E—No. 2

No. 4. MINUTE BY MINISTERS IN REFERENCE TO HIS EXCELLENCY'S PLAN. Auckland, 16th Octber, 1861. Ministers have carefully considered the plan suggested by His Excellency Sir George Grey for the government of the Native race in this Colony. Without committing themselves to an approval of all the details, they beg to express their entire concurrence in the principles embodied in His Excellency's suggestions, and in the general outline of the plan proposed by him. They also most respectfully tender their advice that co time should be lost in making the Natives fully acquainted with His Excellency's intentions, and in practically introducing the proposed system, among all the tribes which may express their willingness to receive it and to aid in carrying it out. William Fox, Colonial Secretary, and Acting Native Minister, Reader Wood, Colonial Treasurer, Henry Sewell, Attorney-General, Thomas Henderson, M.E.C., Daniel Pollen, M.E.C.

No. 5. FURTHER MINUTE BY MINISTERS IN REFERENCE TO HIS EXCELLENCY'S PLAN. Auckland, 31st October, 1861. Ministers have very carefully considered the plan which His Excellency has been pleased to submit to them for creating institutions of Government for the Native race. They entirely concur in the object which His Excellency appears to have in view—that of framing a system which, while it may provide for the immediate wants of the Native race, will at the same time be sufficiently flexible and open to meet the requirements of a more advanced stage of society, where a more general intermixture of the two races may have taken place in districts now almost exclusively occupied by Maoris. Viewed as a complete and comprehensive scheme, they hate much satisfaction in expressing their general and very cordial concurrence; and, in making the observations which follow', their desire is to suggest only such modifications as may facilitate the practical introduction of the system proposed, or of one which shall be identical in its fundamental principles and leading features. In framing the plan, His Excellency appears to have looked at the subject from a comprehensive point of view, and with a desire to exhibit a full development of his ideas. Ministers have warded it in a more local aspect, and with a desire to feel certain that practical effect can, in the existing circumstances of the Colony, be given to what is proposed. They feel that the success of any such plan will depend very much upon its adaptation, in the first instance, to the preseut condition of the Native race, and upon the prominence in it of such features as may recommend themselves to the ideas and previous experience of that race. In introducing the system, therefore, it will be desirable, as far as possible, to use the rude Native institutions already existing; to begin by giving to them a recoguised standing, and promoting their development and activity. The principal (it may be said the only) organization of domestic government among the Maoris is to be found in the Runangas and Assessors—the former a purely Native institution of great antiquity, the latter an adoption from and partly a creation of our Government. The Runanga as at present constituted appears to be little else than a gathering of the people of a particular village or hapu. Let it continue so, with tha limitation only imposed that none but adult males take part in its deliberations, [a.] The Runanga itself may make and from time to time keep a Register of those qualified to take part in it.: There will here be no disturbance of any existing system. Only a taking, under the recog-' nised shelter of the law, of what now exists as a universal custom, and constitutes the only deliberative and legislative institution of the Maori race. It will bear tho same relation to other political machinery to be hereafter added, as the Township in the United States of America bears to the County and State organization; and Ministers suggest the name of Township as the most suitable English term for the community that will be represented by a single Runanga. It will correspond with the division of Hundreds proposed by His Excellency. [J.] The jurisdiction of the Runanga should, as nearly as may be in each case, be co-extensive with the lands of ths hapu or hapus of which it consists. The Runanga should be em.

See Governor's notes up pended.

13

GOVERNOR AND MINISTERS.