A.—l

8

Enclosure in No. 17. Memoeandum for His Excellency. The Premier has the honor to forward to His Excellency the Governor copy of a memorandum by the Under-Secretary for Defence, relative to the graves of Imperial officers and soldiers at Tauranga, respecting which a question was recently asked in the House of Commons by Mr. Onslow, which question is the subject of Despatch No. 10 from the Secretary of State. Wellington, 11th August, 1880. John Hall.

Sub-Enclosure to Enclosure in No. 17. The graves of the officers and men of the 43rd and 68th Eegiments at Tauranga are kept in good order by the Armed Constabulary at that station, and whatever sum has been yearly required for the repair of the graves and fences has been disbursed by the Defence Department: £23 3s was expended in this manner in November last. 9th August, 1880. H. E. Eeadeb.

No. 18. Copy of a DESPATCH from Governor Sir Hekctjles Robinson to the Right Hon. the Earl of Kimberley. (No. 51.) Government House, Wellington, My Lord, — New Zealand, 13th August, 1880. • • -I think it right to report that in the debate on the Maori Prisoners Bill Sir George Grey stated that I had made a promise to the Maori members of the House of Representatives that the Maori prisoners in gaol should be tried in January or February last, and that the word of the Crown had in this respect been violated. 2. As the alleged promise had no foundation in fact, I at once placed before Ministers a memorandum, a copy of which I enclose, recording officially my denial of the accuracy of Sir George Grey's statement. 3. Upon the receipt of this memorandum the Premier made a statement in the House upon the subject of it. A full report of Mr. Hall's observations will be found in the accompanying number of Hansard, at pages 558-9.* 4. Mr. Hall informs me that the House appeared quite satisfied that no promise, such as that alleged, had ever been given, and that Sir George Grey's remarks must have been made under a misapprehension as to the facts of the case. I have, &c, HERCULES ROBINSON. The Right Hon. the Earl of Kimberley.

Enclosure in No. 18. Memorandum by the G-oyeenoe for Ministebs. In the debate on the second reading of the Maori Prisoners Bill, Sir George G-rey is reported in Hansard to have said, " The G-overnor is asked by this law to violate the word of the Crown. The " Governor received Natives —members of this House, who are here to speak for themselves—and they " made this petition, amongst others, to the Q-overnor : They said, ' We, being members of the House " ' of Representatives, ask you that word should appear as a Governor that the Natives now in gaol may "' be judged —those who are now prisoners;' and they say that the G-overnor promised them that the " ' prisoners should be tried in January or February, 1880.' " Again, later on in the same speech, Sir George Grey is reported to have said, "Then I come to another reason why I think this is not only " impolitic, but very wrong. There are three Maori members present in this House who formed a " deputation to the Governor. The Governor gave his word to those gentlemen that these prisoners " should be tried: he assured them that the prisoners would be tried in January or February. " Already a considerable delay has taken place; and I contend that, once the word of the Governor " is given on a subject of that kind, and he has promised that ordinary justice shall be done, there can "be no excuse for making the G-overnor break his word. I should not have said this unless I was " perfectly satisfied that it was the case, not only from the statements made to me by the gentlemen " themselves, but from the detail they gave of all the circumstances of the conversation. It is quite " clear that they spoke to the G-overnor upon these subjects, and it is quite clear also, from his answer, " that the answer was excellent and well considered. I feel certain that, in point of fact, his Ministers " must have assured him that these prisoners should be tried, and tried witnin that time. That is the " only construction that can possibly be put upon the conversation that took place between the " Governor and the Native members."

* Parliamentary Debates, Vol. 36, pp. 558-9.