D—No. 9

Master; I very much fear that the official report made to me by Commander Cator of Her Majesty's Sloop " Fawn" on the subject, will be found to be a correct one in all particulars. I have, &c., F. Beauchamp Seymour, His Excellency Colonel Gore Browne, C.8., Commodore. &c, &c., &c, Governor of New Zealand.

No. 7. MR. STAFFORD TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF WELLINGTON. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, April 6th, 1861. g IE I have the honor to enclose a copy of a Letter dated 19th February last, from Commodore Seymour to His Excellency the Governor, and to call your Honor's attention to the last paragraph, in which the Commodore complains of the inefficiency of the Police at Wellington in the recovery of" Seamen who have deserted. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, E. W. Stafford. Wellington.

No. 8. the superintendent of Wellington to the colonial secretary. Superintendent's Office, Wellington, 29th May, 1861. y IE I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of the 6th ultimo, enclosing a copy of one addressed to His Excellency the Governor by Commodore Seymour, in which the Commodore complains of the inefficiency of the Police of Wellington in the recovery of Seamen who have deserted, and of a license prevailing most prejudicial to Her Majesty's Service. While I admit that during the long and ultimately fatal illness of the late Head of the Police, the efficiency of the Police Force was seriously impaired, I do not think that the Commodore's statements are borne out by facts, or that he is justified in making so sweeping a denunciation as that contained in his letter. --~,-,.-, i Commodore Seymour states that " eighteen men deserted from the 'hawn m January last, not one of whom in all probability will be recovered"; but the Commodore omits to mention the number of desertions from the " Fawn" during other periods, and from the "Pelorus" during the time she was in this harbour; he also omits to state the number of men who have been recovered by Now from a Return before me, it appears that the Police have apprehended nine deserters from the "Fawn," and three from the "Pelorus," and I have no doubt more would have been taken had proper notice been given to the Police. _ From what I can learn tho custom of Commodore Seymour and his Officers is not to give notice of the absence of Seamen until some time after their leave of liberty has expired, and not to denounce them as deserters until there is a certainty that they have absconded. His practice of course, gives men intending to desert a clear start of several days before any one can be dispatched in pursuit of them, and affords them an opportunity of escaping by vessels leaving the harbour long before any notice whatever has been given to tho Police,—and yet in no instance that I am aware of, have vessels leaving the harbour while these desertions were taking place, been boarded and searched by Officers of Her Majesty's Ships. Another difficulty under which the Police labour, arises from the fact that there are certain deserters of whom no description i" given, and whose apprehension the Police very naturally conclude is not desired. My own instructions to the Police to use their best exertions, and to spare no expense in recovering deserters from Her Majesty's Ships, have been most imperative, and I have every reason to believe that they have been honestly and diligently carried out. Whether the Commodore, (admitting that all his charges against the Police of Wellington are well founded), is justified in refusing to station one of Her Majesty's Ships in this Port thereby depriving the Province of Wellington of that protection which it was the intention of the Imperial Government to afford to tho whole Colony when it consented to place so large a Naval Force at the disposal of the Governor, is a question solely for the consideration of His Excellency's Government. I have, &c, I. E. Featherston, The Honourable Superintendent. The Colonial Secretary, Auckland.

5

SHIPS OF WAR STATIONED AT WELLINGTON.