M.—No. 2

Executive and Legislative, it seems necessary, in order to render the information of the Secretary of State complete, that the opinion entertained in the Colony in reference to His Excellency himself should not be omitted. Ministers, however, will not follow- His Excellency's example by descending into personalities, but will confine themselves to a simple expression of opinion, without entering on the reasons on which it is founded. Ministers are dearly of opinion, and on this they certainly believe that they speak the sentiments of a luge majority of both Houses of Assembly and of the public in general, that Responsible Government in New Zealand can never be satisfactorily worked under His Excellency Sir George Grey. 9. Many of the observations of His Excellency in reference to the difficulties of a Governor under Responsible "Government in New Zealand are more or less correct. But it may bo said that with ordinary tact and management they are not insuperable. No doubt there is an essential difference between Responsible Government in New Zealand and in the mother country. It is true that in tho Colony the Governor issues orders in his own name, and that in matters not involving Imperial interests they are the orders of his Ministry who are responsible and are'invariably so considered at all events in the Colony. If Ministers advise that which is repugnant to his Excellency's own feelings lie is not compelled to give his assent, but he has his constitutional remedy ; and although there certainly are impediments in the way of forming a new Ministry, they are much exaggerated by his Excellency, and there is no difficulty which could be not easily overcome if his views coincided with those held by a majority of the House of Representatives or with those held by a majority of the Executive. 10. No doubt with a civil war raging in a country there is danger of men's passions misleading them, but Ministers refer with the utmost confidence to their acts and expressed opinions since they have been in office as a refutation of any charge that may be brought against them that their passions have led them to " adopt extreme views" or to do " hasty and ill considered acts." 11. What Great Britain owes to the feelings of her Naval and Military Forces, and his Excellency reminds her that she does owe something, is not a question for the Colonial Government ; but his Excellency's observations are equally applicable to the Colonial Forces, and Ministers cannot therefore permit them to pass without notice. They beg most respectfully to express their dissent from what to them appears to be a new and dangerous doctrine, that the feelings of the Naval and Military Forces of a State are to be consulted as to the political justice, propriety, or expediency of the service on which they are employed. " Ministers entirely agree with his Excellency that the " uncontrolled power over tho lives, actions, and honor" of the officers and men of Her Majesty's Imperial Troops and "the welfare of their wives and children" should not be " handed over to irresponsible persons or at least but feebly responsible to Colonial Legislature." As Ministers have never claimed such a power, have frequently stated and certainly have never attempted to exercise it they are quite at a loss to understand against what 80 much declamation is directed. So far indeed from such power having ever been exercised, Ministers feel that they have been excluded by his Excellency from that which they conceive that they have a legitimate right to. For some time past his Excellency has not thought it necessary even to communicate any information relative to Military movements, and at this very time it is only through the newspapers that they have become informed that some expedition is about to be despatched to the south either to Taranaki or Wanganni or to both, nor has his Excellency permitted his Ministers to see the despatches received from Her Majesty's Secretary ot State by the last mail ten days ago. If Wanganui be the intended scene of Military operations Ministers feel especially that they should have been informed, for it appears to them of importance that timely notice of the intention should have been given in order to place on their guard the out-settlers who will be exposed to Native outrage. 12. The repetition by his Excellency in various forms of the imputation that Ministers desire or claim to exercise controul over Her Majesty's Imperial Troops and divert the expenditure of the resources of the British lax-payer, renders it necessary for Ministers to repeat that they never did and do not claim anything of the kind. But on the other hand they do claim, and as long as they remain Responsible Ministers will exercise, as they feel it to be their duty, controul over the resources of the taxpayer, end will not consent to surrender that controul to Imperial Officers. Ministers entirely agree with his Excellency that no doubt need bo entertained of the sense and good-feeling of the inhabitants of New Zealand, and that Her Majesty's Secretary of State will be supported by a lar^'o majority in doing that which is right. The inhabitants of Now Zealand have no desire unduly to interfere with the functions of Her Majesty's Imperial Officers nor to exerciso any powers over Her Majesty's Imperi.il Forces, but on the other hand they do claim and fool that they have a right to expect that in all questions affecting Colonial interests their legitimate influence should not bo denied them. They are above all things anxious that the present war should bo speedily terminated; indeed it is of vital' importance to them that it should be. They have made great sacrifices with the hope and expectation that it will be brought to that satisfactory conclusion—a just and permanent peace; and they earnestly hope that his Exc3lleney the Governor will not be induced to forego all that has been gained towards that end by patching up a mere truco. Ministers feel assured, to use tho words of His Gr.ico the Duke of Newcastle, that "it is better even to prolong tho war, with all its " evils, than to end it without producing in the Native mind such a conviction of our strength as may " render peace nut temporary and precarious but well-grounded and lasting." Minister-! most respectfully request that His Excellency will be pleased to transmit a copy of thi» Memorandum to Her Mvjesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies by the mail of the Bth of next month, as His Excellency's despatch, to which this memorandum refers, was transmitted by the last mail. Fbkdk. Whitakek. 30th September, 1801.

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PAPERS RELATIVE TO NATIVE AFFAIRS.