COLONIAL DEFENCES.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 957, 19 July 1877, Page 3

COLONIAL DEFENCES.

The Royal Colonial Institute held a meeting lately in London, when Captain J. C. R. Colomb, R.M.A., read a paper on “ Imperial and Colonial Resposibilities in War.” Having given a sketch of our Imperial position and the danger to which it is exposed, he showed how the want of adequate means of defence in one place affected such means in another, and laid great stress upon the necessity of the Empire providing means of defence and garrisons for the strategic points in the sea lines of communication. The expediency of protecting coal depots, and localising and developing naval resources was also insisted upon. Ho spoke of the importance of the proposed Canadian Pacific Railway, maintaining that it necessary for the safety of Australia as well as Canada. He also pointed out the advantage of having a food supply in British territory. He strongly advocated the erection of a dockyard at Sydney for the construction and maintenance of the Pacific fleet, by which that licet would be independent of home dockyards ; and he argued that it might perhaps be advisable to abolish a home dockyard so as to localise the reserve ships and stores. Allusion was made to our having no command over the coal in the Straits of Magellan. Imperial and colonial duties of defence, he argued, were alike, and every portion of the Empire was bound to share the burden. He suggested that a general scheme of defence was indispensable, and that the principle of “ local defence ” was dangerous to our safety. He thought that an Imperial Commission should look into the matter, as our weakness was due, not so much to a want of military force as to inability to apply it readily where required. Mr E. J. Reed, M.P., advocated strongly the representation of the Colonies in the House, and said he would be glad to exchange two hundred home members for 100 colonial members. He complained of the want of system in naval defence ; besides building ships that could not leave our shores we had sent an unarmoured vessel as flagship to the Pacific, when several armoured vessels of foreign countries were already there. He also advised, from motives of economy, the establishment of a dockyard in the South Pacific. Mr Strangways, referring to the localisation of troops in the colonies, remarked that, although the colonists paid £4O per man for the troops, they were told by the Government some ' time since that they must not rely on their presence in war time. The colonists ought to have a voice in our policy, as united we could defy the world. He however doubted the value of King George’s Sound as a strategic base. Captain Gilmore, late Colonial Secretary of Tasmania, remarked that the Australian colonies were in a most defenceless condition. There was no adequate naval force in Australian waters, although the dockyard at Sydney could receive the largest ironclads.

Colonel Crossraan, R.E., strongly urged the careful maintenance of all our strategic positions, especially King George’s Sound, Singapore, and Point do G-alle. Our colonies must be defended regardless of expense. Canada had set a splendid example in raising a really efficient Militia, which all the colonies should hasten to imitate. Captain Bedford Pirn, M.P., stated that Vancouver’s Island was utterly defenceless. We had only seven men-of-war there against eleven Russian vessels at San Francisco, all capable of a six months’ cruise, and undoubtedly stationed there to cut off our grain supply in the event of war. Mr Labillierc advocated the creation of colonial fleets and Imperial co-operation with such fleets. Mr Capel Hanbury, Mr Trclawney Sanders, Mr G. Cox, member of the Legislative Council, New South Wales, and Mr Champion, took part in the discussion.