THE GOVERNOR AND MINISTERS ON COLONIAL DEFENCES.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1073, 5 December 1877, Page 3

THE GOVERNOR AND MINISTERS ON COLONIAL DEFENCES.

[By Telegraph.] Wellington, December 4. Tire following is portion of the correspondence between the Governor and Ministers regarding the {visit of Sir W. Jervois and Colonel Scratchley - On the 2nd November Sir George Greysays : —“Ministers regret that the services of the Hinemoa being required here it is not in their power to send that vessel to Hobart Town with a view to her being placed at the disposal of Sir W. Jervois.”

On this being communicated to Sir W. Jervois, he replies by telegram—“ Adelaide, 20th November.—Can your Government place Hinemoa at my disposal during January to visit your ports, commencing at Bluff.” To which Sir George Grey, in reply, informed the Governor that Ministers regret that the Hinemoa, as they have already said, is required for other purposes. The Governor, in reply to the memorandum of Ministers, in which they state the services of the Hinemoa cannot be given to his Excellency Sir Wm. Jervois during the time he is employed in examining and reporting on the defences of Dunedin, Lyttelton, Wellington, and Auckland harbors during the month of January. —The Governor would point out that the services of Sir Wm. Jervois and Colonel Scratchley were obtained through the Secretary of State at the request of the late Government, on the understanding that the remuneration to Sir Wm. Jervois and Colonel Scratchley should be at the same rate as that paid by the Australian colonies. The Governor would observe that the harbors to be examined are large, and that it would be difficult., if not impossible, for the work to be properly completed without the officers employed having a special steamer at their disposal. The Governor would wish also to point out that some consideration is due to the position of Sir William Jervois as governor of a neighboring colony visiting New Zealand, not for his ow n pleasure, but at the request and for the service of tliis colony. The Governor would imply, from the curt answer of Ministers to the request made by Sir William Jervois for the use of the Hinemoa, that they do uot approve of the object for which he is about to visit the colony. Should such be the case, if Ministers will state their wishes in writing, the Governor will at once communicate with Sir William Jervois and request him to put off his visit; but if the work is to proceed, the Governor can conceive no service on which the Hinemoa could be more properly employed, and Ministers have not informed him of any special services which would prevent her being so employed. The Governor would request a reply as soon as possible, as he must communicate with Sir Wm. Jervois at once.

Ministers regret that the (Governor should have regarded their reply to his memo, respecting Sir Wm. Jervois as being curt. They wrote amidst the hurry of a great pressure of business, and they intended that their answer should ho in every respect courteous. (2). Ministers were not aware until they received the Governor’s memo, that it might bo in their power to dispense with the visit of Sir Wm. Jervois to Hew Zealand, but the state of the finances of the colony at present is such that it is their duty to avoid expenditure wherever it is possible to do so. They feel satisfied that Hew Zealand could not at this moment incur any large expenditure on public works for the defence of the many harbors of the colony. They might possibly with but little warning have to make provision for resistin'; an internal enemy, who might prove much more dangerous

than any external foe. The best moans of providing against such an internal enemy the expenditure of funds in civilising the natives, opening up the country by means oi roads, encouraging settlement in .Native districts, and otherwise promoting friendly rela tions between the Two races. They would therefore prefer to apply any funds available for defence purposes to these objects, rathei than to devote such funds for costly works, meant for resisting a foreign enemy. For the latter purpose they trust confidently to the fleets of Great Britain, which they led satisfied will never allow a foreign enemy to dominate in these seas. Under all the cir-

cumstr.nccs, therefore, whilst regretting that they cannot avail themselves of the valuable services of so distinguished an officer as Sir W. Jervois, if it is possible, without any uncourteousness on their part, to delay his visit until a time when the colony may bo in a better financial position, Ministers would feci greatly obliged to the G-overnor if he would make such a communication to Sir Win. Jervois as may bo the means of postponing his visit to Now Zealand. The Governor acknowledges receipt of Sir George Grey’s memo, of this day’s date, in which Ministers inform him that in consequence of the financial condition of the colony, they advise the Governor to communicate with Sir Win. Jervois, and to request him to postpone indefinitely his visit to New Zealand. The Governor will at; once comply with the advice given to him by Ministers, but be must at the same time express his deep regret that they should have felt it their duty to come to such a decision, as he fears it is one which is little calculated to raise the credit of the colony abroad. The fleets of Great Britain will, no doubt, in the event of war, perform their duty as they have always done, but it is so manifestly impossible that England, even if she were disposed to do so, should keep sufficient ships in these seas to secure at all times her various possessions from the attack of small expeditions or of a single ship or privateer, and it. is, in the Governor’s opinion, clearly the duty of each Colony to make such provisions as they may consider necessary for that purpose. The question is one of public importance, and the Governor will feel it his duty to lay this correspondence before Parliament without, delay.