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subjects compensated for their losses by those Natives who have devastated the Province of Taranaki : aud as I believed, and still believe, that none of these ends are to be attained without war, I deemed it necessary that every man should continue accustomed to the use of arms, and just that those who could not afford to volunteer their services for nothing, should be paid. Most of the Militia are old soldiers, and their trained service is as much worth pay as the trained service of any other person ; further, nearly every man who could afford to serve for nothing in this district has volunteered, aud it would not have been fair to have expected them, the volunteers, to have done all the duty if war arose, as it was then likely to have arisen every day. I further refer you to your own letter No. 300, of the 6th August, on the subject of pay for the current month, and to letter No. 202, bearing on my letter No. 102, and your own letter No. 294, on the subject of pay ; moreover, your department has sanctioned pay for the latter part of May and all June, after the Militia was disbanded, without comment. 2nd. I never resided in the Militia Office ; the Militia Office was in my house about six months ; a large house was taken so that one part might be used as a Militia Office, at a much higher rate of rent than I should have paid for a house for myself, aud as soon as I could obtain a house in a central position for the sum allowed for an office, I did so. 3rd. Captain Dune was paid under the authority of an order from General Pratt,* copy transmitted herewith, and in accordance with Mr. Stafford's No. 80. I have, &c, The Honourable the Colonial Secretary, I. R. Cooper, Militia Branch, Major Commanding Wangauui Militia. Auckland. * P-S.—l believed the regular pay for Militia Officers on service would have been paid by the Home Government, and still believe this would be the case had Mr. Stafford remained in office.

Enclosure in No. 9. EXTRACT FROM GENERAL ORDERS. Head Quarters, New Plymouth, Bth October, 1860. No. 487. 2. The Deputy-Commissary-General is authorized to issue on the regular vouchers daily pay and subsistence, to the Officers aud Non-commissioned staff of the Wanganui Militia, from the date of their respective appointments as vouched by Major Cooper of thatcorp3, Major Cooper's daily pay and lodging allowance as Major in the Line, forage allowance 3s. per diem:—l sergeant, 45.; 1 corporal, 35.; 1 bugler, 2s. and Cd.; and to 1 company of Militia from Ist August, 1860, at the following rates:— Officers the same daily pay as Officers of the same grade in the Line, without any Colonial or other allowances, Non-commissioned Officers and Men the same pay and allowances as Her Majesty's Troops serviug in New Zealand; one suit of clothing, or one similar in value to that issued to Her Majesty's Troops. The whole of the above charges to be borne by the New Zealand Government, By command, True copy of Extract, . R. Carey, I. E. Cooper, Major commanding the Wanganui Militia. Deputy-Adjutant-General.

No. 10. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL BALNEAVIS TO MAJOR DURIE, WANGANUI. Deputy-Adjutant-General's Office, Auckland, sth February, 1862. Sir— With reference to the letter noted in the margin, I am directed by Mr. Fox to write to you to the following effect, and to request you to publish in a General Order that part of it which relates to the pay of the Militia men, and to forward a copy of it to Captain Cooper. In placing a portion of the Wanganui Militia on pay, subsequent to the receipt of distinct instructions to the contrary given in the letter of the late Colonial Secretary, Mr. Stafford, of 7th May, 1861, Major Cooper was guilty of disobedience, which, had he continued in the service of the Government, would have entailed upon him very serious consequences. The excuses offered by him for having done so are:— Ist. That he had instructions to re-enroll the men. This is perfectly true, but he had no instructions to put any of them on pay; on the contrary, it was distinctly stated in Mr Stafford's letter before referred to, that all pay, except that of the Staff, was to cease. 2nd. Major Cooper says, " that if he had received no instructions to re-enroll the men, he would have done bo without instructions, as he had the power to do so."

Unfa* Cooper. 2S:h November, 1961.

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