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for this regiment to those given in the Defence Scheme of September, 1896, and also that two other small volunteer corps have been formed, bringing up the total peace and war establishments to 6,896 and 10,066 respectively.

The Colonial Defence Committee consider that if New South Wales has 10,000 trained men that can be absolutely relied on to be available in time of war, the defence requirements of the Colony, as regards numbers, will be fully met. They will deal with the subject of the new Volunteer Corps when the report of the Commandant for the year 1896 is before them. They would remark here that in rearranging the distribution of troops in accordance with the foregoing remarks as to organization units should be kept as much as possible intact.

10. Page 15. Communications, Telegraph and Telephone, first paragraph.- The reference to lighthouses which occurred in this paragraph in the 1894 scheme, now having been omitted in accordance with paragraph 14 of the Remarks of the Colonial Defence Committee, dated the 28th February, 1895, it is suggested that the similar reference at the top of p. 9 of the present revision should also be erased.

11. Page 15. Communications, Telegraph and Telephone, fourth paragraph.- It is stated that telephone communications connecting the forts in the Port Jackson and Botany districts with head-quarters (? Victoria Barracks) are completed. It should be borne in mind that for artillery purposes, the com- munications should run from the Section Commanders' head-quarters to the Fire Commanders' posts, and from the latter to the Battery Commanders' posts. It is not clear how far the existing system of telephonic communica- tion is compatible with this arrangement. The short line proposed by the Local Defence Committee to connect Coogee Fort with Henry Head would not appear to be now necessary. On the other hand, it would seem that telephonic communication between the advanced posts in front of Hornsby and Pymble, with the head-quarters at Victoria Barracks is of considerable importance, and should be provided.

Chapter III.-Action by Staff and Departments.

12. Page 16.-Under the heading "General Review of Measures to be Taken," a specific reference should be made to the notification that will be sent to the Governor instructing him to put the Defence Scheme partially or wholly into force. The notification will be in the form communicated in Lord Knutsford's Circular despatch, dated the 2nd July, 1891, and it is of vital importance that the simple Code laid down in the Circular should be understood and acted on immediately on its receipt.

13. Pages 16 and 17.—So long as the General Principles for the Defence of Ports, which have been laid down by the Joint Naval and Military Com- mittee on Defence, are carefully kept in view in the preparation of Local Defence Schemes, it seems scarcely necessary to reproduce, at any rate in the body of the Scheme, the Report in which these principles were laid down in extenso. It is suggested that in future revisions of the New South Wales' Scheme, the guiding instructions contained in paragraphs 1 to 9 on pp. 16 and 17 may be embodied in an Appendix.

14. Pages 17 and 18. Mobilization Sequence and Departmental Orders.- The arrangements laid down under this heading (and also in paragraph 3 of the G.O's.Č. Minute, printed as Appendix A to these Remarks) by which the troops for Fortress Defence, and then those to form the Movable Column, are first mobilized on a peace footing, to be subsequently brought up to war strength immediately on the occasion arising, fully and satisfactorily meets. the suggestion to this effect contained in paragraph 8 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks of the 28th February, 1895.

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The number of days after the issue of the orders for "Partial' or "Full" mobilization, in which such mobilization will be completed should be stated,

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