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War before the alienation can be authorized and the rights of the Har Department resigned.
I have re.
(signed). J. J. Chamberlaine Leeit. Officiating Assistant Military Secretary,
Sir,
Surveyor General's Offices
13th March 1876.
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Minute requesting me to report upon the enclosed Correspondence from Colonels Brereton and Macgregor in which they would appear to repudiate the validity of the transfer of that portion of the Military Reserves formally handed to the Colony in 1869 by Colonel W. Brereton R.E. in his dual Capacity as Officer Commanding the Troops and Commanding Royal Engineer in China and Japan.
In reply I deal mainly with the newly raised professional objections of the Commanding Royal Engineer. These are three in Number and rest on:
(1) the possibility of the water supply to Military Buildings becoming polluted.
(11) on the prospect of danger to the Magazines from the I Garrison, Austin being Colonial Secretary