Veneris, 28° die Februarii, 1834. Ordered, THAT a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the Military Establish- ment and Expenditure in the Colonies and Dependencies of The Crown: Colonel Maberly. Mr. Morgan O'Connell. Mr. Lefevre. Colonel Grey. Mr. Gisborne. Ordered, THAT the Committee have power to send for Persons, Papers and Records. Ordered, THAT Five be the Quorum of the Committee. Ordered, THAT Lord John Russell be added to the Committee. Ordered, THAT Mr. Secretary Rice be added to the Committee. Mercurii, 6° Augusti, 1834. Ordered, THAT the Committee have power to report their Opinion, together with the REPORT. THE SELECT COMMITTEE appointed to inquire into the MILITARY ESTABLISHMENTS and Expenditure in the Colonies and Dependencies of The Crown, and who were empowered to report their Opinion thereupon, together with the MINUTES of the EVIDENCE taken before them, to The House -HAVE agreed to the following REPORT. YOUR Committee have examined into the Military Establishments and Expenditure of the Colonies of Gibraltar, Malta, the Ionian Islands, the Western Coast of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, and the Island of Ceylon ; and have agreed to submit to The House the following Resolutions, together with the Evidence on which they are founded: 1. Resolved, THAT it is not the Intention of this Committee, by any suggestion which it may offer as to the Amount of Force deemed to be sufficient for the Garrison of any Colony in time of Peace, to relieve the Executive Government from the Duty which constitutionally belongs to it, of providing, on the responsibility of the King's Ministers, a Force sufficient for the Security of His Majesty's Possessions abroad, which Experience has proved is liable to vary in time of Peace, according to several contingencies arising out of internal or external causes. 2. Resolved, THAT the Committee are of Opinion, That the strictest Economy should be observed in every branch of the Military Expenditure of the Colonies; and that any surplus Revenue that may remain after defraying their Civil Expenses, should, in accordance with the Regulations which have been adopted by the Ordnance and Colonial Departments, be applied to the payment of their Military Charges. 3. Resolved, THAT it is the Opinion of this Committee, That it is not expedient to make any Reduction in the Numbers of the Garrison of Gibraltar. 4. Resolved, THAT it is unnecessary to retain the two Offices of Governor and Lieutenant-governor of Gibraltar; and that the Committee therefore approve of the arrangement which they understand to have been made by His Majesty's Government, for prospectively abolishing one of those Offices. 5. Resolved, THAT it is the Opinion of this Committee, from the Evidence brought before them, that the present Medical Staff at Gibraltar is larger than is necessary for the Public Service under ordinary circumstances; and they therefore recommend that some Reduction be made in it. 6. Resolved, THAT the Naval and Commissariat Departments be called upon to take such steps as may obviate as much as possible the necessity of keeping in store so large a quantity of Salt Provisions for the Garrison as when the Depôts are kept distinct. 7. Resolved, THAT it is the Opinion of this Committee, That it is not expedient to make any Reduction in the Numbers of the Garrison of Malta; and they recommend that any Reduction which may be made in the numerical Force of the British Regiments stationed in that Colony be accompanied by a corresponding Increase in the Corps of Maltese Fencibles. 8. Resolved, THAT the Naval and Commissariat Departments be called upon to take such steps as may obviate as much as possible the necessity of keeping in store so large a quantity of Salt Provisions for the Garrison of Malta as when the Depôts are kept distinct; and that the same steps be taken with the Naval and Military Baking. 9. Resolved, THAT it is the Opinion of this Committee, That when the Military Defences of Corfu shall be completed, the present Amount of Force in the Ionian Islands may be diminished by one Battalion ; which, under existing circumstances, would leave a Garrison sufficient during Peace for those Islands. 10. Resolved, THAT the Offices of Lord High Commissioner and Commander of the Forces in the Ionian Islands should be united, except where special circumstances may warrant a deviation from this principle. 11. That when the Offices of Lord High Commissioner and Commander of the Forces are united, the Military Staff should consist of the following Officers: One Aide-de-Camp for the Commander of the Forces; one Colonel on the Staff, with one Aide-de-Camp; one Deputy Quartermaster-general; one Assistant Military Secretary; one Brigade Major. 12. Resolved, THAT the attention of the Government be directed to the present state of the Commissariat Establishment in the Ionian Islands, with a view to its Reduction as far as the Public Service will admit. 13. Resolved, THAT it is expedient, in order to bring under the more effectual control of Parliament the Military Expenditure of the Ionian Islands, as defrayed by the British Government, that all the Charges for that Expenditure should be included in the Annual Estimates, credit being taken for the fixed amount contributed by the Ionian Islands. 14. Resolved, |