D.—No. 15.

3. If Mr. Mantell refers to the " legal inquiry," I believe it was not commenced till after the third express (Te Aomarere) went in. I used the word inquiry in the broader sense. 4. The only charge made for the second express was £1, to cover policeman's horse hire. To show that the bad management was no fault of mine, I may quote from Mr. Mantell's note of 28th June: — " Dear Mr. Buller, —Le diable sauve toujours les enfans, and so to protect one of them, Mr. Hapeta must needs get spilt, and break his collar bone or arm; so Pehara brought on his letters and kit." The accident was one I could not foresee or provide against. Walter Buller, R.M. No. 4. MEMORANDUM by Me. Mantell for the Hon. the Minister for Native Affairs, Me. AVood, (in the absence of Mr. Bell.) It is with unfeigned regret that I call your attention to the following subject. On the 15th July I received from Mr. Buller, R.M., Manawatu District, an account (Enclosure 1) for sums expended. In this I marked the charge for his first express as one which I could not approve. The letters sent by that express and a copy of my memoranda thereon were forwarded by me to you on the 21th June —the day on which I received them. I returned the original account to Mr. Buller by the next mail (20th July), and received from him by return of post (25th July) an account (Enclosure 2), omitting tho disapproved charge. This account I returned with my approval on the 27th July. Mr. Buller did not accompany the amended account with any protest or remark of any kind. He knew himself unable to justify that express to me on the ground of utility; as it aided in no decree the detection of the offender, and only facilitated his escape by putting him prematurely on his guard. By the same post which brought this amended account, Mr. Buller appears to have forwarded to you for approval an account for the disallowed charge (Enclosure 3), accompanied by a memorandum (No. 8, p. 1), which appears to me inveracious from beginning to end. He does not inform you that there had been other expenses for the same service—that this charge had just been disallowed by me; but leads you to believe that this most useless express achieved that which it only tended to frustrate—the conviction of AVatcrs. The Sub-Treasurer having been aware of my disapproval of the first account, very properly informed me of the arrival and payment of that approved by you. I therefore instructed him (Enclosure 4) to surcharge Mr. Buller with the amount, and to furnish me with the documents necessary for your information. I must leave it to you to submit this matter to the Governor, and should His Excellency decide upon removing Mr. Buller from his office, and his name from the Commission of the Peace, I shall see nothing in that course prejudicial to the Public Service, or unjust to an officer who for so small a consideration has practised such a deception on the Head of his Department. September 23rd, 1863. AValtee Mantell. Enclosure 1 to No. 4. VOUCHER, 1863. —Province of Wellington, the Department of General Native Purposes Dr. to AValtee Bulleb. To undermentioned sums paid on Government Service — JUDeto' 1862 ' ] Jenkins, Master "Sarah," for freight of Government ) * s' d; June 1, 1863, ) supplies (as per Memo.) j *Natana, express to and from Wellington, letters to Hon. Mr. Mantell, powder business ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 00 Connected with this powder information— Hapeta's horse hire to Wellington ... ... ... ... ... 10 0 Natana to Otaki ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 100 Te Aomarere, from Otaki to Wellington (horse hire and expenses)... 20 0 Pene, Otaki to Manawatu, Mr. Mantell's express (horse hire and expenses) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 0 Total £10 19 6 AValtee Bulleb, 15th July, 1863. Resident Magistrate. • This charge must be omitted before I can approve the account. —Walteb Mantell. Enclosure 2 to No. 4. VOUCHER, 1863. —Province of AVellington, the Department of Geneeal Native Purposes Dr. to Walter Buller. To undermentioned sums paid on Government Service—■ JuneJ, 1862, } TenkinS) Magter v BtLrah> „ for freight of Govemment | £ sd. Junel, 1863, j supplies (as per Memo.) j 6 Hapeta's horse hire to Wellington, to lay information against dealer in powder to Natives 10 0

15

2 PAPERS RELATIVE TO CERTAIN DISALLOWED ACCOUNTS