THE GOVERNOR AND MINISTERS.

9

A.—No. 1.

system according to which the proceeds of the land sales are laid out reproductively upon immigration, roads, and public works. Should the Land Fund be no longer applied to those objects, the reason for exacting a high price for land ceases, and land will probably be given away at Canterbury, as in Auckland, by way of encouragement to immigrants. According to all true principles of Colonial economy, the money raised by sale of Waste Lands should be applied to objects calculated to give value to the land. Upon that principle the Colony has hitherto proceeded in reference to the disposal of its Waste Lands and Land Fund, and it will not voluntarily depart from it. It follows that the expense of the future internal defence of the Colony, according to the plan proposed by Ministers, must for the next few years be mainly provided for by loan ; but it can only be done by now stopping all the present war expenditure. Ministers, therefore, propose at once to take the necessary steps for this purpose, and to direct all their measures towards the object which they have in view. Independently of economical considerations, they believe this to be the wisest course which they can take. They believe that by at once facing the danger which lies before them, they may diminish it. It will in fact be safer at once to withdraw the troops from the Waikato, placing that district in a posture of self-defence without reliance on the presence of troops, than to go on from month to month, or year to year, inevitably weakening in the settlers those habits of self-reliance on which they will be compelled to fall back at last. The same may be said of each of the other districts, particularly as regards Taranaki and Wanganui, so soon as military operations in those districts are brought to an end, which, as Ministers suppose, may now be done in the course of a few weeks. Ministers assume as a fixed condition of these proposals, that the Colonial Government will receive the firm and unwavering support of the Imperial Grovernment in maintaining the unity of the Colony with its Seat of Government established, as at present, in a central position. Wellington, March 20, 1865. Feed. A. Weld.

No. 8. MEMORANDUM by the Goveknob. The Governor, fearing that an impression prevails in some quarters that the present war is carried on for the profit and gratification of the Colonists, trusts that his Responsible Advisers will, in. all instances, whether in recommending measures for the Governor's adoption, or acquiescing in those he may recommend, make such a full and explicit statement of the objects they have in view, and of the reasons on which the proceedings they advocate are based, that no misunderstanding can take place in the minds of just and unprejudiced persons regarding the propriety and necessity of the course which may be adopted. March 4th, 1865. _____ . G. Grey.

No. 9. MEMORANDUM by Ministers. Ministers in referring to the Governor's Memorandum of the 4th instant, expressing a fear " that " an impression prevails in some quarters that the present war is carried on for the profit and gratifi- " cation of the colonists," are prompted by their desire to meet His Excellency's wishes rather than by any sense of the necessity of rebutting imputations so vague and so indirect. Ministers feel that they might safely rely upon His Excellency's sense of justice for their defence. They are not aware that any difference of opinion has existed between His Excellency and themselves regarding either the advisability of taking decided action in the country between Taranaki and Wanganui, or regarding the ends sought to be obtained by such action. They believe that on these subjects there has been a free interchange of opinion between His Excellency and His Responsible Advisers, and that such consultations have in no case resulted in any difference of opinion. Ministers would undoubtedly have preferred that His Excellency should, after visiting the Southern Island, as protiosed by them, have arrived at Wellington, and Wanganui, if necessary, about the time that LieutenantGeneral Sir D. A. Cameron commenced his operations there, and they, at the same time, proposed that a Member of the Ministry should accompany the General to Wanganui in the hope that such a course might facilitate any peaceful overtures on the part of the iusurgent Natives. The Lieutenant-General, however, considered that the Governor's presence in Auckland was imperatively required, and finally did not adopt the proposition that he should bo accompanied by the Minister for Native affairs, considering his presence unnecessary. It is possible that these circumstances may haSre given rise to a supposition in the minds of some persons, ignorant perhaps of the Proclamation of the 17th of December, 1864, that the LieutenantGeneral Commanding being without the presence of any high Civil Authority became involved in hostilities which might have been avoided. Ministers, however, cannot assent to this view. Had they seen any probability of successful negotiations resulting in the submission of the hostile tribes, they would have pressed their original proposition. His Excellency is well aware that the country between Wanganui and Taranaki has long been a focus of sedition and fanaticism. There, in 1854, was held the meeting of Manawapou at which death was decreed against any Native who should sell hia own land to the Pakeha ; thence issued armed bands of marauders and plunderers during the Taranaki war; thence, up to the present day, issue organized parties of fanatics who traverse the Native districts throughout the Island, parading the cooked heads of Europeans,—in one instance, it is said, leading captive with them two British soldiers, and, in at least one case, adding cannibalism of the most disgusting character to their other crimes, —Ministers will not dwell upon such facts, as that all communication between Taranaki and Wanganui has been long prohibited by these tribes ; —that the mails have been stopped;—that a mail steamer having been wrecked on the coast, neither military nor civil C