A—No. 6

I entirely agree in the views expressed by Colonel Warre; the removal of the "Iris" at so critical a time might have been attended with the worst possible effect—the more so as it had been industriously circulated amongst the Maories that Her Majesty's Government disapproved of the war, and were about to order it to be stopped. I take this opportunity of saying that, while the relations between the Civil Governor of a Colony and the Officer Commanding Her Majesty's Troops are placed on a footing which leave little to be desired, the same cannot be said of the relations between the Civil Governor and the Naval Commander. The Governor is entrusted with the duty of carrying on the negotiations which may be necessary to uphold the policy of Her Majesty's Government. To aid him in so doing, portions of Her Majesty's Land and Sea Forces are directed to cooperate with him; but it will be seen by the correspondence with Commodore Seymour, forwarded by this and preceding mails, that the cooperation oi the Sea Force depends on the opinion of the Commodore—sometimes arrived at upon insufficient information —and that it may cease to be available at the moment when the person entrusted with carrying on the policy of Her Majesty's Government may consider it most needful. I make this statement with regret, as my private relations with Commodore Seymour are perfectly friendly, and I doubt not that he acts in accordance with what he considers the best interests of Her Majesty's service. I have, &c, His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, T. Gore Bkowne. &c, &c, &c*

The Governor, soth April, Co ' mmoa - Ore Seymour 22nd April, laei. commodore Seymour, 24'h Al>ril, 1861,

MILITARY. MEMORANDUM BY MR. FOX. His Excellency having informed Ministers that applications have been made by the Australian Governments for a portion of the troops now stationed in New Zealand, Ministers beg to express their conviction that the removal of any part of that force would be most prejudicial to the success of His Excellency's plans for settling the present difficulties with the Natives. Should hostilities be renewed, it will be remembered that the force at present in the country was pronounced by the late Governor, Colonel Gore Browne, to be entirely inadequate for the purpose; and, with the expectation of a general insurrection, he applied to the Imperial Government for large reinforcements. The plans at present in course of introduction demand great firmness, and any appearance of vacillation on the part of the Government would be fatal to the prospect of success. Nothing would be likely to operate more prejudicially on the Native mind than the idea that the Imperial Government was involved in difficulties which required the presence of troops in Australia, and Ministers, therefore, beg respectfully to recommend that, unless expressly ordered by the Imperial Government, no reduction of the force in this Colony should be effected. William Fox. 7th April, 1862. * Note.—For enclosures vide previous pages of this paper.

13

THE MILITARY DEFENCE OF NEW ZEALAND.