A.—No. Ib,

4

PAPERS RELATIVE TO STATEMENTS

founded in error: but on the other hand lam not warranted in considering that they are made in bad faith, and must regard them therefore as calling for immediate and most serious inquiry. I have, &c, Governor Sir George Grey, K.C.B. EDWARD CARDWELL.

Enclosure in No. 4. The Rev. T. W. Weaee, to the Right Hon. E. Caedwell M.P. Sie, — Hampton House, Hampton Bishop, Hereford, 23rd April, 1866. With reference to my former letter addressed to you on the 19th March last, I beg now to enclose to you, evidence of further atrocities committed by the troops in New Zealand, under pressure, as would appear, from the Colonial Authorities ; and I feel assured that by thus laying the matter at once before Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies, I am adopting a course which will, without delay, arrest the further progress of this merciless policy, as well as give an opportunity for repudiating acts already done, which are a stain upon the Christian character of the Nation. I have, &c, The Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P. Thomas William Weaee, M.A., J.P.

Sub-Enclosure to Enclosure in No. 4. Extract from a Letter from Colonel Weaee, C.8., to the Rev. T. W. Weaee. Extracts from a Letter written by Colonel H. E. Weare, C.8., Commanding Fiftieth (Queen's Own) Regiment, dated " Patea, New Zealand, January 13th, 1866," and addressed to his brother, Rev. T. W. Weare ? by whom it was received 14th April, 1866, and forwarded to the Right Hon. tho Secretary of State for the Colonies, 23rd April, 1866 : — "I am sorry to say I have a far worse matter to relate, which concerns us as a regiment. On the " 7th, the day the General took the Pa of Putahi, I was ordered to lay an ambush with fifty men, to " cut off fugitives. A party of five fell into it, —one was badly wounded and got away with three " others, as the bush was so dense. One man was taken alive, unhurt—a Piperiki Chief. The General " received me very coldly on his arrival at Patea, for taking this man alive, after his intimation " of' no prisoners.' However I told him I could not order my men to kill a man after he had thrown " down his arms and surrendered. This prisoner was taken to Kakaramea, where the General " encamped on tho 9th, and kept there till the 11th, on which morning the General left at 3 a.m.; and " at 8, under instructions from the General, this prisoner was taken down to a gully, tied hand and " foot, and then cruelly shot to death by some men of tho Fiftieth. ... I have written officially " to the General to know if Captain Young had due authority and orders for this act, as otherwise we " consider he has cast a stain on the name of the regiment. " Since the leaving of Sir Duncan, the true sentiments of tho Governor and his Government have " come out towards the Maoris, in their urging General Chute on to all these atrocities of killing and "no prisoners. And they cannot get out of it, for Dr. Featherston, the Superintendent of the " Province, and a Government man, is moving about with the General's Camp. " The Natives will be very badly off for the next six months, for they have no open land open to " them now, and they must fall hack into the bush, make clearings, and cultivate, which will take them " six months at least. The friendlics took two men the other day, one a chief, whose ears they cut off, " dried in the sun, and presented them to their chief, with the request that he would wear them on his " watch chain. Nice Allies! . . . . This wholesale confiscation should be inquired into, as there "is not an inch of open land left them in the line from Mount Egmont to Parakeno. If you want peace, " you must give your enemy a chance of living, and means of procuring food ; at present they have " none left to them. I hope the degrading and brutalizing manner in which this war is now conducted " may be known in England, and the troops no longer be allowed to be demoralized by the Colonists " for their sole selfishness." True extracts by me, Thomas William Weaee, M.A., J.P. The Eight Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P.

No. 5. Copy of a DESPATCH from Governor Sir George Grey, K.C.8., to the Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P. (Separate.) Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 30th June, 1866. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your confidential Despatch of the 26th April last, enclosing the copy of a letter of the 23rd April last, from the Rev. T. W. Weare. Your Despatch also encloses extracts from a letter written to that gentleman by his brother, Colonel H. E. Weare, C.8., commanding the Fiftieth (Queen's Own) Regiment, which letter is dated Patea, New Zealand, January 13th, 1866. 2. These letters contain the gravest accusations against myself, the Government of this country, and against the General Commanding the Queen's Eorces, and the officers and men composing those forces.