A-—No. -i

and without endangering the results which it has been the policy of Her Majesty's Government to strive to secure. To determine the period of time when this can be done with safety is certainly by the terms of Earl de Grey's instructions left to your discretion. But no mention is made of your being authorised to determine how the portion of the force to be left in this country is to be distributed, and what places are to be retained, and what places arc to be abandoned. To assume the power of determining these questions is (although you have probably overlooked this fact) to violate the terms of my Commission, and the instructions under which we are jointly acting; to assume the entire government of the country ; to place it in a position of the greatest difficulty ; and then to leave to myself and the Local Government the whole responsibility for its future safety, —and thus to entail new responsibilities on tier Majesty's Government in relation to New Zealand, which I do not think they are prepared to undertake. I have said that I have not taken so gloomy a view of the state of affairs as you appear to have recently done. I believe that large numbers of Natives were prepared to submit to the Government. I think that they have in some measure been led to pause in this intention from what has taken place in regard to the Wereroa Pa, and the rumours which have for the last two months been circulated of the intended withdrawal of the troops; but I still think much may shortly be done to bring about the submission of many of their leading men. My own view of the course which ought to be taken in the present circumstances of the country is that a sufficient force should bo collected with the least delay practicable, to take the Wereroa Pa in such a manner as, if possible, to secure a marked and decided success on our part; that the local Government should then, occupying as it would an advantageous position, attempt to come to terms with the leading rebel chief's, which I believe it could speedily do ; and that then, as a consequence naturally and properly following the pacification of the country, the proposed reduction of the troops should be prompt ly carried out. The Colony having in the interim made such arrangements as it thinks necessary for raising additional local forces to take the place of the troops which are to be sent home. In this way I think effect might safely be given to the instructions of Her Majesty's Government. I have expressed in this letter my own views of the momentous question which now occupies our thoughts without reference to my Eesponsible Advisers, but have given my opinion as an Imperial officer and for what I believe to be the common interest of Great Britain and the Colony. I have, Ac, Lieut.-General Sir D. A. Cameron, K.C.B. G. Grey. No. 112. His Excellency the Governor to Sir D. A. Cameron, K.C.B. Sir, — Government House, Auckland, 19th May, 1865. I think it better, in reference to your letter of yesterday's date, to forward to you my replies to the soveral questions you have raised in it, in order that such replies may stand on record, in order that I may not appear to have treated your letter with any want of respect. Generally upon the question you have raised regarding your right of correspondence with the Secretary of State of War, I would in the first place recall the facts of the present case. Upon the 30th of March you wrote me a private letter, containing very serious accusations against myself and my Eesponsible Advisers. On the 9th April, you had forwarded a copy of that letter direct to Her Majesty's Government, in a private letter, without giving me warning that you intended to do so, and without acquainting me with the nature of the remarks you had made, and without letting me knowthat such a letter had heen sent until it had left the Colony. I must deny your right, either in a public or private letter thus to traduce me to the authorities at home behind my back. I say this as a mere abstract matter of right; I have no wish to make any complaint on the subject. lam quite ready to think it was a mere unadvised ill-considered act on your part, and this remark and the future ones I shall make are only to explain and defend my conduct, of which you complain as I believe without any grounds for doiug so. I quite forget any wrong that I have suffered. Tn reference to your letters to myself, if the contents of those letters are such thai it is desirable for the public interests that they should be communicated to the Colonial Ministers, I think that the Governor must necessarily communicate such letters to them. I am also of opinion that any letters, public or private, transmitted by any oflicer to Her Majesty's Ministers, which reflect on the conduct of the Governor of this Colony and of his Ministers must be regarded as liable to be communicated to the Ministers, and to be dealt with as public letters. Any letters reflecting on the conduct of the Governor or of his Ministers, should, according to the rules laid down for the guidance of Her Majesty's service, have been transmitted to Her Majesty's Ministers through the Governor of the Colony. If sent direct to the Secretary of State for War, although this is an irregular proceeding and in breach of the instructions, a copy of the letter to the Secretary of State for War, accompanying them should certainly have been forwarded to the Governor. This has not yet been done, although lam entitled to know the date of that letter and to have a copy ofit To transmit accusations reflecting on the Governor and his Ministers in a private letter to one of Her Majesty's Ministers, without giving the persons reflected on an opportunity of at the same time replying to that letter, obviously places them at a most serious disadvantage. In reference to your remark that the transmission of your communications to the Secretary of State for War, did not make them public, my answer is—that I think that your accusations should either have been publicly made, or not have been made at all. In reference to your remarks upon the statements I have made regarding my having told my Eesponsible Advisers that they must not treat your communications as official ones, unless you made them public yourself, I think you have overlooked the difference between writing a Memorandum for

42

C/v^aili.JL^i.v/x>_iy_L^>CL, x-^IT, ME