15

A.—B

surveying part of the confiscated land, was murdered by a Native named Hiroki. The murderer took refuge with Te Whiti, who declined to give him up, and still shelters him. In March, 1879, the Native Minister met Te Whiti at Parihaka, and demanded that Hiroki should be given up. This request was rejected by Te Whiti, who said that the Supreme Court might go there and try Hiroki under Ms directions. The Native Minister then explained the action that the Government were about to take on the Waimate Plains, the survey of which had gone on in conformity with the intimation he had given to Te Whiti before it commenced. But before this explanation had proceeded far, Te Whiti poured out a violent torrent of words, saying, inter alia, that " He did not " care for the Parliament that met in Wellington; that those who came under him, and met at " Parihaka, were the Parliament of New Zealand, and would decide everything." On the 24th March, 1879, he ordered all the surveyors to be turned off the Plains. 21. Ministers must repeat, in reply to the 57th paragraph, that they are unable to gather from events and recorded opinions, that there was any desire on the part of the settlers to urge the adoption of measures which would have imperiled the peace of the country. The opinion of Ministers is, that the settlers were prepared to accept, and ready to assist the Government in carrying out, such measures as were fairly likely to secure to them the quiet possession of their properties, purchased from the Crown, and the safety of their wives and children. 22. The release of the Maori prisoners, which has now been effected, renders it unnecessary to discuss the course which Ministers would have felt it their duty to advise in circumstances which no longer exist, In recommending the release of these prisoners, Ministers have followed the course they laid down for themselves, after anxious consideration of what would be best in the interests of the country. When Ministers believed that the action of the Maoris threatened disturbance to settlers in the quiet possession of their homesteads, and the possible slaughter of their families, to be followed by war, Ministers did not hesitate to advise exceptional treatment of those whose acts made such consequences possible. Ministers will not entertain a doubt that had they felt it their duty in the interest of New Zealand to advise a continuance of such exceptional treatment of wholly exceptional offenders, as was authorized by law, they would have received sympathy and cordial co-operation from His Excellency the Governor. 23. Ministers are confident that His Excellency has been desirous of conveying to the Secretary of State' an impartial account of the transactions referred to in his despatch ; but they trust that the explanations which they have now given, and which might have been largely added to, will satisfy His Excellency that in some material particulars his account is calculated to convey very erroneous impressions, and that he will endeavour to secure that such publicity as may have been given to the despatch shall be given to this memorandum. June 15th, 1881. John Hall.

No. 4. His Excellency the Governob to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. (No. 37.) Government House, New Zealand, 18th June, 1881. My Lord, — I have the honor to enclose a memorandum addressed to me by the Premier, in reply to my Despatch No. 11, of the 26th February. 2. In compliance with the wish expressed by Mr. Hall, I at once forward this memorandum, although, owing to the late date at which it has been handed to me, I must reserve all detailed comment upon it until the next mail. I have, &c, The Eight Hon. the Earl of Kimberlev, Arthur Gordon. &c, &c, &c.

No. 5. His Excellency the Governor to the Premier. The Governor has read Mr. Hall's memorandum of the 15th instant with very careful attention, and has forwarded a copy of it to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The Governor has also requested that, if his own despatch No. 11, of the 26th February, should be laid before Parliament, equal publicity may at the same time be given to Mr. Hall's comments on its contents. His Excellency cannot, however, concur with Mr. Hall in considering that, in any " material particular," that despatch is likely to convey erroneous impressions of the transactions it narrates. The Governor does not deem it necessary, or desirable, in the present memorandum, to enter into any argument to show why, in his opinion, the observations made by Mr. Hall do not affect the general accuracy of the statements contained in his despatch, or the correctness of the views which he has himself expressed. His Excellency has, to the best of his ability, discharged a duty imposed upon him by Her Majesty's Government, for the performance of which he is personally responsible. He has done so with the desire, above all things, to render a judicially impartial account of the transactions on which lie was directed to report, and he perceives with pleasure that the existence of that desire is fully recognized by Mr. Hall. If His Excellency has, in the composition of his despatch, been influenced by any bias, it has been that caused by an anxious wish to find in the acts of those public men, of all parties alike, to whom the administration of the affairs of this colony has from time to time been successively intrusted, evidences of that calm and large-minded statesmanship which it is of so great moment to the welfare of the colony that those who obtain the confidence of the Legislature of New Zealand should possess.