THE Wellington Independent. " NOTHING EXTENUATE; NOR SRT DOWN AUGHT IN MALIOK." TUESDAY MORNING, 3rd JULY. THE DESPATCHES.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXI, Issue 2383, 3 July 1866, Page 4

THE Wellington Independent. " NOTHING EXTENUATE; NOR SRT DOWN AUGHT IN MALIOK." TUESDAY MORNING, 3rd JULY. THE DESPATCHES.

THa Despatches between the Governor of New Zealand and the Eight Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies are now before us ia a complete form. Many of. the present papers we have seen before in the Blue Book lately laid before the Imperial Parliament* but '-there are others, such as Sir George Grey's despatches in reply to Mr; Cardwell, and those received from the Colonial Office since last December, which .will be new to the public. Eor some reason or other the Imperial Government has treated hia Excellency with great unfairness and injustice, by publishing Mr. Card well's . despatches and suppressing Sir George Grey's replies. The parliament at home was thus put in possession of ouly one side. of the case; they knew by heart the accusation, but were left in entire ignorance of the panel's trinniphant.defence. The papers now published give the whole case^ and those who read them will at once rejoioe that Sir. George Grey has so fully rebutted everything urged against him, while they regret that the refutation has been so dis m honestly kept back in England. Our readers would not care to peruse the 156 pages of printed matter which this corres - pondence qcoupies ; we , will therefore, so far as the tirao and space at our disposal permit, endeavor to . give them some idea of their contents. • -. . .; •. The despatches of his Excellency- to Mr. Cardwell ', narrates the political history of the Colony from the resignation of the Weld , Ministry, up to a very recent period. Soon after Mr. Stafford had taken office, we £nd him on the 27th * October, writing a memorandum to the Governor relative to an address of the Legislative Council, urging that it was unnecessary that the Imperial troops should be- retained in the Colony. In this documen^ he supports the action of the Governor in delaying the removal of troops from a recently disturbed district, and then goes on to say that he is willing the five regiments unde, orders for Home . should ; go. He , state? at tlie'same time his 1 conviction that the Colony is as little able tb ; pay for a Colonial F^rce, such as ; thß contemplated by Mr. Weld, as it is, to. .pay^^.a^ad for Jmperiftl Boidierß. IJnierf^seic^cumistances he submits, tliat -. provision bleenmade'to snpK^i put* rages the quls&^f^ iuW l^^^

the country should be left to the next Parliament. The Governor thereupon writes that he is willing the five regiments should go, and explains to Mr. Oardwell that the lack of transports had caused the delay in the embarkation of the second regiment, and that it was not due to any interference on his part. Some correspondence between his Excellency and General Chute which is annexed, shows that Sir George Grey proposed to the General that one regiment should be embarked each month. Two lengthy despatches follow, dated the 9th and 11th of December, in which his Excellency justifies his proceedings in the quarrel with General Cameron, and defends the Colony from the aspersions cast upon it by that very evil speaking man and useless officer, who certainly gets his deserts from the most able of despatch writers. But it is not necessary to dwell upon this subject here, nor shall we say anything about his despatches relative to the Waitotara purchase — which the General on the authority of that respectable settler (?) Mr. Henry C. Field, had called " an iniquitous job"— because we have on previous occasions shown that the assertion was altogether unfounded. A very able letter from Dr. Featherston ' is enclosed, which deals with the whole question and shows the General to have been as credulous as Mr. Field was inventive. On another occasion we shall have something to say about the latter personage. In another despatch Sir Goorge Grey replies to Mr. Cardwell's remarks upon the subject of advances made from the Military Chest for the rations and pay of the Colonial Forces. He asserts with truth, that the Colonial Expenditure waa rendered necessary by the operations of the General with the Imperial Forces, whichlatter, as it happened, were useless, and argues that the colony had not only kept in the field a force on some occasions, exceeding nine thousand men, but in its desire cordially, to co-operate in the suppression of the rebellion, had paid nearly a quarter of a million in providing transport for her Majesty's regular forces, in providing soldiers, arms, and accoutrements, and extra pay for portions of those forces, in paying interpreters and guides for officers of her Majesty's regular forces, and in other similrr charges, which the colony was not by instructions from her Majesty's Government required to take upon itself. He then gooa on to say : — All advances from the_ military chest have also been made with a view of doing away ■with Imperialexpenditure in this country. The Colonial Forces paid or rationed by such advances have taken the place of the regular troops, thus effecting a. large saving to Q-reafc Britain ; and in addition to this, the Colony has recently in as far as possible undertaken all operations at its own cost. The entire campaign on the East Coast has been conducted by the Colonial forces, and has been paid for from Colonial funds. This could not have been done had not its forces in other directions been paid or rationed by means bf advances made from the military chest. The Colony was bo impoverished by the exertions it had made to carry on the war, its means were so exhausted, andUt found such difficulty in raising funds, that it was only by the aid of the advances made it could have taken upon itself charges which have relieved Great Britain from so large a past and prospective expenditure, and I feel sure the more carefully the matter is considered the more fully it will appear that tho regulations under which the Treasury sanctioned the issue of such advances have worked well, and hare resulted in a considerable saving to the British Treasury. An enclosure to the same despatch states the amounts advanced from the Colonial Treasury on account of Imperial troops and service at £266,272. Passing over another series of lengthy despatches relative to General Cameron, we come to a very important one on the subject of the Auckland petition for separation. It will be remembered that in January, 1865, Sir George Grey transmitted the petition referred to, which in effect asked that a government should be constituted in the Northern Island which would enable Her Majesty's Imperial Government to exercise such a control over native affairs, as would ensure the fulfilment of the treaty obligations undertaken by her Majesty and promote the good government of her Majesty's subjects, both native and European. In transmitting this petition Sir George Grey promised to report upon it afterwards, but at the same time stated his approval of the arrangement it proposed. Afterwards, at the request of his Ministry, he reserved sending his report till he had received their remarks on the subject. In tho despatch before us, dated 4th January, 1866, he states all these circumstances, and then goes on to remark : — 4. Subsequently I found that the matter kad become one which had excited very strong political feelings, and that her Majesty's Government and my Responsible Advisers had adopted views opposite to those which I held on the subject. I therefore felt it my duty to refrain from doing anything which might tend to embarrass either her Majesty's Government or the Colonial Government, and I did not forward tho Report which I had proposed to make. 5. In your Despatch No.. 60 of the 26th July last, you informed mo that you inferred from not receiving tho Report that I had changed my opinion and concurred in the views of my then Responsible Advisers. . 6. I think it right therefore to state Jhat nothing which has yet taken place has. led me to alter the opinion which I expressed in my Despatch No. 3, of the sth January, 1865. 7. The opinion I hold is based upon the neces-: sity of strong,, instantly .acting, and entirely impartial Government, in a case in which an European race and a powerful and jealous Bomi-

barbarous race are mingling together. A country so circumstanced requires more government than a; country in which an ordinary state of things prevails. I think that with such a government the happiness and peace of hoth races in the Province jof Auckland might bo shortly ensured, and that the present anomalous state of things would soon cease to exist there. I fear that without some such arrangement as is proposed is carried out, a long time of difficulty and trial ließ before the northern part of this Island, which I should naturally regret to see it subjected to because I believe it to be unnecessary. A few years since I thought the various questions outstanding between the two races would have been adjusted much more speedily than has been the case. To this Mr. Cardvrell replies in the following terma :— Downing Street, 26th March, 1866. (Received in Wellington, 23rd May 1866.) Sib,— l have the honor to acknowledge your Despatches No. 7, of Bth January, in which you say, — " in compliance with the recommendation of my Responsible Advisers, I have the honor herewith to transmit a petition from the Auckland Provincial Council to her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, praying that the Northern portion of theso Islands may be constituted a separate Colony, under a Constitution calculated to establish and maintain peace, order, and good Government. 2. " My Responsible Advisers, in transmitting this petition to me, have not made any remarks upon it." And, No. 4, of 4th January, in which you state that the opinion you originally conveyed tome in your Despatch of sth January, 1865, still remained unaltered, and proceed to say : — 7. The opinion I hold is based upon the necessity of strong, instantly acting, and entirely impartial Government, in a case in which a European race, and a powerful and jealous semi-barbarous race, are mingling together. A country so circumstanced requires more Government thana country in which an ordinary state of things prevails. I think that with such a Government, the happiness and peace of both races in the Province of Auckland might, be shortly ensured, and that the present anomalous 6tate of things would soon ceaso to exist thore. I fear that without some such arrangoment as is proposed is carried out, a long time of difficulty and trial lies before the Northern part of this Island, which I should naturally regret to see it subjected to, because I believe it to be unnecessary." I have felt myself fully entitled to conclude, since you abstained from fulfilling your intention of reporting to me upon this subject twelve months ago, that you had adopted the views of your former advisers; and when you convey ed to me their Memorandum of the 20fcU March, which closed with the statement that they assumed that the Colonial Government would receive the firm and unwavering support of the Imperial Government in maintaining the unity of the Colony, — I told you in reply that I inferred your own opinion to be in unison with theh's, and I authorized you to answer in the same sense the petitions which you had forwarded to me from Aucklaud. Several mails have intervened without my receiving any intimation of your views. But if your opinion has all the while remained unaltered, it must, I think, have occurred to you that, in the adoption of any such measures, there would be many obvious difficulties, and that I should be glad to know your views, on the possibility of overcoming them, and the mode by which they could be overcome. When the Crown and Parlia- • ment have deliberately established in any Colony the system of Responsible Government, — when that Government has been in existence several j years, — when institutions general and local have grown up under it — private interests have arisen — and public debts have been contracted : it is no easy task to retrace these steps. Even if I wero assured by the voice of the Legislature of Now Zealand that the public feeling of the Colony was in favor of such a course, many practical questions of great difficulty would require solution before I should be justified in assenting to it on the part of her Majesty's Government. But in the present instance the presumption is that the public fooling of tho Colony is adverse to any such proceeding. You inform me, indeed, that you transmit thfs Address by the advice of your present Ministers, but you do not state, and I do not infer, that they support its prayer. I request you will inform tho Speaker that the Address of the Provincial Council of Auckland has been laid before the Queen, who has been pleased to receive it very graciously ; but that you have not been authorised to hold out any expectation that her Majesty's Government would bo able to advise a compliance with its prayer. Since, however, you think the happiness and peace of the Colony so much interested in the question, I have too much regard for your opinion, so long cherished, and so deliberately entertained, not to consider whether it is not possible to attain the object which you have in view. If it be necessary, in your judgment, that a strong, instantly acting, and entirely impartial Government should be established in the Province of Auckland, to meet a case in which two races, one European, the other jealous and semibarbarous, are mingling together, and if your opinion be supported by that of the Province itself, you will do well to submit for the consideration of your Responsible Advisers, the question — not whether a separato Colony should be created in the Northern Island by the dismemberment of New Zealand, — but whether the Legislature of New Zealand might not, ' by local and temporary enactments, meet the necessity which you have declared to exist. It might indeed be found that, under the Constitution Act, those enactments required the aid of the Imperial Parliament, and in that case it would be the duty of her Majesty's Govormnont to give their attentention to the subject ; and you might be assured that measures recommended by you as calculated to promote, tho peace and welfare of tho Province, acceptable to the Provincial Council, and adopted by the Legislature of New Zealand, would receive full consideration from the Government and Parliament of this country. I hare, &c, Edwabd Cabdwbli., Governor Sir Georga Grey, E.C.B. We have given the above despatch at length, as the subject is one of much importance. Two things are now clear ; first, that Sir George Grey, six moachs ago, waa of opinion that Auckland should have a separate Government ; and second, that the Separation which might possibly be given, is not j exactly what Auckland may want. We Bhall doubtless hear more of this in the Assembly. The demand of £40 a head for the Impe- 1 rial troops is discussed in an admirable memorandum by Mr. Stafford, in which he contends, " that the requirement of the increased rate of contribution ought not to be made on any ground of good' faith or of justice ; and should the home Government arbitrarily insist upon it, it will undoubtedly hereafter be a matter of regret that a great country should have bo treated a helpless dependency, already weakened by the efforts it has made and is making for its military defence." J , . •

As to the question of Imperial claims against the Colony, his Excellency writes Mr. ,Cardwell on 12th January, pointing out that the account transmitted home by the senior Commissariat Officer in New Zealand contained many overcharges, and stating that the amount should be reduced from I £641,260 Is 7d, to less than £406,356. In a , later despatch be remarks, in reference to , Mr. Cardwell's reiterated demands for the capitation money : "In reply, I have the ; honor to state that my Responsible Advisers are of opinion that in the present financial state of New Zealand, it would be impossible for the colony to pay the contribution of £40 per man for the troops, and that therefore it would be useless to convene the Assembly of New Zealand, with a view to obtaining the appropriation aslced for. He further slates that he will advise General Chute only to allow the troops to leave at the rate of one regiment every two months ; his object being to avoid danger to the colony from any sudden withdrawal of the Imperial forces. The contents of the remainder of the despatches sent from the colony may be briefly summarised. On the 10th of April, Mr. Stafford addresses a memorandum and account to his Excellency with a request that they should be transmitted to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, mlcing a claim against the Imperial Government of £405,146 11s. On this subject he says : — Ministers have to submit that the Colony has a large claim against the Imperial Government for advances made from the Colonial Treasury to defray the cost of charges incurred on account of her Majesty's Regular Forces. A statement is enclosed, showing approximately the amount of these advances, which, with a few exceptions, were made on tho express requisitions of the Officers commanding the regular forcos. Tho Colonial Government was induced to make these advances from an earnest desire to meet I the wishes of the Imperial authorities to the fullest extent ; and whon it is considered, that at the same time the Colony was also raising and maintaining large numbers of men at its sole cost to co-operate ! with the regular troops, and latterly to enable the troops to be withdrawn, it is submitted that the acts of tho colonists in the. past, and the engago--1 ments they have entered into for the future, are without parallel for so small a community, and may fairly entitle it to the utmost consideration. It is probable that the statement now furnished may, in like manner as tho claims made by the Imperial Government, require detailed explanation. Ministers believe that it would be difficult and cause much delay to attempt to supply by correspondence such explanations as would finally settle the questions at issue, and would therefore submit that, with a view to full explanations being given, the claims of the Imperial Government on the Colony, and those of the Colony on the Mother Country, should be subjected to a thorough examination, which it is believed could best take place in New Zealand, where the evidence in connection with them can bo supplied; Such an examination would enable the respective claims to be settled without that delay and dissatisfaction which must otherwise ensue. In tho meantime it may be observed that the I amount of the claim of tho Colony, four hundred and fivo thousand one hundred and forty-six pounds even shillings (£405,136 Us), when deducted from the claim of the Imperial Government — eleven assuming the total amount olaimed by the latter to be admitted— reduces the sum duo to tho Imperial Treasury considerably 1 below tho value of the half-million Debentures already remitted, even if the latter were sold without tho Imperial guarantee which was offered to be given to them by the Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Cardweli. It is requested that this Memorandum and the accompanying Statement may be transmitted to the Secretary of Stato for tho Colonies. E. W. Stafford, i The result of this is to be found in the late despatches from Mr. Gardwell. . On receiving these documents, Mr. Cardweli referred the subject to the Treasury, and Mr. Hamilton accordingly writes as follows on the part of "My Lords" — " In order, however, that some definite agreement may be arrived at with the j Colonial authorities, as to the precise liabilities incurred by the colony in respect of these' advances, my Lords propose to instruct Commissary-General Jones to put himself in communication with any person who may be deputed by the Colonial Goverument for that purpose, and to go minutely into the several items comprehended in this account — both claims and counter-claims (exclusive of the capitation charge), reporting to this Board tho result whichmay be arrived at." This means that the whole question is to be investigated, and when this is done we have little doubt but that tho result will be satisfactory to the colony. The correspondence as to the rations for the colonia y forces issued by the Commissariat, results in an undertaking on the part of the Ministry from and after the end of May, to repay monthly, the cost of all rations issued during the immediately preceding month to the local forces ; but they state that they can only do so by simultaneously stopping, all expenditure on services imperatively required for the peace and welfare of the colony . The Despatches from Mr. Cardweli to the Governor are very numerous, but many of them have been printed before, and those of importance which have not, are subjoined. The latest of those in the papers before ns is that referring to separation, which has been already quoted in the present^ article. On another occasion we shall review Mr. Cardwell's manifestoes more at length. Subjoined are some of Mr. Card well's later despatches received by the May Mail :— No. 22. Copy of a Despatch from the Right Hon. Edward Cardwbm,, M.P. to Governor Sir George' Grey. K.C.B. (No. 13.) Downing Street, 26th Jan., 1866. (Received at Wellington, 23rd April, 1 866 -) ; Sir,— l have received your Despatches, TSoa. 135, 139 and 140, of the 10th NoTomber,

I I have' read with great pleasure, in the Speech with which you prorogued the General Assembly, 5 your reference to the . gallantry of her Majesty's ; Colonial and Native Forces, and the expression of your belief that the measures recently 5 affecting her Majesty's subjects of the Native race [ are such as, if well administered, to ensure that r their interests will be zealously guarded by the ' Legislature of Now Zealand. l In considering the address of the Legislative Council, together with the Resolution of the House of Representatives, and the Memoranda of your Ministers, I have no wish to revive the discussion with respect to the Weraroa Pa ; and to the detention of the five Regiments until after the fall of that Fortress. But you will take care that there is no misunderstanding with your Ministers, or with either branch of the Legislature, as regards the intentions of her Majesty's Government so positively conveyed to you in former Despatches. Wo cannot consent that the execution of those intentions should wait for or in any way depend upon the decisions of the next Parliament of New Zealand. We entirely adhore to the policy embodied in the Resolutions of the New Zealand Assembly in December, 186i> ; and we entertain no doubt that you will have aclcd upon our express directions for the immediate removal of the troops, with the single reservation of an option to yourself and your Government of retaining three battalions and one battery, on the terms expressed in my Despatch of the 27th November. Whatever measures therefore your Advisers may recommend to you for the defence of the country must bo taken under a thorough sense of the responsibility which attaches to their decisions. The New Zealand Government have occupied large tracts in the Waikato and' at Taranaki, with ample notice that the permanent defence of those occupations will not be maintained by an Imperial Force. They have now the power of retaining in the Colony a portion of her Majesty's Imperial Troops equal to tho largest number of rebels who have ever been stated to be in arms against them. And this option is offered upon terms proposed in conference with a former Colonial Treasurer, and adopted by the Imperial Parliament. If the Government and Legislature of New Zealand do not avail themselves of the opportunity thus afforded them, the responsibility must rest with them. I have, &c, Edward Card-well. Governor Sir G. Grey, K.C.B. No. 33. Copy of a Despatch from tho Right Hon. Edwd. Cardwblli, M.P., to Governor Sir George Grey, K.C.B. (No. 34) Downing Street, 26th March, 1866. (Received at Wellington, 23rd May, 1866.) Sir, — I have received with great satisfaction youv Despatches of 13th January, Nos. 10 and 14, in which you report to me tho successful result of the operations on the West Coast, by which the fanatics and rebel Natives who had murdered messengers of peace and other inoffensive people, were defeated by her Majesty's Force 3 under Major-General Chute, with but trifling loss on our side ; and the details of the action between her Majesty's Colonial Forces, European and Native, under Major Fraser, on the Wairoa River, near Napier, in which the Colonial Forces behaved with great gallantry, and defeated the enemy with considerable loss. I learn with great pleasure that you are able to say that, from the active measures now taken, the wholo West Coast of the Island will shortly be placed in a state of entire security, and beg you will assure MMajorr r General Chute and the officers and men who have been thus engaged, that Her Majesty's Government have not failed to appreciate the services they have rendered. I much regret the loss of Captain Hussey while gallantly taking part in the operation so successfully conducted by Major Frazei 1 . I Lave also received a telegraphic message from you, which left Galle on 15th instant, and which I am informed would leave Melbourne about 24th February, to the effect that General Chute's operations had ended ; that they had been entirely successful; that the whole country was quiet, except a few murders near Opotiki 5 that pacification was proceeding in all quarters ; and that certain regiments of her Majesty's Traops were in course of embarkation. This telographic message is, I presume, in anticipation of Despatches which I shall receive by the next mail j and I need scarcely say that it is in the highest degree satisfactory. In your Despatch of 13th January, No. 13, you refer to the instructions which I had addressed to yon in October on the subject, of the appropriation to bo made by the New Zealand Assembly for such Troops as your Ministers might desire to retain in the Colony j and you inform me that your responsible advisors are of opinion that, in tho present financial state of New Zealand, it would bo impossible for the Colony to pay that contribution ; that under these circumstances you will proceed to place at tho disposal of MajorGeneral Chute her Majesty's Forces in New Zealand, with a view to their early removal from tho Colony ; but that you will advise Major General Chute only to allow her Majesty's Forces to leave the Colony at the rate of one regiment every two months. You justly observe that it would bo my earnest wish to avoid any serious difficulties from arising under your Government ; but, at the same time, it is necessary to observe that her Majesty's Government are pursuing a course in the removal of the troops which has not only been declared by them to the Imperial Parliament, but has been formally adopted by the Assembly of New Zealand in tho resolutions of December, 1864 My Despatch of November 27th will have enforced in greater detail the intentions of her Majesty's Government; and you will have learnt from Major-General Chute that he has beon instructed by the Secretary of State for War to carry those intentions into effect as rapidly as he can obtain transport for that purpose. I have only, therefore, once more to repeat, that my Despatch of November 27th must be regarded by yOu as conveying the decision to which Her Majesty's Government adhere. I have, &c, Edward Cardweli.. Governor Sir George Grey, K.C.B. No. 34. Copy of a Despatch from the Right Hon Edward Cardwell, M.P., to Governor Sir George Grey, K.C.B. (No. 35.) Downing-street, 26th March, 18G6. (Received at Wellington, 23rd May, 1866.) Sir, — I have received your Despatch No. 1, of the Ist of January, and one from Major-General Chute to the Secretary of State for War, from which it appears that some advances, not indeed very large in amount, but still directly at variance with my instructions, had again been made from the Military Chest for the payment of ! Colonial Troops, viz. : — £251 6s estimatod amount of pay for European and Native Force at Wanganui, for November, 1865. . i £1,426 2s 7d estimated amount of pay for Militia, Military Settlers, and Friendly Natives, at Taranaki, for December, 1865. £1,594 10s ditto ditto for looal.foroes at Wanganui, for December, 1865. It does not appear what course has been pursued with respect to supplies of rations. The instructions contained in the Circular of the Treasury of October, 1857, t0 which you refer do not authorised system of advances "except under. : cirottnJ6tances r 6f pressing andextrabrdinary (Jmiergdnojrj" arid I pomtecf out to you in my

Despatch of 26th September last, • what indeed was already evident, that payment of the ordinary expenditure of the Colonial Forces is not a case falling within this* exception. The exception was intended to meet some sudden and unexpected danger which could not have been foreseen by the Colonial Government. It does not extend to operations like those undertaken by you at Taranaki, for which all pecuniary provision ought to have been made beforehand ;• and indeed was professedly made by the promise that all advances should be* repaid monthly at the Colonial Treasury at Auckland. I will not again refer to the disputes between yourself and General Cameron. They have been productive of great mischief to the colony, but they do not afford any justification for the breach of engagement made by your Government, to which I have just referred — nor for the renewal of this system, of advances, — still less for its continuance after the receipt of my Despatch of July. In another Despatch of the present date I hare conveyed to you the wishes of Her Majesty's Treasury, and my instructions with respect to an examination of the account by some person appointed on behalf of the colony, and the Commissary General, and I have now positively to instruct you that all advances of pay and rations are prohibited. I have, &c, Edward Cabwelli. Governor Sir George Grey, K.C.B.