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TO THE GOVERNOR OE NEW ZEALAND.

A.—No. 1.

It was for the reasons above stated that I ventured to observe in my reply, that unless His Excellency had any instructions to give me for the employment of the troops, I was unable to gather from His Excellency's letter of the 15th October, what useful object to the public service would be attained by my absenting myself from the place where the usual and regular duties of my command could be best conducted ; but as the Secretary of State will have observed, I added that, in deference to His Excellency's opinion, I was proceeding to Wanganui. The result of my visit there is explained opposite. (Paragraph 11.) It was not therefore (as His Excellency no doubt from forgetfulness states) in reply to any request made by him, with reference to the serious aspect of affairs then prevailing " in the country," that I made the observations of which he complains, but solely and entirely in reference to the state of the Wanganui District, to which the expression of his opinion in the letter of the 15th October was limited. Had His Excellency, when he wrote that letter, entertained any serious apprehensions for the country at large, he would, I presume, have stated them, as he now does in his Despatches. Indeed I understood from His Excellency's Despatches home, so far as I have seen them, and from his speeches to the General Assembly, that he considered the general state of the country a subject for congratulation. 3. In answer to this, I beg to enclose copies of 3. Tho letters which accompany His Excellency's letters which reached me the same evening, by the Despatch do not, in point of time or place, bear same mail as General Chute's letter, herewith on the subject of his letter of the 15th October, enclosed, from various parts of the Island. I be- or of my reply of the 24th, of which His Excellency lieve when your Lordship has read this, you will complains. I would observe, however, with regard think it incredible that, under such a state of to the reports of the murder of a European by things, the General Officer Commanding here the Natives, in the Waikato, that they are scarcely should be ordered to maintain his Head Quarters conclusive proof of the violent intentions of the at a distance, in point of time, of fifteen (15) days Natives, as in another part of the same corresfrom the Government of the country. pondence it is officially reported that the murdered man was seen afterwards alive and well at Te Awamutu. Ido not, however, in making this remark, mean for a moment to imply that there is no likelihood of another outbreak in any part of the country. On the contrary, I believe that the Native mind is in some places in a very unsettled state; but I am also sure that alarming reports have been circulated, from time to time, when there was little ground for them. From the reports forwarded with my Despatch of the 30th instant, No. 361-66, as to the recent employment of some of the Imperial Troops in the Wanganui District, under His Excellency's personal instructions, it would appear that His Excellency is satisfied that the result of the recent movements of the Troops, Imperial and Colonial, in. the Wanganui District, has been the restoration of peace in that part of the country. With reference to the other parts of the Northern Island which are most likely to be the scene of future disturbances, should any occur, .viz., Waikato and Tauranga, my services are, geographically, much more readily available at Auckland than they would be at Wellington, so far distant, as His Excellency observes, in point of time. The only other district to consider is Napier, where there are only one hundred and thirty of Her Majesty's Troops stationed. A party of hostile Natives showed themselves lately in the neighbourhood of Napier. The services of the few of Her Majesty's Troops available were declined by the local authorities, and the Militia and Volunteers of the district readily and creditably disposed of the hostile Natives. 4. I have in vain represented that, in a country 4. Her Majesty's Government having long since settling down from rebellion, and from which a largo directed the withdrawal of all detachments from