FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO CERTAIN DISAPPROVED ACCOUNTS OF THE RESIDENT MAGISTRATE, MANAWATU.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1865 Session I, D-15a

D.—No. 15A.

FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO CERTAIN DISAPPROVED ACCOUNTS OF THE RESIDENT MAGISTRATE, MANAWATU.

PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BY COMMAND OE HIS EXCELLENCY. WELLINGTON. 1865.

D.—No. 15A.

No. 1. Waltee Btjlleb, Esq., 8.M., to the Hon. W. B. D. Mantell. Sib,— Wellington, 28th March, 1865. I do myself the honor to refer again to the correspondence which forms the subject of a letter from the Native Secretary to yourself, dated 21st December, 1863, and is contained in the enclosure thereto. Having ascertained from conversation with you that the explanation of my conduct in the matter referred to therein, which was accepted by the late Government as sufficient, is not to your mind altogether satisfactory, I beg to assure you of my extreme readiness and anxiety to furnish any further explanation you may consider necessary to the complete vindication of my character as a public officer. I do not attempt to justify in any way my conduct in adopting the informal and irregular course for which I was reprimanded by the late Government, but I am anxious that you should acquit me of any dishonorable motive in the transaction, and I therefore respectfully beg that you will favour me by reconsidering your former decision. I have, &c, The Hon. W. B. D. Mantell, Waltee Bullee, Wellington. Eesident Magistrate. No. 2. The TJndee Seceetaey, to Waltee Bttllee, Esq., B.M. Sie, — Native Secretary's Department, Wellington, 14th July, 1865. With reference to your letter of 28th March last, on the subject of the correspondence between Mr. Mantell and yourself in the year 1863, relative to the unauthorized expense incurred by you in sending a special messenger to Wellington. I am directed by Mr. Mantell to inform you that in compliance with your urgent request he has carefully considered the case ; but, at the same time, Mr. Mantell desires me to state that he can see no reason to alter his opinion on the original case, and that he regrets to find its aspect aggravated rather than improved by your letter of 9th October, 1863. As, however, the offence has been dealt with by the late Ministry, Mr. Mantell has no wish (as he has already informed you verbally) to re-open the case. I am, however, instructed to forward for your perusal a copy of the rough notes which Mr. Mantell made on your letter to Mr. Fox of 9th December, and inform you that inasmuch as the papers have been laid on the table of the House, he will, if you desire it, bring them under the notice of the Cabinet and request its opinion. I have, &c, W. Bolleston, W. Buller, Esq., 8.M., Wanganui. Under Secretary. No. 3. MEMOEANDUM by W. B. D. Mantell, Esq. In Mr. Buller's remarks on my notes on his Memorandum to Mr. Wood (23rd July, 1863), he quotes part of a private note from me, dated 28th June. He should be required to send in all my private notes. Mr. Buller's explanatory letter of 9th October, 1863 :— 2. In my Memorandum for Mr. Wood, I stated what I conceived the maximum of just punishment for his offence. I did so because, as I either had at the time when I wrote it sent in my resignation, or was on the point of doing so, and should not therefore have an opportunity of giving in the Executive Council the opinion which my colleagues might desire from me. 3. The deception was deliberate and for a time successful, no denials nor oaths can alter this fact. 4. Had Mr. Buller taken these vigorous steps on receiving Dr. Hewson's note, and then sent the information, he would have deserved credit. But his whole management of the case shewed a want of capacity and discretion. Mr. St. Hill, the Eesident Magistrate here, took the same view. 7. I doubt whether His Honor meant to convey this impression. I found the police, as represented by Inspector Atcheson, already on the alert, and by no means aided by Mr. Buller's first despatch. 8. Mr. Buller did not tell me that he had reserved the item for the Native Minister. Had he done so, I should have refused to recommend it for an approval which I had myself withheld, and should have severely reprimanded Mr. Buller for the proposal. 10. There was no probability, I think, of Mr. Buller's disputing the claim with me, nor did he refer it to Mr. Wood as a disputed item. I must here remark that it was as notorious that Mr. Bell, the Native Minister, was at the time absent from Auckland, as it was certain that he would have at once suspected and disallowed a claim for an express sent to me, the account for which was not sent

PAPERS RELATIVE TO CERTAIN DISALLOWED ACCOUNTS OF THE RESIDENT MAGISTRATE, MANAWATU.

D.—No. 15A.

through, or at least certified by me. Had he known or believed Mr. Bell to be at head-quarters, Mr. Buller would not have ventured to send the account. Very thoughtlessly, Mr. Halse, who should have known better, recommended the account for Mr. Wood's approval, and he, trusting to the advice of Mr. Bell's acting Under Secretary, approved it as a matter of course. 11. My note was a distinct disallowance. 13. I know of no such conflicting instructions. I believe from what I heard at the time that Mr. Buller distinctly understood that I had consented to administer the affairs of Mr. Bell's department in the south, in order to relieve him. 16. The word " given " was used, I believe, in a private note. 17. I do not remember this. 18. My words were —that the emergency must justify the expenses, or I would not sanction the expense. 19. Those instructions were superseded on my return from Auckland in February, when I gave all the officers of the Native Department to understand that they were for the future to write to me and not through me. 25. Mr. Buller says I convert his personal loss into the basis of an attack on his personal character. Ido not think this statement justifiable. Mr. Fox writes on a misrepresentation of the instructions to Mr. Buller at the time of this occurrence. (See my note on paragraph 13 of Mr. Buller's explanation.) 14th July, 1865. W. B. D. Mantell. No. 4. The Undee Seceetaey to the Hon. W. B. D. Mantell. Sie, — Native Secretary's Office, Wellington, 24th July, 1865. I am directed by the Honorable the Colonial Secretary to forward to you herewith copy of a letter from W. Buller, Esq., 8.M., relative to certain correspondence between that gentleman and yourself in the year 1863. I have, &c, W. B. D. Mantell, Esq., Wellington. W. Bolleston, Under Secretary. Enclosure to No. 4. Waltee Bullee, Esq., 8.M., to the Undee Seceetaey, Native Department. Sib, — Wanganui, 19th July, 1865. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 14th instant (No. 416), relative to certain correspondence between the Honourable Mr. Mantell and myself, in the year 1863. I have to thank Mr. Mantell for acceding to my request, while at the same time I extremely regret that he is unable to alter his previous opinion. I have no wish, however, to have the matter brought under the notice of the Cabinet, as I am satisfied with the unanimous decision of the late Ministry, and with the testimony of a good conscience. I have, &c., The Under Secretary, Native Department, Wellington. Waltee Bullee, E.M.

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ACCOUNTS OE RESIDENT MAGISTRATE, MANAWATU.