E.—No. 1.

new form, of His Excellency's assertion of his belief that .Ministers before they released the prisoners at Kawau at His Excellency's request, had reason to suppose that there were murderers among them. Ministers regret that, after the positive assurance that they had no "suspicion" of the sort. His Excellency should repeat his imputation of negligence, which can only be justified by His Excellency's disbelief of the statement of fact made by his Ministers. Ministers again venture to express a hope that His Excellency will allow this discussion to cease. When they took office it was in the hope that, guided by the experience of many years, they might be able to aid in the solution of the great social difficulty which disturbed the peace aud threatened the very existence of the Colony. It was not to engage in disputations with His Excellency as to whether a clerk in the Native Office suspected a particular fact; or whether and because he did so, Ministers ought to have suspected it also. What the Colony requires is, a wise and prudent policy, vigorously and persistently carried out. The contrivances which His Excellency forces on his Ministers about matters of no practical importance whatever, cannot in any way tend to the good government of the Colony, or the solution of the problem which it has been entrusted to .Mis Excellency aud the General Government to solve. On the contrary, it must render all government impossible, by destroying the harmony and confidence which ought to exist between the several branches of one united administration. 14th November, 18(i!. William Fox.

No. 61. MEMORANDUM of Hts Excellency respecting the Mission of Captain Cooper relative to the escaped Maori Prisoners. The Governor transmits to his Responsible Advisers a letter he lias ju^i received from Captain Cooper, who the Q-overnor directed to communicate ■with the natives who quitted the Kawau, with the view of ascertaining, in as far as possible, their intentions. The opinions entertained by some well-informed people on this subject differ from those expn in Captain Cooper's letter. As Ministers are aware, Mr White has already reported that he thinks the escaped natives will probably try to seize some coasting vessel, and escape to«fche Thames; but the Governor was also informed from another source, on what he beb'eved to be good information, that there is good reason to think that the natives have sent to their friends to despatch small vessels to take them away, and that they remain so close to the sea, in .so commanding a position, with a view of availing themselves of this mode of escape, and that they conduct themselves well that their intentions may not be interrupted. Before receiving Captain Cooper's letter, the Governor thought that this would be the case, and that their designs would shortly be carried out, and he took means to prevent their doing this successfully. He now doubts if they will, for the present, attempt to carry this plan out. A few days since the Governor received a letter from Baratonga, informing him that it was believed there that a large number of the natives who had been defeated here are going to Raratonga, and their plans had advanced so far that he was applied to to gel 8 Consul appointed for Earatonga, to meet the difficulties that might arise from this new state of things in that Island. The Governor thought that this might have some bearing upon the present intentions of the prisoners, and ho therefore authorised Captain Cooper to offer them a safe conduct to Earatonga. Nothing, however, appoars to bave come of this. The Governor will now at once consider any steps his Responsible Advisers may submit to him an expedient to be taken in this matter. Government House, 13th October, 1884. G. Gbky.

Enclosure 1 to 61. Copy of a LETTER from Captain Coomb to His Excellency Sir G. Ghkv, K. C. B. Sin, — Schooner " Victoria," 18th October, 1864. I have the honor to report for the information of your Excellency that, in accordance with your instructions!, 1 have personally communicated with the native prisoners who have left the Kawau, and they refuse to return to the Kawau. or to leave Mount Hamilton—on the Eastern summit of which they have erected a pa, where thej sen they will remain. They told me they would not go to Waihawire or any.place, not even to Waiiato. They promised they would not interfere with tho settlers or their property, it' let alone : but if soldiers are sent, they will plunder and murder the settlers, their wives, and children. They appear to have a strong feeling against the Government. They remarked that Government desired to take all the land from the Maoris, and therefore, it did not matter if they were all killed. {So stroncr is this feeling against the Government, that I consider it useless for any one to talk to them on the subject of leaving the mountain. J venture to suggest that your Excellency will have to feed them while on the mountain, or starve them out of it. If you adopt the former course, it might be well that Mr. White should be stationed at Meicklejohn's ; If the latter course, it will require a strong force to exclude them from the settled districts of Matakana, Mahurangi, and Pahiri, and the settlers should be warned immediately before this step is taken. I forward your Excellency two letters from the Maoris relative to their conversation with me. I have, &c, His Excellency, Sir G. Grey, X.C.8., Governor, &c. I. E. Coopeb. P.S. —I was accompanied to the pa on Mount Hamilton by Mihaka, a nephew of Patuone's, who acted as guide. [translation.] Intend the GoTEBNOB, — Otamahua, October 12th, 1864. Salutations. Great is our love for you. Your letter has reached us, and we have seen your word.

93

RELATIVE TO MA GUI PKISONERS.