106
(
Colonial Military purposes, it should be provided by
the Colony; and save in very exceptional circumstances,
this should be done free of charge.
Wo
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In the letter from the Colonial Office to the
War Office of 21st September 1888, it was stated that the Secretary of State is happy to concur in the above
recommendation of the Committee; and in their letter of
19th ultimo My Lords expressed a similar concurrence;- the stipulation in question being stated in paragraph (b)
The Secretary of State now objects to the stipulation that the Colony is to provide the necessary sites for the Barracks,free of charge. If the sites had to be bought by the Colony at some exorbitant price, My Lords would be open to conviction that the case was one in which very exceptional circumstances might, as the Committee foresaw, relieve the Colony from the obliga-
But -tion of providing sites wholly free of charge.
no such ground is alleged by the Secretary of State for his objection. He bases it on the assumption that the stipulation is inconsistent with the Report of the Colonial Military Contributions Committee dated 27th March 1889, and the recently agreed Circular, respecting the terms on which Colonial Military Lands are to be surrendered by the War Department to a Colonial Government,
1
f
My Lords would point out however, that the Report of 1889 and the circular referred to by the Secretary of State only prescribe the return that a Colony is to make for the surrender by the War Department of Colonial Military Lands, and in no way affect the normal obligation
General
H 17973
of
a Colony to provide new sites required for its own defence. This is clearly explained in paragraph 10 · which the Secretary of State agreed, by your letter of the
23rd
2