A. -N0.6.

withdrawal should be effected gradually; and by the present mail the Secretary of State for War gives instructions to General Cameron which contemplate that he will make arrangements for sending home five regiments. Her Majesty's Government have arrived at the conclusion that undor present circumstances, these instructions may be safely given. I understand that the Colony does not propose to accept the guarantee of the Imperial Treasury under the Act ot 1864 ; but the former arrangement, under which the Colony paid only £5 for each soldier, has expired ; and I shall expect to hear from you that arrangements have been made for the new and increased contribution in respect of the troops who still remain. The orders given to General Cameron will enable your Ministers to diminish this contribution, if they shall think fit, by requesting the withdrawal of a larger portion of the force. I have, &c, Edward Cardwell.

No. 21. (No. 20.) Dowuing Street, 27th Maich, 1865. Sir — I informed you by tho last mail that Her Majesty's Government had received with entire satisfaction the resolutions of the Assembly ofNew Zealand, aud had arrived at the conclusion that if the circumstances of the Northern Island continue the same as they appeared at that time arrangements might safely be made for the withdrawal of five regiments from the Colony. I have since received your despatches numbered in the margin acquainting me with the sth January, No. 3. Proclamation, which, on the advice of your Ministers and having consulted p!} )| '! b the Lieut..General, you issued to the natives on the 17th of December. 7tll .< .< iq\ This Proclamation includes within the limits of the confiscated land a larger 7th " " 11. area than from your recent Despatches I had supposed was probable, and 7th •' " 12. I will proceed to consider it with reference to the two important questions £ th )| "_ which are involved in the determination of a boundary or frontier, the question .. „j. of justice towards the former owners of the land, and the question of safely. As regards the question of justice i' is in the first place to be borne in mind that you had already made to the Natives in your Proclamation of October 2oih an offer of clemency, which they bad not chosen to accept, and it was impossible for you any longer to leave in suspense the determination of the frontier you meant to establish. In the second place Ido not understand that the whole of the area included within the limits prescribed in the Proclamation is intended to be taken from its former owners. O the contrary, the Proclamation states that while the whole will be retained and held as land of the Crown, the portions which belong to those natives who have adhered to the Queen will be secured to them, and to those who have rebelled, but who shall at once submit to the Queen's authority portions of the land taken will be given back for themselves and their families. These several portions are, I presume, to be held in future by a title derived from the Crown. If these promises are, as I doubt not they will be faithfully observed in the spirit of the instructions you have received from me, I see no reason to object to the Proclamation on the score of justice. I shall expect to receive from you in full detail an explanation of tho measures by which this announcement to the Natives is to be carried into effect consistently with the existing law of the Colony, and with the instructions given to you in my Depatcb of April 26tb. I feel more difficulty in giving you my opinion o>: the important question o< safety, because there appears to be a discrepancy between your Despatches to me and those of General Cameron to the Secretary of State for War. General Cameron appears to suppose Ihnt you expect from him services which will render necessary the continued presence in N< . ~, il nut indeed the increase of the present force. This correspondence between yourself and General Cameron Seems to have been still in pi ogri he departure of ' iribuli to this circumstance the omission of any explanation of, or reference to it in your despatches to me, and expect to hear fully on the subject by the next mail. You are aware from my former despatches that Hei Majesty's Government will not consent to tho confiscation of territory, however justly forfeited by rebellion, which would render necessary the employment of an Imperial force to protect the new occupiers against the former owners of the land. Nor is there the smallest reason to infer from your Despatches that you und your advisers contemplate anything of the kind. On the contrary, they state iv the plainest terms, that it is their policy to bring about the removal of Her Majesty's Land Forces from the Colony at the earliest possible moment. They say they see no reason toprevei.t this policy being carried into effect, and that it may be undertaken now with as little danger as under any cl turnstances likelyt o arise for many years to come. I assume, therefore, that when you say that by the advice of your Responsible Ministers you arranged with General Cameron, as far as posssible, the boundaries of the territory which you thought ought to be ceded to the Crown, you did so in conformity with the general policy of your Ministers aud on the understanding that the boundary so established can be and will bo

16

DESPATCHES FROM THE RIGHT HON. B. OAI