MADE BY COLONEL WEARE, C.B.

A.—No. Ib.

5

3. Generally I would remark on the accusations made, that they are, in as far as Her Majesty's Eorces are concerned, charges of enormous and atrocious cruelties practised either by the troops or with then knowledge, such as partially disembowelling prisoners and then roasting them whilst still alive, &c. 4. Now what is done by Colonel Weare, C.8., under such circumstances ? Does he, justly filled with righteous indignation, instantly report these acts to the Governor, or the Government of the country, that an immediate stop may be put to them, and their perpetrators punished ? No, he does not do this. Does he instantly write to the Government at home, forwarding his letter through the Governor, and pray that instant orders may be sent out to put a stop to such atrocities ? No, he does not do this. Or does he, as a just man and an officer should have done, openly, boldly, and instantly make an official report of these alleged atrocious acts to his General, and at once stop them in this way ? 5. No, he does none of these things, but, in private letters addressed to a person in England, he details horrid atrocities which he states have been committed, and alleges that since the leaving of Sir Duncan Cameron, the true sentiments of the Governor and his Government have come out towards the Maoris, in their urging General Chute on to all these atrocities, and that he hopes the degrading and brutalizing manner in which this war is being conducted may be known in England, and the troops no longer be allowed to be demoralized by the Colonists for their sole selfishness. 6. That is, according to the system pursued when Sir D. Cameron was in this country by private letters, or statements to Editors of newspapers or other persons, even sometimes from officers at his Head Quarters or on his Staff, and indeed by Sir D. Cameron's own confidential and private letters to persons in authority at home, people in England were to be prejudiced in the most violent manner against myself, my Ministers, and the people of this country. Ample proof of the justice of the statements I thus make will be found in previous Despatches of mine. V. The result of this system was for the Empire, a disastrous war, great and unnecessary loss of life and expenditure of money. Eor the Colony, almost ruin. Eor those who pursued it, a large participation in honors and rewards. Eor myself, repeated censures, at least implied, and an absence for years of that public sympathy from those in authority so requisite to enable a man to struggle with cheerfulness and hope against great difficulties, whilst unjust and wrong as was the conduct of those who were the cause of my experiencing this treatment, I am not aware that they were ever subjected to the slightest censure or reproof. 8. I could have wished that Her Majesty's Government had, in this case of Colonel W Teare's letters, so manifestly a shameful one, at last peremptorily put a stop to a system at once so unjust and pernicious, by refusing, in accordance with the rules laid down for the guidance of Her Majesty's Service, and hitherto for so long a series of years carefully and beneficially observed, to receive reports made in this manner, and by directing and requiring Colonel Weare to make them through the proper channel, and at the same time at least subjecting him to the reproof which he so justly deserved for having made statements privately against his superior officers, which he should have made instantly and openly or not at all. 9. You have been pleased to order me to make a complete reply to the imputations made upon myself and my Government in the letters from Colonel Weare and his brother, of the 13th of January and the 23rd of April last, I have, therefore, to consider in the first place by whom these imputations have been cast upon myself and my Government, and how this has been done. In the second place what the imputations are. 10. Firstly, the imputations came from an officer serving under my command, that is, from a junior against the Senior Officer in this Government. They are not made openly and officially through the head of his department, as Her Majesty directs shall be done, but in a private letter sent through an unofficial channel to the Secretary of State. This is a proceeding dangerous in itself as being subversive of all discipline, and as an example which would be bad from anyone, but especially so from an officer of Colonel Weare's rank and standing. It is also a proceeding which is in direct disobedience of Her Majesty's instructions. 11. With every respect for yourself and your office this proceeding is, 2