ZEALAND TO THE SECRETARY OE STATE.

A.—No. 1

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ultimo, forwarding a copy of the Act of the Imperial Parliament 31 and 32 Viet., cap. 57, I am requested by my llesponsible Advisers to transmit the enclosed Memorandum. I have, &e., His Grace the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. G. F. BOWEN.

Enclosure in No. 10. Memouanhum by Mr. .Stafford. Wellington, 30th Xovember, IS6B. Mr. STAFFORD presents his compliments to Jlis Excellency the Governor, and has Ihe honor to observe that the Act passed by the Imperial Parliament in its last Session " To make provision for the appoiut- " ment of Members of the Legislative Council of New Zealand, and to remove doubts in respect of " past appointments," effects the object which led to its being passed, but it also —no doubt inadvertently—in altering that part of the Constitution Act which relates to the mode of appointment of Members of the Legislative Council, and containing no proviso to enable the New Zealand Legislature to alter the mode now prescribed, has the indirect effect ot' taking away from that Legislature the power which was expressly given it by the Imperial Act, cap. 58, 20 and 21 Victoria, of amending the constitution of the Legislative Council. As it is not probable that this result was intended, it is advised that the Imperial Government bo requested to introduce a Bill into the Imperial Parliament with the object of restoring to the New Zealand Legislature the power, which it previously had, of altering, if it thought lit, the mode of constituting the Legislative Council of New Zealand. For His Excellency the Governor. E. "W. Stafford.

No. 11. Copy of a DESPATCH from Governor Sir G. E. Bowex, G.C.M.G., to His Grace the Duke of Buckingham. (No. 124.) Government House, Wellington, My L6k« Duke, — New Zealand, 17th December, 186S. With reference to my Despatch No. 110, of the 17th ultimo, I have the honor to transmit to your Grace, for presentation to Her Majesty, the accompanying Petition to the Queen from the " Wives, Mothers, and Daughters of the " Settlers and Inhabitants of the Town and District of Wanganui, in the Province of " Wellington, in the North Island of New Zealand," praying Her Majesty to direct that the efforts of the loyal and well-affected of both races in this District and Island may be speedily supplemented by the aid of Imperial troops. 2. My own opinions with respect to the employment of Imperial troops in New Zealand, and the views of the Colonial Ministry and Parliament on this subject, so vitally important at the present crisis in the history of this Colony, have been already expressed on several occasions, and especially in my Despatch No. 100, of the Bth October ultimo, with its enclosures. I have, &c., His Grace the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. (i. F. Bowen.

Enclosure in No. 11. To Her Most Gracious Majesty Victoria, Queen of Gbeat Beitadj and Ireland, The Memorial of the undersigned Wives, Mothers, and Daughters oftlie Settlers and Inhabitants of the Town and District of Wanganui, in tin- Province of Wellington, in tin- y<>rth J.slniiJ of New Zealand: Humbly sheweth, That your memorialists are impressed with a conviction of your Majesty's maternal care for the lives and happiness of even the humblest and most remote of your subjects. That your memorialists reside in a district in which some of the most appalling atrocities of Maori vendetta have taken place, in a district inadequately protected, and threatened with entire destruction. To avert the extinction of ourselves, and those dearest to us, under circumstances equal to if not exceeding the barbarities perpetrated in the Poverty Bay district, your memorialists now humbly supplicate your Majesty to direct that Ihe efforts of the loyal and well-affected of both races in this district and island be speedily supplemented by the aid of Imperial troops. And your memorialists will ever pray. [005 signatures.] 6