Page 51 - Bulletin 8 2004

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meaning, the connection between Table Bay and Simon’s Bay – (loud applause) –
which was one of those events which were of much larger importance than the local
interests of either Cape Town, Kalk Bay, or Simon’s Bay. He thought that in the work
which had been begun that day they had inaugurated the completion of that chain of
communication which ultimately would place the Peninsula of the Cape Colony beyond
any danger of foreign aggression. (Hear, hear.) He thought that when they had that
railway finished, that liberal concession which had been made by the Imperial to the
Colonial Government, in providing for the defence of the inhabitants of this country,
would be nearer completion. He had only that morning had a conversation with one of
the naval gentlemen from Simon’s Bay, who recounted to him the detention of one of
Her Majesty’s steamers, by stress of weather and the supply of provisions failing. What
such an event as that would mean in a case of emergency he need not explain, beyond
saying that it might mean the difference between the losing and the winning of a battle –
an event the consequences of which to the prosperity of the Cape Colony were simply
incalculable. That day they had commenced the first connection – the first intermediate
connection – between Simon’s Bay and Table Bay, and by the inauguration of the line
from Kalk Bay to Simon’s Bay he thought they had for ever settled that question which
sometimes was mooted, and would have been again in the future, of whether, unless
there were a railway, they should not remove Simon’s Bay to Cape Town. (Hear, hear,
and laughter.) He thought that the question was now settled, and that they had started
the connection that would make Table Bay and Simon’s Bay one. When he said that he
felt the Colonial Government had done its part towards the defence of the Imperial
interest in South Africa, he was not unmindful of the great benefits conferred upon the
Colony owing to the liberality of the Imperial Government, who had so well provided
for the defences of Table Bay. (Hear, hear.) It was not so long ago that they had a
splendid exhibition of the power of the British Navy – a great exhibition, the accounts
of which were read, he was sure, with enormous pride, by everyone who owed
allegiance to the British Crown – he meant the great naval review recently held in
England, at which the German Emperor attended. But whatever that great display of
power meant with regard to the power of the navy, there was something else required,
as well for other places as for the defence of that long stretch, the Peninsula of the Cape
of Good Hope, and in that respect we had every reason to be thankful to the Imperial
Government for the liberal provision made by them for that purpose. (Hear, hear.)
Whereas we had placed at the disposal of the Imperial Government the use of our
convicts for the purpose of making batteries, the Imperial Government had undertaken
to man all these batteries, and it was quite out of question that he should debate at any
length upon the utter uselessness of heaps of sand and earth, put up for the purpose of a
battery, unless they were properly armed and manned, and the Imperial Government
seemed to have gone to the limits of liberality in the way of providing us with the
newest samples of destructive armaments that could possibly be obtained. He thought
that, henceforth, with the connection between Table Bay and Simon’s Bay, we might
take it for granted that there was no Power in the world that could possibly entertain the
slightest idea of attacking us. They had not got the power at their command. As for
landing a force in South Africa, at Hout’s Bay or anywhere else, it was utterly absurd to
think of. There was no Power in the world at the present moment which could spare a
sufficient naval force to make an attack. The only thing we were exposed to was, in case
of European complications, foreign men-of–war coming suddenly upon our towns and