E.—No. 3 SECTION I.

When Heremia heard this, he said—" I consent for the present to stay." Wi Tako said—" I shall not consent to my tribe going till all the tribes are of one mind." The meeting decided that no one should go at present, but that tho future should " bring its own thoughts." The people agreed to this because of the words of Te Peiua and Wi Tako. Heremia put this question to me— "If we fight the Pakehas will you befriend them ?" I replied, " Your question frightens me. This fight is not mine, but the Governor's. Let the Governor and his soldiers attend to it. I and my Pakehas have nothing to do with it." Heremia said he would not interfere with my Pakehas. Enough. I have finished my account of the meeting ;in my opinion it ended well. But my advice now is : Let the Pakehas have plenty of guns and powder here and at Rangitikei. The thoughts of the people are stirred up, and we know not what direction they may take. Let tho Pakehas be provided against "he riri ohorire." Let there be a supply of guns for this place, for I shall look to my Pakehas for protection.

No. 24. COPT OF DESPATCH FEOM GOVEENOE SIB GEOBGE GHET, K.C.B., TO HIS GEACE THE DUKE OP NEWCASTLE, K.G. Government House, Auckland, 3rd July, 1863. My Lobd Duke, — I have the honor to enclose for your Grace's information a coj>y of a very interesting report from Mr. Wardell, the Resident Magistrate in the Wairarapa district, dated the 23rd ultimo, from which your Grace will find how very generally the proceedings of the Taranaki natives who murdered two officers and seven soldiers on the 4th May last is denounced by the Natives in the Southern portion of this Island. I have, &c, G. Gre7. His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G.

Enclosure to No. 24. Upper Hutt, 23rd June, 1863. Sib,— I have tlie houor to inform you that I returned from "Wairarapa last night, having been in the valley with the exception of one day since the 11th instant. I have seen nothing to cause me the least fear that tho peace of that district will be disturbed. There are, however, disputes respecting the sale of certain blocks of land to which I have on previous occasions alluded and which require immediate adjustment. These have been brought to the knowledge of His Honor the Superintendent as Land Purchase Commissioner, and he has 1 believe commenced negotiations with a view to their settlement. As I have before reported, the King's Kunanga of the District decided last month that Tataraimaka had been fairly bought by the Queen, and that the Governor should be allowed to take peaceable possession of it; and further, when the news of the murders of the 4th of May reached them, they expressed but one sentiment, viz : —that the murderers should be punished and that if the tribe refused to give them up, the whole tribe should be treated as murderers. At a hid [meeting] held in the neighbourhood of Greytown on the 11th instant by the King party on tho receipt of a letter from Taranaki, a committee of thirty considered the proceedings of the Taranaki tribe, and at the division, twenty-three condemned and six approved their conduct. With some difficulty I obtained a list of the division and as it is not without interest I subjoin it.

Approved. Condemned. Taitua Te Waitere Mangarake. Te Waitere Mangarake. Wi Te Xatini, „ To Wenerei „ Tangaru „ MilianaWera „ Te Kaera „ Teopira „ HoanePurakau „ Te Taliana „ Te Waitae Masterton. Natana Hira „ Taitua „ Piretaha „ Eomana Masterton. Hamuera Korako „ Meka Mokamoka „ Te Eopiha To akau „ Nepoa Pohuku „ Paora Te Ihumana „ Wi Kingi Taraarohiti „ Iliaka Te Eangiarnatangi „ Earamia Hope Ngawara Wikiruoi Kapopo „ Declined to vote. —I am told lie spoke on both Pene „ sides of the question. Hare Te Eangi „

No. 32.

52

DESPATCHES FROM GOVERNOR SIR G. GREY