CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO COLONEL WHITMORE'S EMPLOYMENT IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1869 Session I, D-25

D.—.No. 25.

CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO COLONEL WHITMORE'S EMPLOYMENT IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

Return to an Order of the Souse of Representatives, of UtTi August, 1869. That there be laid upon the Table of this House-" Copies of any Correspondence between the present Government and Colonel "Whitmore, having reference to a continuance of that Officer s employment in the public service." {Colonel Haultain.)

WELLINGTON. 1869.

D.—No. 25.

No. 1. Copy of a Memoeattdttm sent by Mr. Fox to Colonel Whitmoee on the 28th July, 1869. That the office of Commander-in-Chief should be discontinued. That, having regard to the services rendered by Colonel Whitmore, and his claims on any Grovernment, he should have an office offered to him of, say, £600 a year. That the want of organization in the Defence Office, in the supply of commissariat, purchase of stores, and expenditure generally, points to the necessity of making an office which should bring under one system the Ordnance and Commissariat and Transport services, and the expenditure on Defence. That this office should be offered to Colonel Whitmore. That Colonel Whitmore should, if he accepts such an office, resign his seat in Parliament, and absolutely refrain from all political action.

No. 2. The Hon. G-. S. 'Whitmoee to the Hon. W. Fox. Sir,— Wellington, 29th July, 1869. I have to thank you for your communication, from which I gather that the Grovernment desire to dispense with my services in command of the Field Force. I accepted that appointment (temporarily leaving the command of my own district for the purpose) at a time of great emergency, and as it now appears that my services are no longer required, I beg leave to revert to my former position. At the same time it is only right to explain that I never held the office of Commander-in-Chief, as Government seems to suppose. I simply exercised the command of the local forces in the district in which I happened to be at the time carrying out military operations, as must always be the case with the senior officer. When I left any district my command within it ceased, and the Officer Commanding reported to and received orders from the Defence Office direct. Thus, Lieut.-Colonels Moule, Lyon, Lambert, and Harington in succession became quite independent of me. It is possible that a recent Memorandum of mine may have misled Ministers, but it was sent to Colonel Lyon by me as the mouthpiece of and by direction of Colonel Haultain, who was busy at the time, but who read it over and signed it also. With regard to the offer of an appointment contained in the Memorandum, I do not gather exactly what may bo intended perhaps, but I cannot see any promise of permanence or any other condition connected with it to render it at all attractive, and I may add that I declined a more favourable and less subordinate position, with practically the same duties, many years ago, which was proposed to be put on a distinct footing. I do not, however, ask for any reward for simply doing my duty : I have it in the approval of my own conscience. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier. G\ S. Whitmoee.

No. 3. The Hon. W. Fox to the Hon. G-. S. Whitmoee, Sic,— Wellington, 31st July, 1869. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th instant, declining the offer of an appointment made to you by the Grovernment. I have, &c, The Hon. Colonel Whitmore, Wellington. William Fox.

CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO COLONEL WHITMORE'S EMPLOYMENT IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE.