E.—No. 1.

No. 79. MEMORANDUM requesting a reply to enquiries respecting Government Officials detained at Kawau. The Colonial Secretary will feel very much obliged if His Excellency will favour him with a reply to his enquiry respecting the Officers detained at Kawau, as the absence of some of them from Auckland is a serious inconvenience, and the cost of others seems a useless expense. 14th October, 1864. William Fox.

No. 80. CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO TREATMENT OF MAORIS ON BOARD THE HULK. Copy of a LETTER from the Colonial Secretary to the Rev. C. Baker. My Dear Sic, — As you were a very constant visitor for several months on board the hulk " Marion," and must have possessed the confidence, and constant oppoi-tunities for observing the condition of the Maoris on board, I should feel very much obliged if you would give me your opinion as to how far proper provision was made for their comfort and welfare, and what, as far as you observed, was the general condition of the prisoners on board, also whether they complained to you of their treatment. I may inform you that the Government has been charged with having treated these Natives with great cruelty, reduced them to a state of misery, and inflicted hardships upon them derogatory to the British name. Do you think it was so ? . I am, &t\, Rev. C. Baker,"Auckland. W. Fox. My Dear Sic,— Auckland, 26th October, 1864. Tour favour of yesterday I beg to acknowledge. As a frequent visitor on board the hulk " Marion," I had a full opportunity of knowiug the state of things there. Relative to the provision, 1 can state that it was good in quality and sufficient in quantity. The comfort, too, of the prisoners was promoted in every practicable way. Cleanliness and order were enforced ; their moral and spiritual welfare was cared for. A very decided improvement in their appearance was manife t, and I frequently heard expresMons of surprise at the kind treatment they met with from the Government. By Captain Krippner, the officers, and the guard, a very kind deportment was shown towards the people of their charge. Mr. White and the wardens under him were unremitting in their attentions to the prisoners. My opinion is. that under the peculiar circumstances of their imprisonment, the Maoris could not have received better treatment than was shown during the months I visited the hulk, and that there is no ground for the complaint to the effect that they had been treated with cruelty and reduced to a state of misery and hardship, &c. I am, &c, The Honorable "William Pox. Charles Baker. Copy of a LETTER from the Colonial Secretary to Rev. Mr. McDonald, Roman Catholic Priest, Auckland. Mr. Fox presents his compliments to the Rev. Mr. McDonald, and understanding from Mr. White that he was among the visitors of the hulk while the Maori prisoners were .on board, will be much obliged if he will stnte what his impression was as regards the cleanliness aud ventilation of the ship, and the general comfort and welfare of the prisoners. Auckland, 25th October, 1864. Rev. W. McDonald presents his compliments to the Honorable William Fox, and in reply to his note of the 16th instant begs to state that, as far as his knowledge would lead him regarding the: cleanliness and general comfort of the Native prisoners on board the hulk " Marion/ much credit is due to the administration of said ship towards the above objects. Auckland, 26th October, 1864. ♦ Copy of a LETTER from the Colonial Secretary to the Rev. John Morgan, Church of England Clergyman. My Dear Sib, — Auckland, Ist November, 1564. As I believe you more than once visited the prisoners on board the hulk, I should be glad if you would oblige me by stating whether, as far as you had the means of observing, their detention was attended with harshness or severity, and whether, in your opinion, their comfort and welfare were attended to. As, having been a resident missionary in the heart of the Waikato for some 30 years, and personally known probably to most of the prisoners, I believe that if they had much to complain of, they would have complained to you. Will you be so good as to inform me whether they did so, or whether, on the whole, they seemed satisfied with the treatment they received ? It is right I should tell you that very serious charges have been made against the Government in respect of their treatment on board of ship ; and it has even been alleged that their misery was such, that it was too painful even to look at. Did you see any indications of such a state of things ? I remain, &c., Rev. J. Morgan. Mangere. William Fox.

99

RELATIVE TO MAORI PRISONERS.