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<br />001375 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />2. However, the most fundamental question is this: Does the <br />Colorado River Commission of Arizona. have power to b:ind the State of <br />Arizona so as to make effeotive Seotion 13, subdivision (c), which is <br />quoted on page 12 of your brief and whioh reads as follows: <br /> <br />"( 0) Also all pa.tents, grants,. oontraots, oonoessions, <br />leases, permits, licenses, rights of way, ar Other privileges <br />from the United States or \mder its authority, neoessary or <br />oonvenient far the use of waters of the Colorado River or its <br />tributaries, or for the generation or transmission. of electrioal <br />energy generated by means of the waters of said river or its <br />tributaries, whether under this act, -the Federal wa-ter p ower ao-t, <br />or o-therwise, shall be upon the express condi-tion and with -the <br />express covanan-t -tha-t -the rights of the recipients or holders <br />thereof 1;0 wa-ters of the river ori-ts tribu-tarios, for -the use of <br />whioh -the same are neoessary, oonvenient, ar :inoiden-ta.l, and -the <br />use of the same shall likewise be subject -to and oon-trolled by <br />said Colorado River Compao-t." <br /> <br />i.' <br /> <br />It can be argued -tha-t if Arizona aocepts a permi-t for such a <br />projec-t from -the Federal Power COmmission, subjeo-t -to the above quo-ted <br />subdivision of Seo1;1on 13 of the Boulder. Canyon Project Ao-t, it would <br />be bound by such a res-tric-tion. However,:in considering such an argumeII\; <br />"two questions should be kept in mind, namely: (1) Does the Colorado <br />River Commission of Arizona have power, :in the absence of ratifioation <br />by the State of Arizona. of the Colorado River Compaot by appropriate <br />legislative aotion, to effeotively aocept the provisions of the Compact <br />so fa.r as this parti<mlar project is conoerned? (2) Could the State <br />of Arizona take the position that suoh a restriction is without <br />binding effect on the State in the absenoe of ratifioation by the <br />legislature? <br /> <br />-I, <br /> <br />We know and appreciate the attitude of the present Colorado River <br />Commission. In view of the present attitude of the Commission it would <br />be easy for all the states to agree to. the prelim:inary permit be:ing <br />issued by the Federal PoWer Commis8ion, 8ubjeot to the reservation and <br />restriction above quoted. But the question whioh was suggested at Salt <br />Lake when this matter was under disoussion by the Committee of Fourteen <br />was whether this subdiv.ision, above quoted, would be binding fg ainst the <br />Sta-te of Arizona if some fubure Commission should take the position that <br />:in the absence of ratification of the Compact Arizona would not be bO\md <br />by the restriction under discussion. In other words, it might be urged <br />that ratification by a s-tate of the provisions of a compact allooating <br />waters of an :interstate river :in so far as it applies to a particular <br />project oould not be accomplished by a restriction plaoed in a. federal <br />aot or a rElstriction imposed by a permit of the Federal governmeII\;, and <br />that the Qnly way the State of Arizona could be bound to -the .p revisions <br />of this C<ompaot, :in so far as it applies to any use of water, would be <br />by aotual. ratification by the legislature. This carries with it. of course, <br />the other ques-tion which I have intimated whether the present act creating <br />the Coa,rado River Commission of AriZona oan go so far, under the <br />oonstitution of the State of Arizona, to give -the Colorado River Commission <br />of Arizona the power . to agree to restriotions whioh are tantamount to <br />acoepltence of the provisions of tho Colorado River Compaot in so far as <br />the 8!ll1l0 apply to a particular projeot. <br />