CO129-249 - Governor Des Voeus Acting Governor Barker - 1891 [1-5] — Page 557

long time based the justification of its action on the resolution of the Executive Council dated 7 September 1887 under the presidency of General Cameron, then Acting Governor,

copy of which was forwarded to the S. G. F. in my predecessor's letter No. 2111 of May 1889.

This resolution which was not communicated to the Military Authorities until the 23 January 1889 has now been practically proved to have been recorded, by some error, in a totally different form and sense to that in which it was passed, as admitted by Colonial Secretary's letter of 30th June 1890 (annexed hereto and marked C). The vitally important proviso which restricted its operations to "such cases as might be specially approved by the Major-General Commanding" being entirely omitted.

(b) The leases shown as granted "without demolition rights" (and the larger portion of the alienated reserves comes under this category) were, it appears, granted or promised under some informal or irregular permission dated 2nd April, 1886, which however the Colonial Government appears to consider binding on it but which was not communicated to the Military Authorities. The latter, on the contrary, were officially informed as late as February 1889 through reports by the Surveyor General officially communicated by the Government that no new Lots had been created within the clearance area and that there ...