DESPATCHES EROM THE GOVERNOR OF NEW

A.—No. 1

16

19. General Cameron in his Despatch of the 7th of July reports as follows : — " The Government anticipating opposition to the occupation of the block, com- " menced a road from Whanganui to the Waitotara, with the object of facilitating " the military operations which they foresaw would result from the disputes about " the purchase of the land." 20. I affirm confidently that this is contrary to fact. When in March, 1865, General Cameron put the question to me—" I wish, therefore, that you would " inform me whether you consider the immediate possession of the Waitotara " Block of such consequence that you wish me to attack the Weraroa Pa at once " notwithstanding the risk to which I have referred?" I answered him—"The " idea of the question of the possession of the Waitotara Block has never entered " into my calculations." 21. Sir D. Cameron then goes on to say, in his Despatch of the 7th of July— " To the construction of this road the Natives made no serious opposition until it " reached the boundary of a section of the land reserved by the Natives under the " first agreement, and known as Hori Tipene's Reserve. In it the Weraroa Pa " was constructed as a protest against the further continuance of the road." 22. You will find from the enclosed Memorandum that ten days after General Cameron wrote this, I had an interview at the Weraroa Pa with the principal Chiefs of the Natives alluded to by Sir D. Cameron, who were then in arms, and they voluntarily but distinctly told me that the pa was erected on land which belonged to the Government, and that they had no right there. It was the priest of the fanatics who, in consequence, as he said, of orders from their gods, would not allow them to give the pa up; and those who resisted rather boasted of keeping us off land which belonged to the Europeans. 23. Thus, at the very time General Cameron was complaining of my. not investigating this complaint, I had gone to the pa and heard what they had to say, and this at a very great risk. If investigation had been so urgently necessary, why had not General Cameron gone to the pa long previously ? He had abundant opportunities to do so. 24. I really do not know what further to do in the matter. Ido not think that General Cameron has given up the real source of his information; I believe that that is to be looked for in connection with his letter of the 11th January. 25. I have no means of finding the very respectable settler he met with on the road. General Cameron refrained from giving his name, and the description is so vague that no one could recognize him. My belief is they are all ashamed of what they have said and done in tins matter. At all events I have no complaint before me. Mv Ministers tell me they can do nothing more. The Natives in arms on the spot stated that the land belonged to the Government, and that they had no right there. The only grievance I ever hear of connected with the matter is an allegation that the purchase money of the block of land has not been fairly shared amongst the owners of it, and this complaint, it will be seen from the enclosed correspondence, is being inquired into. This complaint shows that the validity of the purchase is admitted even by the complainants. 26. I have omitted to mention that the Chief of the W^eraroa Pa liimself, a man named Pehimana, now fully admits how wrongly he has throughout behaved. The enclosed letter from him of the 6th instant shows this. In his own quaint language he says —" O Eather the Governor, I have returned to my parent! My " cry is, I will arise and go to my father, and say, Eather, I have sinned against " thee." 27. I can only wish that General Cameron would view it in the same light, and that the matter could thus happily terminate. I have, &c, The Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P. G. GREY. P.S. —Eifty-seven prisoners with their arms having been taken when the Weraroa Pa was captured, amongst whom were several leading Chiefs, it was thought desirable to see if they had any complaint to make regarding the purchase of the Waitotara block of land, and whether they had constructed the pa as a protest against the further continuance of the road through that land.

Sess. Papers 1865, A. No. 7, p. 3.

Enclosure 2.

Enclosure 3.