A.—s.

Sess. 11.—1884. NEW ZEALAND.

WEST COAST NATIVE AFFAIRS (FURTHER PAPERS RESPECTING). [In continuation of A.-4, 1883.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Colonial Office to the Hon. Sir A. H. Goedon, G.C.M.G. Sib,— Downing Street, March 24, 1883. I am directed by tho Earl of Derby to transmit to you a copy of a despatch from the Governor of New Zealand, enclosing Memoranda from Mr Whitaker and Sir J. Prondcrgast respecting the papers laid before Parliament last session on " Native Affairs in New Zealand and the Imprisonment of certain Maoris." Lord Derby proposes to include this despatch and its enclosures in the further paper which is now ready for presentation to Parliament, and which will be given in continuation of that presented in August last, but ho will defer doing so until ho has received your observations upon the present despatch. Any observations with which you may favour his Lordship would also be included in the paper. I have, &c. Sir A. H. Gordon. John Bkamston.

See A.-4,1883, Nos. 41, 38, and 40.

No. 2. Tho Hon. Sir A. H. Gokdon, G.C.M.G., to the Colonial Office. Sir, — The Eed House, Ascot, March 31, 1883. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 24th instant, enclosing for my observations the copy of a despatch from Sir William Jervois giving cover to two memoranda, the one written by Mr. F. Whitaker, and the other by Sir James Prendorgast, on the subject of the papers relative to the affairs of New Zealand, presented to Parliament in the month of November last. 2. I have read with attention those enclosures to Sir William Jervois's despatch. Their substance may, I think, be thus summed up : — (i.) The New Zealand Ministers complain of my having forwarded to tho Secretary of State for the Colonies, in two despatches, dated respectively the 22nd October and the 4th November, 1881, various extracts from the Lyttelton Times, without previously communicating the contents of those despatches to my Eesponsible Advisers. (ii.) Both Sir James Prendergast and Mr. Whitaker take exception to my expression of a " disposition " to share the views advocated in the four articles enclosed in my despatch of the 22nd October. (iii.) The Ministers and Sir James Prendergast also take exception to my mention in the same despatch of the fact (which, however, they do not deny) that it was only from my Private Secretary, Mr Murray, that I received information as to the progress of affairs in New Zealand during my absence in Fiji; and (iv.) Sir James Prendergast enters upon a somewhat lengthy explanation of the circumstances attending the issue of his Proclamation of the 19th October, 1881. 3. The non-conynunication to my Eesponsible Advisers of my two despatches to Lord Kimberley, of the 22nd October and 4th November, admits of a very simple and very conclusive explanation. Both of them w&re "confidential" despatches, and the Governor of a colony possessing what is called responsible government is expressly prohibited from communicating despatches of this description to the local Ministers.

See A.-4,1883, Noa. 5 and 9.

Note. —Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this Paper are printed in the Imperial Blue Book, C.-3689, which was presented to Parliament during the session of 1883. I—A. 5