D.—No. 6.

No. 14. My Lord Duke, — Government House, Auckland, Bth March, 1864. I have the honour to enclose a copy of a translation of a letter from William Thompson to some chiefs upon the East Coast of this Island, in which he describes the recent actions with our troojw. 2. Your Grace will find that this letter is interesting, as it shows the efforts which arc made, by describing imaginary successes, to induce distant tribes to join the rebels, and thus to keep the war alive. 1 have, &c., His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., &c, &c, &c. G. Gkey.

No. 15. My .Loed Duke, — Government House, Auckland, Bth March, 1864. I have the honour to enclose, for your Grace's information, a copy of a translation of a letter I received on the 6th instant from the Chief of the Whakatohea tribe, on the East Coast of this Island. This letter is in point of fact a declaration of war against us. 2. It will be seen that the main reason alleged for this hitherto friendly tribe engaging in hostilities against us (if they really persist in doing so) is, that orders have been issued from England that all the natives of New Zealand should be destroyed, whether faithful subjects of the Queen or not. It is bv spreading false statements of this kind that the rebels Lave hitherto succeeded, from time to time, in drawing numbers of distant tribes, uot acquainted with the true state of things, into the war. 3. I hope in this instance, if we can convince the Whakatohea tribe of the delusion under which they labour, that they will yet abandon their present intentions, which would certainly prove fatal to their interests. I have, &c., His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., &c., &c, &e. G. Grey.

No. 16. My Loud Duke, — Government House, Auckland, sth April, 1864. In your Grace's Despatch, No. 12, of the 26th of January, I am directed to state, in reference to certain murders which had been committed by natives of these Islands, to what extent these crimes arc referable to the savage lawlessness of individual persons or families,—and how far they represent the feeling in which the natives generally are determined to carry on the war. 2. I referred this Despatch to my Responsible Advisers, and the Colonial Secretary states, in regard to it, that in his opinion the atrocities alluded to are exceptional, but that the exception includes a very considerable portion of the native race, and that, had the rebel forces been allowed to remain unchecked, they would probably have become general. ii. I ought to state that, in my belief, the custom of the Native race, in their savage state, has immemorially been as follows:—If any families wrere, in their belief, wrongfully deprived of land by others stronger than themselves, whom they could not successfully resist in open war, they sought revenge in sudden murders before they totally abandoned the soil: as much as to say, At least our property shall cost you dear. This custom they have in great part followed to the present day, although the enclosed copy of a paper sent recently to the Government by the Natives in Tauranga will show that a feeling much more in consonance with the teachings of Christianity is now springing up amongst many of the natives. I have, &c, His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., &c, &c, &c. G. Grey.

No. 17. My Loed Duke, — Government House, Auckland, 14th March, 1864. I have much pleasure in transmitting for your Grace's information two reports from Mr. Barstow and Mr. E. M. Williams (both Eesident Magistrates in the Northern, District of this Colony), showing that the feeling on the part of the Native population in that part of the Island towards their European fellow-subjects, appears to be good, and continually improving. I have, &c, His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., &c, &c, &c. G. Geey.

No. 18. My Loed Duke, — GovernmentJEouse, Auckland, sth April, 1864. I have the honor to transmit a Petition which has been addressed to Her Majesty by the Provincial Council of Southland, praying the Queen to withhold her asseut from the " Southland Waste Lands Act, 1863," which Act was reserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure thereon. 2. The " Southland Waste Lands Act" was transmitted to your Grace in my Despatch, No. 10, of the 6th January, 1564, and was accompanied by a Report from the Attorney-General. • 3. I now enclose the copy of a Memorandum from my Responsible Advisers upon the Petition 1 nilismitted in this Despatch. Your Grace will observe that in that Memorandum they state that they cannot advise me to request you to recommend Her Majesty not to assent to the " Southland Waste Lands Act." I have, &c, His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., &c, &c, &c. G. Geey.

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* DESPATCHES FROM HIS EXCELLENCY Sill G. GItEY, K.C.B.