E.-No. 2J

residue of the lands of the Natives of the proclaimed districts, to be forfeited, whether in the district* themselves, or in other parts of the Islands. I repeatedly pressed the necessity of their at once telling me their intentions regarding the confiscation of Native lands, and the necessity also of letting the Natives know their true position in this respect, and what was to be taken from them. They as repeatedly declined. I declined to approve the Regulations until this was done, or to sanction the issue of the Orders in Council proclaiming the Districts, unless it was accompanied by a plain declaration to the Natives of the proclaimed districts of what was expected from them, and what course was to be pursued in regard to their lands, as I saw no other hope of bringing the existing contest to a close. Finding they could not move me upon this point, they bowed and withdrew, without my precisely catching what was said. G. Gbet. Auckland, May 28th, 1861. No. 12. MEMOEANDUM by Ministebs. Ministers beg most respectfully to submit to His Excellency an explanation in order to point out the mistake which it now appears has been fallen into in reference to the Order in Council and Begulations referred to in His Excellency's Memorandum of yesterday's date, and the documents accompanying it. * Mr. Whitaker did not submit the Orders in Council of the 28th of May for the approval of the Executive Council, and did not submit to the Council or advise His Excellency to sign the Eegulations to which His Excellency refers. Mr. Eussell had charge of the business to be brought before the Council, which consisted of two Proclamations under the New Zealand Settlements Act, 1863. Mr. Whitaker was led to believe that the terms of them had been arranged with the Governor —that the Council was only formal—that no discussion would take place, as the Orders were so framed as not to involve any question of controversy —rand that Mr. Whitaker's presence was only required as a matter of form to make a Quorum. Mr. Eussell submitted the Orders to the Council, and the Governor signed them. His Excellency then produced the Eegulations to which he refers, which had been sent to him on the 17th of May, and which Mr. Whitaker had not seen since that day when he signed and transmitted them to the Governor. The Eegulations had reference to another proposed Order in Council, submitted to the Governor not in Council on that day, and not to the Order in Council submitted to the Council by Mr. Eussell on the 28th of May. A reference to the date of the Regulation, May 17th, will shew to what documents they referred. Fbedk. Whitakeb. Auckland, 25th June, 1864. No. 13. MEMOEANDUM by Ministebs. His Excellency the Governor has requested his Eesponsible Advisers to state what is the " ge- " neral policy they propose to pursue regarding the confiscation of Native Lands, and the extent to " which they intend to carry such confiscation." Ministers proceed to state their views on this point accordingly. The establishment of a frontier line from Eaglan or Kawhia to Tauranga was stated by Ministers to the General Assembly to be part of their policy. At an Executive Council convened on tne 14th day of December last, at the request of General Cameron, the question was put to Ministers how far did they propose the troops should go into the interior and what was the precise object they desired to attain by Military operations in the Waikato ? to which they replied that the establishment of a frontier line from Eaglan or Kawhia to Tauranga was what they desired, and that that line was the extent to which they proposed to permanently occupy the country. Experience has in the opinion of Ministers clearly shewn, that as far as Waikato is concerned, a frontier line is really the only practicable scheme for protecting the settled districts, and that that line can be advantageously placed no where else than where they proposed. Ministers consider that all the land belonging to Eebel Natives within that line, and to the extent of the southern boundary fixed by the Orders in Council signed by His Excellency on the 28th of May should be confiscated, but they propose to give in convenient localities, estates varying in size from 10 to 2,000 acres to each of those of the former inhabitants who wisq to return and reside in the District. This is the extent to which Ministers propose to carry confiscation in the Waikato country. It may be necessary to deal separately with the Ngatimaniapoto tribe, that perhaps most deserving punishment whose land may not be sufficiently touched if confiscation were confined to the present proposal. At Taranaki, Ministers propose to confiscate rebel land on both sides of the Town of New Plymouth, including land of the Ngatiawa, Taranaki, and Ngatiruanui tribes, with the object of establishing Military settlements at such points as will provide for the security of the Town and the settled districts around it sufficient land of these tribes to be taken for this purpose and to afford a substantial contribution to the expenses of suppressing the rebellion. At Wanganui, Ministers propose to confiscate rebel land to the North, from the Waitotara Eire? to a convenient distance, 10 or 20 miles to the North of the Patea Eiver, including Waimate.

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PAPERS RELATIVE TO NATIVE AFFAIRS.