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Jansdo me, which was contained in your letter (HongKong5/389) of the 16th October last.
4.
It is true that the new arrangement in regard to the Military Contribution only came into operation on the 1st January last, whereas the land required at West Point was provisionally transferred to the War Department before that date; but, if it is considered proper to state that for this reason the new arrangement does not apply, the War Department would have to pay for the land and not merely to credit the amount to the Colony in the Colonial Military Lands Account since, as pointed out in paragraph 3 of the letter from this Department of the 3rd November last, there was no obligation on the Colony under the circular despatch of 30th December, 1894, to transfer land to the War Department in anticipation of any Military Land being surrendered to the Colony.
5. I am to add that it will be contended that the War Department should pay for the land, and not merely credit the amount to the Colony in the Colonial Military Lands Account.
The Colonial Military Lands Account has,