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6. Whenever the Colony desires to retain any lands which the Military Authorities give up, such lands, instead of being offered for sale, would be valued, and the market value of their fee simple at date of surrender would be entered in the Special Account to debit of the Colonial Government, together with the fair selling value at that date of any buildings which might be upon the land. In the event of the surrender of any buildings now existing which in the past were erected at Colonial cost it would only be necessary to record the value of the site. The amounts so entered would be paid out as required for the provision of the lands or buildings for the defensive purposes of the Colony, and the amounts, as in the case of sale, credited to the Colonial Government, the like credit being given in the event of new sites being provided on Crown Lands. Should no new lands or buildings be immediately required the amounts entered would remain to the debit of the Colonial Government until such time, if ever, as lands or buildings should become necessary for defensive purposes.
7. Valuation of land or buildings, when required under the circumstances. above-mentioned, should be made by the Colonial aud Military Authorities con- jointly, or, in the event of their disagreeing by an independent and competent surveyor, to be chosen by agreement between the Home and Colonial Governments, whose report should be final. The cost of employing such surveyor would be borne by the Colonial Government, but should be placed to its credit in the special account.
8. Any lands and buildings provided hereafter for defensive purposes under this arrangement, including land required for rifle rauges or other purposes con- ducing to the efficiency of the garrison, would be occupied by the Military upon a right of perpetual user only, the fee simple of the land remaining in the Crown represented by the Colonial Government. In the event of any such lands being at any time surrendered by the Military Authorities they would be dealt with in the manner above detailed.
9. Before any buildings are commenced the cost of which will be chargeable to the Special Account, the Governor will be informed of the nature and estimated cost of the proposed buildings in order that any observations that he may wish to offer upon them may be duly considered by Her Majesty's Government.
10. It is not proposed to re-open any transactions already closed and lands which have already passed out of Military occupation will remain the property of the Colony, subject of course to any conditions which may have been attached to them at the time when they came into the possession of the Colonial Government.
11. The foregoing proposal relates solely to the terms on which Colonial Military Lands in the hands of the War Department should be surrendered to a Colonial Government. It does not affect the obligation of a Colony to provide other lands required within its borders for military purposes, whether under some special agreement, or under the general obligation that rests on every Colony to contribute, according to its means, towards its own defence. Whatever the cir- cumstances of a Colony may be it is obviously within its means to maintain its Colonial Military Lands intact, in money or kind, for defensive purposes.
12. I request that you will lay this despatch before the Legislative Council and convey to them my earnest hope that the proposals of Her Majesty's Govern- ment will be accepted as a fair and equitable solution to the advantage alike of the Mother Country and of the Colony of a question which has in some Colonies been the subject of considerable and prolonged controversy.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient,
The Officer Administering the Government of
Hove KONG.
humble servant,
RIPON.