E.—No. 1.

No. 55. MEMORANDUM requesting a reply from His Excellency to Memorandum of 23th October. Tae Colonial Secretary will bo very much obliged if His Excellency will favour him with a reply to the request he made in his Memorandum of yesterday, to be informed on what authority His Excellency had made the assertion that no enquiry had been made as to the presence of murdciv.rs among the prisoners in the Hulk. 29th October, 1864. William Fox.

No. 50. MEMORANDUM reiterating a request for a reply to Memorandum of 2Sth October. As the Colonial Secretary is anxious to reply to His Excellency's Memorandum relative to the suspicion that Tapihana, &c, were murderers, and may probably be out of town next week, ho would be very much obliged if His Excellency would favour him with a reply to the question contained in his Memorandum of yesterday and this morning on the subject. 29th October, 1864. ' William Fox.

No. 57. MEMORANDUM of His Excellency, respecting certain Statements made by him with reference to Maori Prisoners. In a Memorandum of yesterday's date, tho Governor sSa'ed : —" He gave that opinion before he was aware that no inquiry had been made as to whether or not it was probable that there were amongst these prisoners men who had been implicated in the murder of Europeans." Early this morning, a Memorandum was placed in his hands, of yesterday's elate, in which the Colonial Secretary sta'es, ho will be very much obliged if His Excellency will give his authority for tho fact sated by him, " that no enquiry had been made as to whether there were amongst these prison* rs some who had been implicated in the murder of Europeans." Since he read this Memorandum up to the present time, a little after noon, two other Memoranda have been sent to the Governor, reiterating this request. The Governor thinks that the question is in itsslf one that should not be asked him. If such an enquiry as is alluded to has been made, it can be sated that such is the case, and that the Governor is in error, and no one will be more ready or willing than tho Governor" to admit that he is in error, and to express his regret that such is the case. But to ask this question, and then when he is engaged in important business, to reiterate requests for an answer, is, ho thinks, a proceeding to which iic ought not to be subjected. He can only state that it is impossible for him to say what are all the circums'anccs connected with recent events, am! what arc all tho inferences he drew from papers before him which led him to the conclusion he sta'ed in his Memorandum of yesterday's dates, but certainly the impression upon hjj mind then was, and still is, that no such enquiry had been made into the point alluded to, OB ought, after the statement made to the prisoners by Ministers, to have been instituted before they were lot loose on the Kawau. If he has entertained a wrong impression, he will be very glad to have it removed, and to express his regret that it should have been produced on his mind. October 29th, 1801. G. Gket.

No. 58. MEMORANDUM replying to certain Memoranda of His Excellency. Ministers beg to acknowledge His Excellency's Memoranda of tho 2b'th ; 2-sth, and 20th of October, relative to certain suspicions said to have existed as to Inch- implication of Tapehana and Tarah&waika in the murder of the M rediths. Ministers deeply regrel that His Excellency should have arrived at tho conclusion tliat his principal function as Governor, under the sysiem of Responsible Government, is to criticize, in a spirit of unspaning severi'y, the adiniuis ra'ive arts and conduct of his Ministers. A very large part of. His Excellency's liiuc in consumed in framing bills of indictment against his Ministers; while a irery large parl of theirs, and thai of the officers of their depart men's, is employed in refuting H a Excellency's charts. If His Exeallency merely impuned their policy or their wisdom, they might, perhaps, be justified in passing over his remarks in silence. But when so many of his charges aft\(K their personal character for humanity, for vigilance, for administrative ability, and even their tines. to enjoy the privileges of self government, it is impossible to pass them over will.out reply. It is, however, greatly to be deplored ihat His Excellency's time, and that of His Ministers should be i ua occupied in the incessanl controversy waich His Excellency provdkes, while the critical ciiyuma an a of the Colony demand the vigorous and energetic co-operation of all who are responsible for i a welfare. "It is the earnest desire of Min's'ers that such unhappy relations between His Excellency and themselves should cease io exis^. They have proved their sincerity in saying so by placing, a month ago, their resignations in His Excellency's hands, which he still declines to accept. It is not their fault if they continue in a posi ion which renders it possible for His Excellency to thrust upon them the necessity of further conflict with himself. The Memoranda under notice, when summed up, contain most serious charges ag&ins M'nisters. 1. That having reason to believe that certain prisoners were implicated in the murder of Erropeana, Ministers made an announcement to them w uch operated as an incitement to escape, and deliberately gave them the oppori unity for escape. 2. T at during tho ten months when theso pr'soners were in custody, Ministers never instituted any inquiries as to whether there was among them any who were implicated in such murders.

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MEMORANDA AND REPORTS