R—lfo. S.
No. 3. Memorandum by the Goveenob. The Governor has this moment received the Ministerial Memorandum of this day's dfcte, upon the subject of Besponsible Government. He takes the earliest opportunity of informing Ministers that Mr. Eursell has only just told him that a meeting of the cabinet was held upon Monday night, the Ist instant, and of the decision at which Ministers then arrived. Until Mr. Russell made this communication to the Governor he was ignorant that a meeting of the cabinet had been held upon Monday, that the subject alluded to had been discussed at it, or that such a decision had been arrived at regarding it. The Governor is at present of opinion that on so important a matter as this, Ministers ought to have fully and clearly informed him of all that had taken place. To the other serious questions raised in their Memorandum he will lose no time in replying, but he has thought it his duty at once to make the above explanation. G. Gbbt. February 3rd, 1864. No. 4. Memorandum by the Governor as to Eesponsible Government. The Governor having further considered the Ministerial Mamorandum upon the subject of Government, of yesterday's date, requests Ministers to bo good enough to furnish him with a copy of the Memorandum, embodying their views which they wish transmitted to Her Majesty's Secretary of State ; when he has perused this Memorandum, ho will be better able to determine what eourso he should pursue. G. Gbeit. Government House, Auckland, February 4th, 1864. No. 5. Memorandum by the Governor as to Eesponsible Government. Adverting to the Ministerial Mmnorauduui, dated the 3rd instant. The Governor's attention having been directed to that part of it in which Ministers allude to a draft Despatch to the Secretary of State, regarding the forfeiture of Native lands, the Governor begs to state that his intentions in writing the draft of that despatch have been misunderstood by his Bjsponsiblo Advisers. He wrote it in consequence of a conversation he held with the Colonial Secretary, and upon receiving the Ministerial Memorandum upon it, he thought the correspondence then was in so unsatisfactory a form that he ought not to send it home until Ministers had in somo explicit form stated to what extent they thought it might be necessary to carry the confiscation of Native lands. The Governor felt that to have proposed this question to his Responsible Advissrs, at the pres3nt moment, might havo proved a serious embarrassment to them, whilst if General Cameron's prossnt operations terminated successfully, they might shortly be able to come to aclearand sitisfactory conclusion upon this subject. The Governor therefore, anxious in noway to throw a:iy difficulties in the way of his Ministers, did not send on, or in any way allude to the draft Despatch to which Ministers havo referred in their Memorandum, nor will he, after what they have said, send it to the Secretary of State. G. Gbey. Government House, Auckland, sth February, 1864. No. 6. MEMORANDUM by Ministers as to Responsible Government. 1. Ministers respectfully request that His Excellency will allow them to bring under his notice the state of the questions between himself and his Advisers as to Eesponsible Government. 2. In Ilia Excellency's Minute of the 4th of February, he requested Ministers to furnish him with a copy of the " Memorandum embodying their views, which they wish transmitted to Her Majesty's Secretary of ."tate," and His Excellency stated that " when he has perused this Memorandum he will Bo better able to determine what course he should pursue." 3. Since the Memorandum of Ministers of the 3rd of February, to which His Excellency's Minute of the 4th of the same month was a reply, explanations and Despatches from the Secretary of State have materially altered the position of the questions then under consideration. 4. His Excellency's Despatch of the 17th of December last, to which Ministers objoctcd, has not His Excellency informs them, been sent and will not be sent to the Secretary of State. 5. In reference to the question as to the Militia, there appears to have been somo misunderstanding between His EjiC3llency, Mr. Eussell, and General Galloway, and it does not appear that His Excellency claima tho right of sending on active service the Colonial Militia, on his own responsibility without taking tho advice of his Eespousible Advisors. 6. And with respect to tho last matter of which Ministers complained, viz., His Excellency's correspondence with one of their subordinate officers, they trust that His Excellency will not insist on that which they believe to be very inconvenient, and as thoy think inconsistent with Responsible Government.
29
PAPERS RELATIVE TO NATIVE AFFAIRS.
Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.
By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.
Your session has expired.