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relaxation of the conditions, informed the Government that if they were unable to relax them in the direction desired by the Commanding Royal Engineer I should feel it necessary to refer the matter to England I enclose copy of their reply which will explain the grounds of
their action.
Seeing that the Government have the power of making their own stipulations and are not, by any arrange- ment with the War Office compelled to give us any water
at all in the Peak District, I have been inclined to
give way and to admit their demands, though apparently
somewhat unreasonable, in this, as a special case, but
-
A
as the Commanding Royal Engineer my constituted ad-
viser in such matters on the part of the War Office
takes a very strong view of the undesirability and
danger of admitting such a precedent, I think it best
to refer the matter for the decision of His Royal High-
ness.
1.
2.
There appear to be three alternatives, viz.
To accept the conditions of the Government
which are so strongly objected to by the Com-
manding Royal Engineer and which I cannot but
feel are unnecessary and undesirable.
That the Secretary of State for War should
represent