NORTH AMERICAN PROVINCES

These great countries contain three millions of people, and are for thousands of miles conterminous With the United States. It is evident that can be supposed to undertake the defence of this vast line of territory. The security of the inhabitants rests chiefly on their OWn patriotism and valor, of which they have aiready, whenever required, afforded brilliant and successful Was propounded by Earl Grey in 1851, and Was repeated by the Duke of Newcastle, as Secretary for War, and Sir George Grey, as Colonial Secretary in 1854, that in Canada the fortified city of Quebec, and the fort of Kingston, with perhaps one or two outlying posts between Montreal and the frontier, should be garrisoned by the general troops of

the Imperial funds; nor could the province of Nova Scotia, which is far from wealthy, ‘This completes a review of the principal &roups of Colonies. The following results First. That in British North America and Australia, being the chief assemblages of European Communities, a general and intelligible principle about military expen-

being. They will doubtless always be suided by a policy, but they can hardly expect to despatch such complicated and arduous questions by a single Maxim. To deal with cases on their merits, te labor patientiy against opposition in some Quarters, and to welcome and reciprocate Co-operation from others: these, in s0 wide and diversified a

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sphere as the British Colonies, appear to me tasks and duties inseparsble from the function of governing, which can never be superseded by the machinery of a system however ably conéeived or logically constructed.

3 (Signed) T. FREDERICK ELLIOTT.

Rapport de la Commission parlementaire (:) (Extraits)

The SELEC, COMMITTEE appointed on Colonial Military Expenditure, to inquire and Report whether any and what Alterations may be advgntageously adopted in regard to the Defence of the British Dependencies, and the préfgrtons of Cost of such Defences as now defrayeod from Imperial and Colonial respectively: — Have considered the Matters to them referred, and have agreed to the following Report :—

1. The dependencies of the British Empire (exclusive of India, to which your Committee have not extended their investigations) may be divided, for the purpose of this inquirÿ, into two classes :—

e st Those which may properly be called “Colonies.” To this class belong the

#=:North American and South African Colonies, the West Indies, Ceylon, Mauritius,

New Zealand, and the Australian Colonies, with the exception of Western Australia. 24. Military garrisons, naval statiofs, convict depots, and dependencies maintained chiefly for objects of Imperial policy. To this class belong ‘Malta, Gibraltar and the Ionian Islands, Hong Kong, Labuan, Bermud::, the Bahamas, St. Helena, and the Falklands, Western Australia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, and the Gold Coast. Throughout their inquiry, your Committee have deemed it essential to keep in view

the distinction to be drawn between these two classes.

9. Taking into consideration the facts disclosed by the evidence laid before them, your committee are of opinion that no uniform rule, as to the cost or mode of their military defence, can be laid down which shall be applicable alike to communities s0 various as those which composé the British Colonial Empire; but, following the classification adopted at the commencement of their Report, it appears to your Committee that, as to the second class of dependencies above defined, the responsibility and main cost of their defence properly devolves on the Imperial Government.

10. With respect to the dependencies properly called “Colonies,” and to which any recommerdations hereinafter to be made as to the mode cr cost of Coloniat defence exclusively relate, the practical application of such recommendations, both as to time and place, must necessarily be left to the discretion of Her Majesty’s Government, having regard to the local resources of each dependency, to its dangers from external attack, and to the general exigencies af the empire. With this reservation, it appears to your Committee that the responsibility and cost of the military defence of such dependencies ought mainly to devolve upon themselves. 2

Your Committee further submit the following general suggestions as arising from the evidence laid before them :— 3

11. That it is inexpedient that the proportions of cost of Colonial defence to be borne by the Imperial and Colonial Governments respectively, should be the subject of negotiations with the various dependencies, but that evidence has been given, tending to show tüat the mode of proceeding adopted by Lord Grey in 1851, in announcing to the Australian Colonies the terms on which alone Imperial troops could be sent there, may be gradually applied to other dependencies.

19. In conclusion, your Committee submit that the tendency of modern warfare is te strike blows at the heart of a hostile power; and that it is therefore desirable to concentrate the troops required for the defence of the United Kingdom as much as pessible, and to trust mainly to naval supremacy for securing against foreign aggression the distant dependencies of the Empire.

1ith July, 1861.

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(1) Sessional Papers, 1862, No. 17,—deuxième partie.