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A.—s.'

I hope there is nothing in this letter which, is construable into complaint of the action of members of the Assembly. I have merely desired to place on record the explanations which the proceedings of Parliament seem to make reasonably necessary on my part. I am, my dear Pollen, yours very truly, The Hon. D. Pollen, Ac, &c. Julius Vogel.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1. Cabinet Council, Wellington, New Zealand, September Ist, 1874. The Cabinet request the Premier to proceed to Sydney — («.) To settle the various Loan questions there which require settlement. (J.) To arrange with the Governments of New South Wales and Queensland about the telegraph cables, (c.) And, from Sydney, to proceed to England — (d.) To arrange with the Agent-General such changes in his department as may seem to the Premier necessary, and to settle with the Agent-General all outstanding questions, (c.) To arrange for the further finance requirements of the colony. (f.) To arrange, on behalf of the Colony, for the construction of the telegraph cables, in conjunction with New South Wales and Queensland; or, if such arrangement be not practicable, to arrange, as authorized by the Act of 1872, for the construction of a cable between Australia and New Zealand. The Cabinet determine that the Premier, in addition to the usual allowance of four guineas a day from his departure to his return, shall receive a special allowance of £1,500 (fifteen hundred pounds). G. S. Cooper, Secretary to the Cabinet.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1. My dear Vogel,— Brighton, October 30,1875. Referring to our conversation yesterday, in which you mentioned that rumours were afloat, both here and in the colony, to the effect that when in June last you applied for an advance of £3,200 to yourself, and of £800 to your Private Secretary, I, as Agent-General, not only demurred to, but, before complying with the requisition, took a legal opinion. I now beg, at your request, to repeat what I yesterday stated verbally, viz. that these rumours are untrue, and destitute of the slightest foundation. The course pursued in this instance was precisely similar to that adopted, I believe, in all analogous cases. At any rate, I can state that in every one of the missions in which I have been engaged, I have always been offered an advance, and been empowered to draw for whatever amount might be required for the purposes of the mission; subject, of course, to all such advances being accounted for to the satisfaction of the Government of the colony. I feel perfectly certain that the rumours did not emanate from my office. Believe me yours very truly, The Hon. Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G. I. E. Featiierston.

No. 2. The Hon. D. Pollen to the Hon. Sir J. Vogel, K.C.M.G. My dear Vogel,— Wellington, 14th February, 1876. I have your letter of the 12th instant, and have shown it to my colleagues who are here. It is not necessary to repeat the assurances already given of our approval of your proceedings at home. The only portion of this letter to which I need specially refer is that relating to your allowances. Although no official record of the circumstance was made, it is the fact that, on the day following that on which it was determined that a special allowance of £1,500 should be granted to you under the authority of the Loan Act, it was suggested in Cabinet that that amount might not be sufficient, and it was then agreed, and you were so given to understand, that if it proved insufficient Parliament would be asked to vote such additional sum as might be required. Accordingly, as you now inform us that a further sum of £2,500 (making in all £4,000) is necessary to defray the cost to which you were subjected, we propose that an appropriation of that amount shall be asked for in the next Session. We will be happy to cause your letter to be laid before Parliament. I am yours always truly, The Hon. Sir J. Vogel, K.C.M.G. Daniel Pollen.

No. 3. The Hon. Sir J. Vogel, K.C.M.G., to the Hon. D. Pollen. Dear Pollen, — 31st March, 1876. I think it only justice to myself to. say, that since I wrote you on the 12th February I find that my expenditure on my trip Home will cost me some £250 more than I thought when I wrote you on that date; and that a special allowance of £4,250 (that is, £2,750 in excess of the amount already authorized by Cabinet) will be necessary to place me in the position described in that letter, instead of the £4,000 therein mentioned. Tours very truly, The Hon. D. Pollen. Julius Vogel.