A.—N_ 9.

EMPLOYMENT OE IMPERIAL TROOPS.

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No. 8. The Hon. W. Gisborne to the New Zealand Commissioners. Colonial Secretary's Office, Gentlemen, — Wellington, 28th April, 1870. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 25th February last, reporting the result of your interview with the Eight Honorable the Secretary of State on subjects connected with this Colony. I have, &c, The Hon. P. D. Bell and Hon. I. E. Featherston, M.D., W. Gisboene. Care of John Morrison, Esq., 3 Adelaide Place, King William Street, London, E.G.

No. 9. The Hon J. Vogel and Hon. D. McLean to Hon. Dr. Featherston and Hon. Mr. Bell. (Telegram from San Francisco to London.) Auckland, 4th May, 1870. Kemp and Bopata's brilliant successes confirmed ; Hakaraia killed. Thirty prisoners, Kooti's associates, sent to Wellington for trial. Kooti, with few followers, said to be hiding, but nothing certain known, Eopata and Kemp's successes have had very salutary effect. But for England's desertion, believe we could establish permanent peace. Natives argue from Granville's Despatch that Great Britain considers them in the right. Cabinet adopts what we telegraphed last month, namely, we do not want troops at once, but we want assurance that we can have them whenever we require them, upon pecuniary terms to be agreed on with you, and that Lord Granville lets it be officially known to Maoris that such is the case. Eeply quickly, The Hon. Messrs. Bell and Featherston, J. Vooel, 3, Adelaide Place, King William Street, London. D. McLean.

No. 10. The New Zealand Commissioners to the Hon. W. Gisboene. (No. 9.) Sic,— London, 23rd March, 1870. We need hardly inform you that we have been in communication with a variety of persons on the subject of the best kind of force to be raised for-service in New Zealand. We were especially glad to have the opportunity of consulting Lord Napier of Magdala. Lord Napier, who has just sailed for India as Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty's army there, was good enough, notwithstanding the great claims upon his time, to give us a long interview; and he listened with great patience to our inquiries, particularly with reference to the employment of an Indian force, respecting which his great reputation and experience must of course entitle his views to respectful consideration. After Lord Napier had given us his opinions very fully, we asked him to authorize us to make them public ; and he desired us to reduce to writing and submit to him a precis of what we understood him to have said. Accordingly we sent him the accompanying letter, and you will find at foot a minute from his Lordship confirming the accuracy of our communication. We have thought it right, as so much interest was expressed in the Assembly respecting an Indian force, to make the Government acquainted by the earliest opportunity of Lord Napier's views. We have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, P. D. Bell, Wellington, New Zealand. I. E. Featherston.

Enclosure in No. 10. The New Zealand Commissioners to Lord Napier of Magdala. My Loed, — Charing Cross, London, 10th March, 1870. We are so desirous not to run the risk of misrepresenting the opinions expressed by your Lordship at our interview with you, that we beg your permission to ask whether we should interpret them rightly in the following way : —- In the first place, as regards our being able to raise a force of Ghoorkas for service in New Zealand, we understood you to say that the Government of India had only four regiments of Ghoorkas, and finds great difficulty in keeping up the strength of those regiments from the real Ghoorka tribes; and that, therefore, we could neither hope to induce the Indian authorities to allow of volunteering from those regiments, nor succeed ourselves in raising a true Ghoorka force of trained men, in the face of the obstacles against their leaving India. 2nd. As regards a Sikh regiment, as there probably would not be a like objection on the part of the Indian Government to its enlistment, we might raise, without difficulty, a corps of 2,000 trained men, or even more : but the Indian Government would have to be satisfied that the terms of engagement secured the men being well treated during their service, and guaranteed sufficient pensions for their families in case of death or disabling wounds, as well as the return, at our expense, of all survivors to their homes at the expiration of their service; and as the Indian Government would, perhaps, think it necessary to consult the Secretary of State before sanctioning the enlistment, it would be expedient first to obtain the concurrence of the Home Government to the proposal. 4