456
for
7198
92
Island was a Military Reserve, as it was so described
in the despatch from Sir William Robinson dated the 8th
March 1892 which was forwarded with the letter from your
Department of the 19th May 1892.
The Colonial Secretary does not, apparently,
admit that the whole island, or even the land surround-
ing the batteries is military reserve. He agrees, how-
ever, that, as no person is allowed to land on the
island without a permit, the land has only a nominal
value, and has expressed his readiness to recommend that
the land immediately required for the erection of the
barracks should be transferred to the War Department on
condition (1) that, if the island is ever abandoned by
this Department as no longer required for Defence
purposes, the land is to revert to the Colonial Govern-
ment free of any charge, and (2) that the War Department
will, in return, transfer to the Colony at the present
time an area of land which may form a reasonable exchange
and is no longer required for military use.
This proposal does not appear to Mr Brodrick
to be equitable or in accordance with the Colonial
Office Circulars of 1890 and 1894 with regard to Colonial
Military Land, or compatible with the claims of the War
Department in this particular case and he would suggest
that the question should be considered at a conference
between