A.—No. 5

No. 60. His Excellency the Govebnoe to the Eight Hon. the Seceetaby of State for the Colonies. Sib, — Government House, "Wellington, 14th July, 1865. I have the honor to transmit copies of a letter, and its enclosures, which I have just received from Sir D. Cameron, stating that he has reported to Earl de Grey that the Colonial Ministers are guilty of improprieties in corresponding with officers under his command, and that he has reported the irregularity I thus allow to the Secretary of State for War. 2. I beg that you will assure Earl de Grey that neither myself, or any member of the Colonial Ministry, would be willingly guilty of any impropriety in corresponding with any officer under General Cameron's command. 3. In this instance Martial Law prevailed in the Province of Taranaki, under the provisions of which the officer in command there exercised extraordinary powers. The state of peace now prevailing there fortunately admitted of my revoking the Proclamation establishing Martial Law, which had been issued by my predecessor, I therefore issued another Proclamation for this purpose, and to prevent the senior military officer at Taranaki from committing any illegal acts under the old Proclamation, after a new one was published, an authenticated copy of the new one was sent to him by the Colonial Secretary, and care was taken that it should only be made public there by himself or under his directions. 4. It is difficult to imagine how this can constitute a grave offence of impropriety and irregularity, which it is necessary to report for the information of the Secretary of State for War ; or why, in a country involved in all the difficulties which spring from civil war, the minds of the authorities should be disturbed by such a question. It should be borne in mind that General Cameron is at Auckland, distant from the seat of Government and the point where disturbances prevail, and if he is in every instance to be applied to, all action must be paralyzed. I have, &c, The Eight Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P. G. Gbet. Note.—For Despatches N"os. 92, 93, and 94, relative to the Capture of the Weraroa Pa, vide A. No. 7.

No. 91

Vide A. No. 4, pp. 66, 67.

69

ZEALAND TO THE SECRETABY OP STATE.