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completed, as far as present circumstances will admit, to date, in accordance with the instructions received from time to time.

2. The following Chapters have been added to the Defence Scheme and corrigenda previously submitted, viz. :—

Chapter III.-Action by Staff and Departments.

In this Chapter also is given the mobilization sequence proposed in accordance with local circumstances for New South Wales. It seeins probable also that a similar system of mobilization sequence will, on account of similar local circumstances, commend itself to the other Australian Colonies under the Australian Federal Scheme of Defence.

Chapter V.-Orders to Districts and Corps on Mobilization.

Chapter VI.-(A.) Rules for Examination Anchorages and Regulation of Sea Traffic in time of War.

(B.) Marine Board Regulations in time of War.

3. The instructions conveyed by the Colonial Defence Committee in their Minute, dated the 15th February, 1895, have been carefully considered, and their directions carried out in these amended Rules and Regulations.

(Signed) EDWARD T. H. HUTTON, Major-General and Aide-de-camp, Commanding New South Wales Military Forces.

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APPENDIX (C).

Minute by the Major-General Commanding the Military Forces of New South Wales on Report No. XIX of the Joint Naval and Military Committee on Defence, dated October 28, 1895.

Head-quarter Staff Office, Sydney, July 10, 1896. With reference to Report No. XIX of the Joint Naval and Military Committee on Defence re "General Principles to Govern the putting in Force, on the outbreak of War, the means of Defence provided for each Port," I have the honour to forward herewith a copy of the "Revised Defence Scheme of New South Wales," and to invite the attention of the Committee to Chapter VI, paragraph 1 (p. 55), Chapter III, para- graph 7 (p. 17), 2nd paragraph of "E 2 Submarine Mines, Port Jackson" (p. 25), and 3rd paragraph of "E 2 Submarine Mines, Newcastle" (p. 26) of the same, which meet the recommendations contained in the above-mentioned Report with regard to putting in force the Traffic Regulations, and the laying of submarine mines in time of war.

In order that the Regulations governing the custody, &c., of the "Defence Scheme of New South Wales" may be complied with, I beg to request that the receipt form on the third page of the inclosed copy of Defence Scheme may be filled in, and returned to this Department through the customary channels.

(Signed) G. A. FRENCH, Major-General,

Commanding New South Wales Military Forces.

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SECRET.

No. 160 R.

NATAL.

C.O. No. 25612.

RECORD

Defence Scheme revised to September 1896.

Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.

THE Natal Defence Scheme has been revised in accordance with paragraph 1 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks No. 136 R, dated the 7th March, 1896, on the revision of the Defence Scheme to October 1895. It is now, subject to the following observations, a satisfactory Scheme for the Defence of Durban. There is no other port in the Colony requiring similar arrangements, but an attack on the Colony from the land frontier is quite possible, and the Committee recommend that a Scheme for the utilization of existing resources in men and material in the defence of this frontier should be drawn out by the Local Defence Committee of Natal.

2. The Colonial Defence Committee desire to call attention to two points in which the drawing up of the Scheme now before them is defective:—

(1.) The Scheme should not embody in the text or foot-notes recom- mendations for new works, &c. Such recommendations should be submitted separately (as laid down in Q. R., Section V, paragraph 47), and may be conveniently inserted in the covering letter. Page 14, foot-note; page 15, 2nd and 3rd sub-paragraphs; page 21, paragraph 2; are instances in which the regulation in this matter has not been followed.

(2.) Suggestions as to courses of action that might be pursued, and statements that arrangements for various services "will," could," or should" be made ought to be, as much as possible, eliminated from the Scheme, and replaced by a statement of the definite arrangements that have been made, and in accordance with which action will at once be taken when the necessity arises. No point should be left undetermined concerning which no new data would be available if war were declared to-morrow.

3. The Committee note that, in the present as in previous Defence Schemes for Durban, a large part of the arrangements are placed in the hands of the Mayor. They consider that this system, by which the Municipal authorities share in the responsibilities and duties for the defence of the town is an excellent one, and will enable the small body of military officers furnished by the Colony to be employed wholly on combatant duties. They think it right, however, to point out that the duties of the Mayor, as laid down in the Scheme, including the provision of transport supplies, tools, &c., for the troops, the organization of "all medical and sanitary services, the charge of certain signalling arrangements, and his normal civil work, will be very arduous. They suggest that he should be asked to be a member of the

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