A.—*J«l 4.
troops at present in the Colony would remain until tlie decision of the Home Government shall have been received upon the question of their withdrawal, and have therefore recommended their employment in the meantime at Taranaki and Wanganui. Ministers now understand, however, that His Excellency and the General regard the plan reGommended in their Memorandum of the 15th December, as likely to involve the detention of the troops now in the Colony for an indefinite period, and the probable necessity for a reinforcement. They are not themselves of opinion that any such consequence need be apprehended ; but assuming the views of His Excellency and the General to be correct, Ministers are neither prepared to recommend that any operations likely to have that effect should be undertaken by the Imperial forces, nor to hinder by any recommendations of theirs any reduction of the forces in the Colony which would otherwise take place. Should the force be reduced, Ministers will be prepared to modify their proposed plan accordingly. Should His Excellency, however, determine to commence operations at Taranaki with the Imperial troops, Ministers will be prepared, whenever the Home Government may withdraw them, to occupy the necessary posts with Colonial troops. Ministers will lose no time in submitting to His Excellency their plan for raising such a force as in their opinion will meet the requirements of the Colony. Colonial Defence Office, Auckland, 6th January, 1865. H. A. Atkinson.
No. 6.
Lieut.-General Sir D. A. Cameron to His Excellency the Governor.
Sib, — Auckland, 6th January, 1565. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's letter of this date, enclosing a Memorandum from Ministers on the subject of military operations between Taranaki and Wanganui, and I will feel obliged if your Excellency will inform me whether you wish that operations should be commenced at Wanganui as soon as practicable by the force I have already massed there, in compliance with the instructions conve3 red in your letter of the 16th ultimo, or whether you wish they should be deferred until I receive further orders from your Excellency. I have, &c, D. A. Camekon,
His Excellency Sir G. Grey, X.C.8., Ac., &c, Ac. Lieut-General.
No. 7.
Lieut.-General Sir D. A. Cameron to His Excellency the Governor.
Mr DBAS Srn George,— Auckland, 6th January, 1865. With reference to our conversation this morning, in which you mentioned that the present Ministers had stated to you that they had the highest military authority in the Colony, for the opinion they have expressed that the whole country between Taranaki and Wanganui could be taken and occupied for the purposes of settlement, by a body of one thousand five hundred men, I think these gentlemen should name their authority, and I hope you will insist upon it. I have, &c, D. A. Cameron,
His Excellency Sir George Grey, K.C.B. Lieut.-General. P.S. —I suppose there is no objection to my stating mmy despatch to Earl De Grey, that I endeavoured to dissuade you from going down to Dunedin at this very critical time. D. A. Cameron.
No. 8.
His Excellency the Governor to Lieut.-General Sir D. A. Cameron.
Sfh, — Government House, Auckland, 7th January. In reference to my letter to you of yesterday's date, in which I enclosed for your information the copy of a Memorandum which I had received from my Responsible Advisers, and to your letter of the same date in reply to mine, I have now the honor to inform you that my Responsible Advisers have cancelled and withdrawn the Memorandum which I then transmitted to you, and that no necessity exists for altering or departing from the instructions contained in my letter to you of the 16th of December last, regarding the measures to be taken in the country between Wanganui and Taranaki. The Colonial Ministers now propose to raise a Colonial force of 1500 men, and as soon as the state of the country will admit of their doing so, to dispense with the services of the troops, and to undcriake their own defence with the force thus raised As soon as I receive the details of this plan, I will communicate with you upon the subject. I have, &c, Lieut.-General Sir D. A. Cameron, X.C.8., &c, &c, &c. G. Giiet.
No. 9.
Lieut.-General Sir D. A. Camebon to His Excellency the Governob. Mt dear Sir George,— Auckland, 10th January, 1865. I have arranged to embark in the "Falcon" on Thursday afternoon. If Mr. Mantel lis to accompany mo it is necessary that you should make Application to the Commodore fora passage for him. I have, &c, D. A. Cameron, His Excellency Sir George Grey, K.C.B. Lieut-General.
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GOVERNOR AND LIEUT.-GENERAL CAMERON.