Royal Commission Appointed to Enquire into the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad facts for kids

The Royal Commission on Defence was a special group set up in Britain on September 8, 1879. It was led by Lord Carnarvon. Their main job was to study how to protect Britain's lands and trade all over the world. It was the first big study of how to defend the entire British Empire.

Why Was the Commission Needed?

Worries About Other Countries

In the 1870s, Britain was worried about possible conflicts with countries like Russia and France. Because of these worries, the British Navy asked the War Office in 1875 to look into how to protect naval bases around the world.

A person named William Jervois wrote a report. He suggested ways to defend Britain's naval bases and ports. Later, in 1878, after people worried about a war with Russia, the Colonial Defence Committee was formed. This committee also looked at how to protect important ports. Their report came out in April 1879.

Because of these earlier reports and their ideas, the Royal Commission was created. Its goal was to look deeper into defending British lands and trade overseas.

What Were the Commission's Main Goals?

John Colomb, an expert on defense, explained the two main goals of the Commission:

• To find out what needed to be done to make sure people in Britain would not starve in a war. They also wanted to ensure that trade routes between Britain and its colonies were not cut off.
• To decide how the costs of these defense plans should be shared. They wanted to know how much Britain and its colonies should each pay.

What Did the Commission Find?

The Commission wrote three reports. They submitted these reports on September 3, 1881, March 23, 1882, and July 22, 1882. These reports were kept secret because they contained sensitive information.

They found that the total value of trade by sea for Britain's colonies was huge. It was about £367,000,000 each year. Half of this trade was with Britain itself. The other half was trade with other countries and between the colonies.

Important Recommendations

The Commission suggested that the Royal Navy needed more fortified places to refuel with coal. These "coaling stations" would help the Navy attack enemies during a war. They would also help protect British lands from invasion.

They also recommended that merchant ship owners should follow certain building rules. This would make it easier to add naval guns to their ships. Then, in wartime, these regular ships could be quickly turned into extra warships.

The reports strongly urged that the Navy needed more weapons and ships. They said that Britain and the Australian colonies should share the cost of this rearmament.

Sharing the Cost

The Commission noted how much money different places spent on defense in 1879.

• In the United Kingdom, people spent about 15 shillings and 7.5 pence per person.
• In New South Wales, it was only 2 shillings and 4 pence per person.
• In South Australia, it was 1 shilling and 9.75 pence per person.
• In New Zealand, it was 1 shilling and 9 pence per person.
• In Queensland and Tasmania, it was less than 1 shilling per person.
• In Western Australia, they spent nothing on defense per person.