D—No. 6

Sub-Enclosure to Enclosure 2 in No. 1. ME. DEPUTY COMMISSARY GENERAL JONES TO THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF THE TREASURY, Commissariat Auckland, 3rd August, 1861. Sir,— Referring to my letter No. 158 a. of the 28th June last, I consider it is my duty to state for the information of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury that from circumstances which have indirectly come to my knowledge, as well as from the speeches on both sides of the House of Representatives, the Government of this Colony has no present intention of caking steps to repay any portion of the advances made by the Commissariat for Militia and other purposes connected with the present war. The intention of the Colonial Government is evidently to delay as long as possible, certainly until the end of the war, and after declining altogether to refund advances for some services already guaranteed, they propose claiming a guarantee on the part of the Home Government for a loan at 4 per cent, interest with a sinking fund to provide for its ultimate lapse. , I beg to hand you a copy of a local paper containing a report of the proceedings in the House of Representatives on the occasion of the Government bringing- forward the budget lor the year, from which with other information I have arrived at the conclusion above stated. As the Colonial Government is continuing to draw money from the Treasury Chest to the extent of nearly £4000 monthly (including the cost of rations) I have takenthe earliest opportunity of thus bringing the above under their Lordships consideration. I would further draw attention to the speech of the late Colonial Secretary referring to me personally as a mere subordinate Commissariat Officer, acting not only without instructions, but without the sanction of the Imperial Government, and designating my sending in statements of these claims as "very great piece of impertinence," these remarks having elicited no rejoinder from the House, they may I presume be taken as the general opinion of the Country and Government. I do not bring this subject forward from any personal feeling, but solely on public grounds, and if in the present excited state of the country my services as head of the Commissariat Department, and representative of the Imperial Treasury, are to be of any weight in the Colony, I must beg to have my true position made kuown through the Governor to the Colonial Government as it is evident otherwise I am all but powerless. Had the titular Military rank been enjoyed by Officers of the department, I am convinced suclx expressions would never have been uttered, and probably the Colonial Government would have evinced greater disposition to provide some means to meet the claims I submitted to them. I have, &c, H. S. Jones, Deputy Commissary General,

"Southern Cross," 20th July, 1861.

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