E.—No. 1. [Part 1.]
Ministers do not propose to delay the publication till the Assembly meets, but to follow tho course a short time since adopted in reference to the Panama papers, viz.: to have an extra quantity^ printed, in the form required for the Assembly, and these distributed as soon as ready. The object of this course, as already stated, being to avoid the great expense of twice printing the same papers. His Excellency may rely that not a moment shall be lost in the publication of the papers, but as they are very voluminous considerable time is necessary to get them into type. 17th October, 1864. Feed. "Wuitakee.
No. 10. MEMORANDUM relating to Private Letters of Sib D. A. Cameron. The Governor having seen Lieutenant-General Sir D. Cameron upon the subject of the proposed publication of his private letters to the Governor, of the 13th and 14th of January last, Sir D. Cameron objects, on principle, to the publication of his private letters. If Ministers will let the Governor know what are the points they wish to establish by the publication of these private letters, he will see if this can be done equally well in some other way. October 17th, 1864. G. Grey.
No. 11. MEMORANDUM showing what Points Ministers wish to establish by the publication of General Cameron's Letters. The points Ministers wish to establish are that Sir Duncan Cameron, in the first letter to which they refer, requested that an expedition should be sent to Tauranga, and in the 2nd, that there should be no delay. Ministers beg respectfully to remind His Excellency that he has not yet given permission that his despatches should bo published, and some delay in the printing is taking place accordingly. 17th October, 1864. Feed. Whitakeb.
No. 12. MEMORANDUM of His Excellency withholding permission to Publish his Despatches to Seceetaey of State. The Governor cannot give his consent to his Despatches being published in the manner proposed by Ministers. He thinks that in his allowing the whole of his correspondence with his Responsible Advisers to be published, he has done all that can reasonable be expected. Many of his Despatches he thinks it might not be judicious to publish in whole —or in part, at the present time ; and he really cannot now make such a selection from them as he would wish. His health and spirits are impaired by the ungenerous and unbecoming treatment which he conceives he has received from Ministers, at a time when he has had such great and serious difficulties to meet; and it is as much as he can do to keep up with the constant important business which each day throws upon him. The General Assembly can address him regarding any Despatches they may wish to be communicated to them, and the Governor will not fail, as he has always hitherto done, to exert himself to the utmost to meet their just wishes. October 18th, 1864. G. Grey.
No. 13. MEMORAMDUM in reply to His Excellency's Memorandum of yesterday's date. Ministers beg most respectfully to express their great regret that His Excellency should conceive that he has received ungenerous and unbecoming treatment from them. Ministers are entirely at a loss to understand upon what grounds His Excellency has formed this conception, and they trust that His Excellency will be pleased to particularise the instances which appear to him to justify such a charge, so as to afford them an opportunity of explanation or of apology for anything they have done or written which may appear to require such a course. Ministers trust that His Excellency will reconsider the subject of the publication of his Despatches to and from the Secretary of State, as it will be very difficult without some of them (in addition to those which have been laid before the Imperial Parliament and are being reprinted here) for the Members of the Assembly to understand what has taken place and the present position of affairs. The course His Excellency proposes to pursue, of waiting for an address from the General Assembly, Ministers venture to suggest will necessarily involve the loss of much valuable time. If His Excellency will permit them, Ministers will look over the Despatches and suggest to His Excellency's consideration which of them appear to be necessary, and which may be published without detriment to the public service. 19th October, 1864. Feed. Whitakee.
No. 14. MEMORANDUM of His Excellency again declining to Publish his Despatches to the Secretaey of State. In reply to the Ministerial memorandum of this day's date, the Governor begs to state that he thinks that he ought not to enter into any further correspondence with his Ministers regarding the ungenerous and unbecoming treatment which he conceives ho has received at their hands. A perusal of their correspondence with the Governor will enable other persons to judge whether he is not fully justified in what he has said upon this subject. The Governor feels that under present circumstances he has come to a right decision in declining to consent to the publication of his correspondence with the Secretary of State, and he regrets that he cannot depart from that decision. Government House, Auckland, 19th October, 186-1. G. Grey.
4
PAPERS RELATIVE TO PUBLICATION OF DOCUMENTS.