THE DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1990, 10 July 1880, Page 3

THE DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.

[By Telegeaph,] fPBOai OUR OWN COBEESPONDBNT.] WELLINGTON, July 9, Oolonel Scratohley’s report on the defences of New Zealand was laid on the table tonight. It is a document of thirty-seven pages. Oolonel Scratchley began by acknowledging the assistance and courtesy received in New Zealand, and suggests that to save time ho be authorised to proceed at once with the preparation of the necessary plans for the batteries which he proposes should be erected at the various ports. He then reviews the possible dangers of attack to which New Zealand might bo subjected, and adopts Sir W. Jervois’ view, that the chief if not the sole peril is from the sudden descent of cruisers, with possibly one ironclad, to operate against New Zealand maritime commerce or make a descent on an unprotected port. By eluding the British cruisers, and appearing suddenly, an enemy might capture merchant vessels in harbor, or under threat of bombardment demand a sum of money, or attain a similar object by landing a small force in the vicinity of towns. It is from this point that Oolonel Scratchley discusses the defence of the colony. Ho regards land defenoe as impracticable, owing to the scattered nature of the population, and deems defence by naval means alone not practicable, because one port might be attacked while a squadron was at another. Therefore the principle of defence should bo to place each of the principal harbors in a position to repel attack from one or two hostile cruisers, and, at the f samo time, afford support to her Majesty’s subjects co-operating in the defence of the colony. The only places of sufficient importance to require local protection at present are Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and perhaps Invercargill. The entrances of the five principal ports afford natural facilities for defence. These defences should consist of land batteries, rendered self-defensible and independent of external support, in combination with offensive and defensive torpedoes, and the best mode of providing against attacks by bodies of men landed will be to maintain local troops copable of meeting the enemy in the field. Fixed batteries are pro ferablo to floating ones. The of torpedoes has altered the conditions under which schemes of defence have to be considered. He recommends for batteries, guns mounted en barbette and fired over enrthern parapets in preference to casements or iron shields, as the difficulty that a hostile ship would experience in replying to the fire would more than compensate for the greater exposure, besides reducing the number of men needed for the battery. He recommends submarine electrical torpedoes to be placed at the entrances under cover of the guns. Mechanical torpedoes placed in contact with vessels are condemned as equally dangerous to friend or foes and most unsuitable to New Zealand. Torpedo boats are recommended, and the formation of torpedo corps should be encouraged. For Auckland the battery is advised to be placed on the North Head, for Lyttelton on the hill west of Oanearry Bay and Gollan’s Bay, for Otago on Point Harrington, and for the Bluff at Te Wae Wae Point. The report contains elaborate explanations of the advantage of various plans of batteries, terpedoes, &0., also very copious instructions regarding the organisation and equipment of land forces. Great stress, however, is laid on the torpedo boots to be used in association with submarine electric torpedoes, and land batteries, mounted with heavy rifled ordnance. The cost of the scheme of defence recommended is estimated at £31,000 in addition to £9OOO already voted for the purpose.

The discussion was interrupted by the 12 30 adjournment.