TO NATIVE AFFAIRS. I must beg to call your Lordship's attention to the eighth paragraph of your letter, in which it is stated that" the Government has denied the Seignorial and Tribal rights to land at the Waitara, and has " professed to support the rights of individuals to the exclusion of the Chief or the Tribe." The context makes it plain that it is intended by your Lordship and the other writers to affirm that the Government has asserted, as a general principle, that it will refuse to recognise the right of a Chief of a Tribe, as such, over the territory occupied or owned by the Tribe. Such an exposition of the opinions of the Government is directly at variance with statements made by His Excellency the Governor, and by Ministers, both in the Houses of Assembly and elsewhere. I ought not therefore 10 have to reiterate, as I now do, the assurance that Government does recognise, to the fullest extent, nil lawful rights of the Chief and Tribe which have been recognised by former Governments or have ever been understood to exist. I cannot doubt that your Lordship, after so explicit a renewal of assurances, which your Lordship appears to have overlooked, will no longer afford the sanction of your name and position to a statement which is totally unfounded, and which is calculated to inflame angry passions, to retard the establishment of peace, and seriously to embarrass the relations of the Native race with Her Majesty's Representative. I have, &c, E. W. Stafford. His Lordship The Bishop of New Zealand, &c, &c, &c.

E—No. 3v

No. 3. BISHOP OF NEW ZEALAND TO MR. STAFFORD. Auckland, 7'h September, 1860. Sir, — I have the honor to acknowlege your letter of the sth inst, remarking upon the eighth paragraph of the Remarks upon the Native Offenders' Bill, which have been signed and circulated by several of the Clergy of the Church of England and myself. I thankfully accept your declaration that the Government "does recognise, [to the fullest ex- " tent, all lawful rights of the Chief and Tribe, which have been recognised by former Govern- '■ ments, or have ever been understood to exist." I understand the Government to maintain that the rights in question do not exist in the Ngatiawa Tribe in the case of the land at the Waitara, —on this point we are still at issue. I deny that, the Seignorial and Tribal rights of the Ngatiama to land at the Waitara have ever ceased to exist, or have ever been lawfully annulled. If His Excellency and the Responsible Ministers desire to unite all persons in support of the Government, I hope that they will allow this point to be made the subject of a Judicial enquiry. I have not troubled you with along letter, but 1 shall be willing at any time to enter more fully into the quiet discussion of this subject, as nothing can be further from our wish than " to " inflame angry passions, or to retard the establishment of peace." I have, &c, G. A. New Zealand. The Honourable The Colonial Secretary, &c, &c, &c, Auckland.

No. 4. SIR. STAFFORD TO THE BISHOP OF NEW ZEALAND. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 11th September, 1860. My Lord.— I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's letter of the 7th instant. I understand from that letter that your Lordship does, although itot in terms, retract the sweeping assertion contained in the eighth paragraph of the Remarks upon the Native Offenders Bill, that the Government " had professed its determination to support the rights of individuals to " the exclusion of the right of the Chief or the Tribe." I need therefore make no further remarks upon that part of the subject. But your Lordship goes on to say, " I understand the Government to maintain that the rights in " question do not exist in the Ngatiama Tribe in the case of the land at the Waitara. On this point 'f we are still at issue."

(No. 29.)