E.—No. 2A.

never understood Mr. Baker's report to apply to Col. Greer, as His Excellency interprets it to do ; and he begs to append Mr. Baker's written disclaimer of any sncli application of his words. The Colonial Secretary not only agrees with His Excellency " that Col. G-reer rendered most essential services at Tauranga," but lie has personally expressed himself to Col. Greer to that effect; <md as long ago as the 17th of August the Colonial Secretary stated in writing to His Excellency that " the course pursued by Col. Greer in reference to the surrender of the rebel natives, appears to have, been as judicious as it was successful; and the Colonial Government feels that that officer is entitled to great credit for the manner in which he executed the delicate duty which devolved upon him." The Colonial Secretary trusts that if His Excellency has intimated to Col. Greer either that Mr. Baker had made such a charge as His Excellency supposed, or that the Colonial Secretary in any way undervalued the services of that officer, His Excellency will either remove the impression from Col. Greer's mind, or allow the Colonial Secretary to forward to that Officer a copy of the above statement. 2. In reference to the sentiments which Mr. Baker has attributed to the military, the Colonial Secretary presumes that His Excellency does not intend to deny, as a matter of fact, the truth of the statement made by Mr. Black to Mr. Baker. Whether Mr. Baker's own opinion as to the sentiments of the military in general are correct, is quite another question, and one which the Colonial Secretary does not consider he is officially bound to discuss. But a-s the Colonial Treasurer appears to have intimated to His Excellency that in his •opinion Mr. Baker's view was corroborated by what he had heard in England, the Colonial Secretary thinks it right to remark that the recently received English newspapers do go far to support the idea that military officers in the Colony have written home to their friends very much to the same effect as Mr. Baker alleges them to have expressed themselves in the Colony. In a leading article in the London Times of the 15th July last, is the following passage: " The disaster betrays, what we have other means of knowing, that the soldiers we land in New Zealand are in one respect seriously ' demoralized,' as a military critic would express it. They have their own opinion upon the war, and they have lost all faith in its justice and wisdom. They don't like shooting down savages on their own land, * * * That is the feeling which now pervades the British forces in New Zealand. They don't like the work and therefore they don't do it as well as they would if their hearts were in it. It may be something to fight for—what is not P but it is not a thing to die for. If the Colonists want, the land let them fight for it and die for it. * * * But it is a very sordid and cold-blooded affair for the British soldier who knows only what he sees.'' Again, a Field Officer writing to the Times, under date July Bth, quotes from a letter written to him from New Zealand "by an. old comrade and as gallant and accomplished a gentleman as ever held a commission." The letter from the officer in New Zealand contains some most false and slanderous imputations on the Colonists and the Colonial Government, while the Field Officer summing it up, says, "'a feeling of unmitigated disgust is beginning to be felt in the army at the way in which they are being used in this reckless and unrighteous war." " Can it be wondered at that our soldiers look with apathy and disgust on such a war, and, respecting the Maories as a brave enemy almost hate the idea of overcoming them for the advantage of their sordid opponents." " Every true-hearted soldier abhors to be made the instrument of cruelty and injustice, and feels that every life sacrificed in New Zealand is a drop of blood from England's heart that shames instead of purifying her." Many other letters to the same effect have appeared in the English papers, some written by officers in the Colony, others avowedly echoing their sentiments. It must be admitted that they go very far to corroborate Mr. Baker's assertions. And while sue his the testimony of the English press, the debates in both houses of Parliament afford further confirmation to the same effect. Even His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge is obliged to deprecate the idea which "he finds put forward in so many quarters, that the military in New Zealand had been " demoralized ;" and in the House of Commons letters have been read and referred to, (in one instance at least with the name of an Officer in very higli command in the Colony,) all proving beyond a doubt that Military and Naval officers in the Colony have given expression to sentiments of the same sort as Mr. Baker has attributed to them. 3. In the concluding paragraph His Excellency records, (without any special application) the fact that 10 officers and 30 men laid down their lives fighting for the Colony, at the (late Pa. If the subject were a less painful one, the Colonial Secretary would be inclined, after the references above given, to controvert His Excellency's statement. He abstains however from doing so ; but will say, that in whatever cause they fell, the loss of so many brave officers and of so many men, is deplored by the Colonists of New Zealand as deeply as by any one living. At the same time he may be permitted to doubt whether it is judicious in His Excellency to draw more attention to the unfortunate affair of the Gate Pa, than has been already attracted to it. Mr. Baker will be so good as read the accompanying Memorandum, and say whether his remarks were intended to apply to Col. Greer, and whether he understood Col. Greer to be the person alluded to by Mr. Black. October 11th, 1864. W. Fox. Neither my remarks nor Mr. Black's had reference to Col. Greer. William B. Bakke.

No. 8. MEMORANDUM by the Goyerxok. Adverting to the Colonial Secretary's Memorandum of the 11th inst., and to the question proposed by the Colonial Secretary to Mr. Baker, as to whether he understood Colonel Greer to be the person alluded to by Mr Black in a remark which he made, the Governor begs to state that he did not at any time think that Colonel Greer was the Field Officer alluded to by Mr. Black. October 22nd, 1864. G. Gkey.

6

FURTHER PAPERS ON NATIVE POLICY,