A.—No. 4,

No. 95. His Excellency the Governor to Lieutenant-General Sir D. A. Cameron. Sir, — Government House, Auckland, 11th May, 1865. I have the honor to transmit for your perusal a Despatch from the Secretary of State, No. 9, Printed scpar26th January, which I received upon the 13th of April last, and which was only ret urned from the atelv. South yesterday. I beg at the same time to enclose for your perusal another Despatch from the Secretary of State, No. 16, of the 27th of February, which I received upon the Bth instant. I have, Ac, Lieutenant-General Sir D. A. Cameron, K.C.B. G. Grey. No. 96. Lieutenant-General Sir D. A. Cameron to His Excellency the Governor. Sir, — Head Quarters, Auckland, 11th May, 1865. I have the honor to return the two Despatches from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, which your Excellency has been kind enough to forward for my perusal. I had already read the Despatch of the 26th January in the newspapers. I have, Ac, D. A. Cameron, His Excellency Sir George Grey, K.C.B. Lieutenant-General. No. 97. nis Excellency the Governor to Lieutenant-General Sir D. A. Cameron. Sir, — Government House, Auckland, 11th May, 1865, Adverting to my letter of the Ist instant, I have the honor to state that, having consulted with my Eesponsible Advisers, I find that they agree with me in thinking that the instructions already issued, regarding operations in the country between Taranaki and Wanganui, are sufficient. I was also yesterday made acquainted with the nature of the iustructions issued to you by the Secretary of of State for War upon the 27th of February last, and I should not now think it right to interfere with the largo discretion left to you by issuing any additional instructions at the present time. I will only add that I still adhere to my opinion that it would be desirable to allow Colonel Warre to advance along the coast, from Warea towards Wanganui; and with regard to the question you have raised in reference to the AVercroa Pa in your letter of the Ist of May, I would add that I cannot see any objection that could exist to the temporary reduction of some and the abandonment of others of the posts w re occupy, for the purpose of enabling you to attack that position, if you determine to do so. I have, Ac, Lieutenant-General Sir D. A. Cameron, K.C.B. G. Grey. No. 98. Lieutenant-General Sir D. A. Cameron to His Excellency the Governor. Sir, — Head Quarters, Auckland, 12th May, 1865. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's letter of the 11th instant, informing me that your Eesponsible Advisers agree with you in thinking that the instruct ions already issued to me regarding operations in the country between Taranaki and Wanganui are sufficient, and also that you do not think it right to interfere with the large discretion left to me by the Secretary of State for War, by issuing any additional instructions at the present time. With reference to the sufficiency of the instructions already issued, I beg to observe, that those of the 16th December were to the effect, that certain territory north of Wanganui to the Patea Eiver should be occupied by Her Majesty's Troops. Your Excellency's subsequent instructions, personallygiven to me at the Patea, and before the occupation of the territory up to that river was completed, were, that the troops were to occupy the coast-line beyond the Patea, as far as possible towards Taranaki. In your letter of the 17th ultimo, your Excellency stated that it was your wish that all the posts w re occupied between Taranaki and Wanganui should be maintained throughout the winter. In your letter of yesterday, you state that you cannot see any objection that could exist to the temporary reduction of some of the posts, and to the abandonment of others, to enable me to attack the Wereroa Pa, if I should determine to do so. These several intimations of your Excellency's wishes and opinions, appear to me to be at variance with each other; and, although your Excellency and your Eesponsible Advisers still consider the instructions of the 16th December to be sufficient, they were virtually set aside and rendered impossible of fulfilment by the later instructions received from your Excellency at the Patea. Your Excellency is aware that since writing my letter of the Ist May, I have received instructions from Her Majesty's Government for the return of five regiments to England, as soon as possible. On receiving these instructions, I addressed to your Excellency my letter of the 9th instant, requesting to be favored with your Excellency's views on the subject of the reduction, to which letter I have as yet received no reply. From the second paragraph of your letter of yesterday, I am led to infer that it is your Excellency's intention to leave with me the entire responsibility of deciding the time and manner of carrying out this reduction; and as the Colonial Ministers have on several occasions expressed their desire for a

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GOVERNOR AND LIEUT.-GENERAL CAMERON.