A.—4

22

in July last. Both the Governor and Mr. Hall wished to avoid controversy, and it was agreed that, as the publication of the correspondence was deferred, this despatch should be withdrawn, and the despatch actually appearing in the papers now printed as No. 43 substituted for it. Towards the end of last year, the Governor informed Mr. Hall that circumstances, the nature of which he at the time explained, would probably render it necessary for him to place on record the comments he had already made on the memorandum of the 15th June. That the despatch in its present form was not earlier communicated to Ministers, is mainly due to the fact that, up to the time of Mr. Hall's resignation, no decision had been arrived at whether it should be regarded as a public or confidential document. The Governor must demur to the restrictions which, in the sixth paragraph of the memorandum, Mr. Whitaker appears inclined to impose upon the correction of clerical errors in the Governor's correspondence with the Secretary of State. Such errors (and they occur from time to time in the despatches of every Governor) it is His Excellency's duty at once to correct, when brought to his notice. In this case, the words wanting were supplied the moment attention was called to their absence, and the paragraph in the despatch of 28th December, on which Mr. Whitaker comments, stands word for word as it did when communicated to Mr. Hall in July, 1881. Government House, Wellington, 10th June, 1882. A. H. G.

No. 28. His Excellency Sir A. H. Gordon to Ministers. Memorandum for Ministers. The Governor has learnt with pleasure from Mr. Whitaker, that he proposes to substitute for the fourth paragraph of his memorandum of the Bth instant, the following words, as more accurately expressing that which Ministers desired to say : — " (4.) Ministers would be placed in the very unpleasant and anomalous position of having " hostilely to criticize the Governor's despatches, and to comment on the injurious effect which they " believe the authoritative publication of His Excellency's views on Native affairs would produce on " the Native mind."* His Excellency assents with pleasure to the substitution of these words, and in these circumstances feels it unnecessary to add any further remarks on Mr. Whitaker's memorandum of the Bth instant. A. H. G. Government House, Wellington, 13th June, 1882.

No. 29. Ministees to His Excellency Sir A. H. Goedon. Memorandum for His Excellency. Ministees present their respectful compliments to the Governor. 2. Ministers have the honour to acknowledge the receipt, on the 15th instant, of His Excellency's memoranda dated the Bth, 10th, and 13th June, in one envelope. 3. Ministers beg respectfully to point out, that the correction proposed to be made in their memorandum of the Bth June was communicated to His Excellency in the hope that it would have saved His Excellency the trouble of preparing his lengthened reply to what they desired should be withdrawn. 4. Ministers also beg to say a few words upon two points in His Excellency's memorandum (of the Bth June) containing that reply : — (1.) They respectfully express their dissent from His Excellency's view, that the publication of authentic documents would not revive party feeling. It appears to Ministers that it depends on the contents of documents, rather than on their authenticity, whether or not party feeling would be revived by their publication. (2.) Under ordinary circumstances, His Excellency might be quite correct in not thinking " that " the fact of different views being entertained and recorded by His Excellency and his Advisers is in " itself a sufficient cause for not submitting to the Legislature papers with which it may reasonably " expect to be furnished;" but it appears to Ministers that His Excellency does not sufficiently appreciate the special circumstances of New Zealand, and the serious consequences which might follow from the Native mind becoming impressed with the idea that, because of the views held by His Excellency —the Representative of the Crown—some assistance might yet be received from the Imperial Government in the differences between the Colonial Government and themselves. 5. Ministers do not feel it necessary to make any observation on His Excellency's memorandum, dated 13th June, further than to express their great regret that any cause of controversy should have arisen between themselves and His Excellency, and their satisfaction that its prolongation has ceased to be necessary. 6. As the memorandum of the 10th has, however, special reference to Sir John Hall, Ministers have submitted it for his perusal. Eeed. Whitakee. Wellington, June 17, 1882.

* This paragraph was substituted for paragraph 4 in Mr. Whitaker's memo, of the Bth of June, in consequence of a personal communication between the Gtovernor and Mr. Whitaker,