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The Colonial Defence Committee, however, recommend that 500 stand of Martini rifles (as soon as they are available) with accoutrements should be presented to the Colony in place of Sniders already offered, on the conditions laid down in the Memorandum of the 18th August, 1887.
Beyond this they are not prepared to go; and they trust that, considering the great efforts in the direction of local defence which have been made by other Colonies, Newfoundland will be prepared to accept the comparatively small burden involved, thus securing her principal port, with its valuable fishing-fleet, from any raid likely to be made upon it. Considering that the population of St. John's alone is stated to contain upwards of 8,000 men capable of bearing arms, there should be no difficulty in providing and main- taining a local force sufficient, with the aid of instructors from the regular army, to secure the safety of this port.
The Colonial Defence Committee recommend that their above proposals, if approved by the Secretary of State for War, should be forwarded to the Governor, and that if there is any probability of a satisfactory settlement being arrived at, a non-commissioned officer and sapper of the Royal Engineers should be sent from Halifax in the spring to make the necessary surveys required by the Colonial Government.
The precise sites of the guns, as well as the desirability of substituting 64-prs. for the 7-inch R.M.L. offered by the Imperial Government, can remain for future decision.
G. S. CLARKE, Secretary,
November 26, 1889.
(Signed)
Colonial Defence Committee.
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PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY T. HARRISON,-27/11/89.
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