone in case of war or immediate anticipation of war has been passed by Her Majesty's Privy Council, and will be communicated to the Governor. The Order gives the Governor all necessary powers for the regulation of the civil population.

21. Under" Harbour Regulations" should be given those that are to be put in force at a time after a declaration of war or commencement of hostilities, when the presence of an enemy's vessels in neighbouring waters gives reasonable prospect of attack and when competent naval approval to this action being taken has, if possible, been obtained.

A reference was made to these Regulations in paragraph 18 of the Committee's Remarks, dated the 25th July, 1893, and in March 1894 a Local Joint Naval and Military Committee made certain recommendations with regard to them. These recommendations, as modified by the Colonial Defence Committee's observations contained in paragraphs 2 and 3 of their Remarks, dated the 29th July, 1894, should be embodied in the Scheme in the form of definite Regulations. The examination vessel should be told off and it should be stated how its crew is to be furnished, and what are the arrange- ments for signalling between it and the batteries.

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The responsibility of "bringing-to" every arrival from seaward will rest on the examining vessel, which will carry out her duties of indentifying ships as far outside the "examination line as the state of the weather and other circumstances will permit. Should the stranger attempt to evade the examining vessel, the latter would signal to the batteries, and they, irre- spective of any examination line, would "bring her to" either by a signal, 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 a shot fired across her bow, and as soon as she is on that line treated as an enemy.

22. In the Report of the Local Joint Naval and Military Committee above referred to, it was stated that "a guard should be stationed in the coal stores at night, and a fire brigade should be organized." The Scheme should embody the arrangements for giving effect to these recommendations.

23. It is not clear from the present revision of the Defence Scheme how far the instructions contained in paragraph 46, section 5, Q.R., have been followed in its compilation, and whether the revision has been seen by any naval officer. It is convenient for the Report to be signed by the Local Defence Committee.

Attention is also called to the fact that the covering despatch of the Governor was transmitted without signature.

December 10, 1896.

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(Signed)

M. NATHAN, Secretary,

Colonial Defence Committee.

PRECTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W. KARRISON.—12/12/96.

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