141

A.—s

naval officer of the British Admiralty for the purpose of making our Hydrographic Survey. We are building a boat on the new Pacific coast for that purpose, also, and we have two boats now engaged on that service on the Atlantic coast. I know that the British Admiralty have some two boats; I think one in the Atlantic Ocean and the other in the Pacific Ocean, nowmaking some hydrographical surveys. We are ready to take over this service at any time the British Admiralty would like us to do that work. We have taken over, or are going to take over, the Halifax and Esquimalt Dockyards —in fact, we are in possession already, from the Ist January, of the Halifax Dockyards. 1 do not know exactly how much those dockyards were costing the British Admiralty—or the one at Halifax, but I may say we have assumed all the obligations in connection with those dockyards, and we have provided specially that the amount which the British Admiralty was to pay as an annual subscription to the graving dock at Halifax would be paid by us instead of by the British Admiralty. We have, as I have said, provided for the establishment of docks at Halifax and Esquimalt, so I think it would be only fair that in the statements published giving the monies spent for naval expenditure, the amount spent by the Canadian Government in connection with those different Services I have just mentioned should be included in such Naval expenditure. I do not think for a moment it will be necessary for me to discuss the question further, because I understand the discussion will be taken up on some other day. Dr. JAMESON : I wi.ll ask Dr. Smartt to speak for Cape Colony. Dr. SMARTT : Lord Elgin, and gentlemen, —I think that, as the result of the interview which Lord Tweedmouth was kind enough to grant to Mr. Moor and myself with regard to the naval defence of South Africa, he is thoroughly in possession of the views of the Cape; and I therefore listened with all the more pleasure to the clear statement made by him and to the express statement that the Admiralty would view, in the most sympathetic manner, any proposition coming from any self-governing portion of the Empire with a view to improving the naval resources. Now 1 can thoroughly understand the position taken up by Canada's representative, which is, to a certain extent, moving in the direction laid down by Lord Tweedmouth as one of the express lines of policy desired by the Admiralty. Canada, it is stated, is doing a great deal in the direction of improving her harbours, which harbours would not only be of assistance to herself, but also to the Admiralty in time of trouble. But I think a great deal of the expenditure referred to in connection with what might be described as the pricing of the seas with the view of protecting their Fisheries, is similar to that made (perhaps in a much heavier way) by the Cape Colony and Natal in connection with the forces which, owing to the large native population, it is necessary to maintain and which is not the case in other Colonies. But, Lord Elgin—l do not think the people of Cape Colony would for one moment desire to raise that as an argument to prevent our meeting the legitimate obligation that rests upon us as a portion of the Empire in assisting Great Britain in her naval defence, and I think Mr. Moor will say the same of the people of Natal. Lord Tweedmouth has told us of the enormous work done by the Navy. I think that is recognised by every portion of the Empire; and while we are pleased to hear of the magnificent position in which Lord Tweedmouth and his responsible advisers consider the Navy to be, we in the outlying portions of the Empire, recognising, as was laid down by Mr. Haldane in -his statement on Military Defence the other day, that the first line of defence is the Navy, and that, if that line of defence is broken through, the whole fabric of the Empire will crumble to

Fifth Day. 23 April 1907

Naval Defence. (Mr. lirodeur).