A.—No. 1b

PAPERS RELATIVE TO STATEMENTS

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therefore, one which I should, under all ordinary circumstances, feel it to be my duty in every manner to discourage and discountenance. I think it, therefore, especially my duty to do so in the extraordinary circumstances with which I have now to deal. 12. Secondly, the imputations to which I am now called upon to furnish a complete reply are —That since General Cameron has left this Colony, the true sentiments of the Governor and his Government have come out towards the Maoris, in their urging General Chute on to atrocities. That atrocities are being committed by the troops in New Zealand, under pressure from the Colonial Authorities. That the war is now being conducted in a degrading and brutalizing manner, and that the troops are allowed to be demoralized by the Colonists for their sole selfishness. 13. On reconsidering these imputations, and the manner in which they have been made, you will, I am sure, agree with me that I ought not to be expected to attempt to make a complete reply to them, and that I act for the good, of Her Majesty's service in respectfully but decidedly declining to do so. 14. I have duty to perform to that position in which the Crown has placed me. A person in this Colony chooses, in a private letter sent to you, to allege that myself and my Ministers had secretly entertained sentiments of the most atrocious nature towards Her Majesty's Native subjects in New Zealand, but had concealed them until Sir Duncan Cameron had left the country, and then, thinking we had found a fit instrument for our purpose in General Chute, had let these sentiments come out, and had urged him on to commit shocking atrocities. 15. For my part, I will not deign to deny such a charge, so made, for it is only by denial such a charge can be met; and with all due respect for your position, I must maintain my own, and I decline to answer or in any way notice this imputation against myself. 16. I also think that I ought not to lower my Ministers by attempting to make a complete reply to such a joint imputation, so made, as against myself and them. 17. Nor will I make any reply to the imputation that, in consequence of pressure from myself and the Government, General Chute and Her Majesty's Forces have committed atrocities in this country. If I had been base enough to have desired that they should commit atrocities, I should have known better the noble nature of many of the officers and men of Her Majesty's Forces than to have dared to have striven to put a pressure upon them to attain such ends. Let any man try to do so who doubts what the result will be. If, in consequence of treacherous murders committed on their messengers of peace and on officers or men, they have judged any act of severity necessary as an example, and to save life hereafter, it is, I feel assured, with sorrow and sadness they came to that conclusion. 18. Although I have thought it due to myself and my position so decidedly to refuse to notice the imputations to which I have been directed to furnish a complete reply, I beg to state that if any cases of cruelty are brought to my notice, I will see that the fullest inquiry is made into them, and that ample justice is, in as far as possible, done. 19. I will also throw no obstacle in the way of the fullest publicity being given to your Despatches, and to Colonel Weare's allegations against myself, the Government, and the Troops. Every one shall have full freedom to make complaints of cruel acts, or of pressure put upon them, directly or indirectly, by myself or my Ministers, to force or induce them to commit acts of cruelty, and a patient hearing of his or their complaint shall be secured to them, and full copies of all such complaints, of any of the evidence taken upon them, and the decision come to, shall be, without delay, transmitted to you. 20. I mentioned the subject of the atrocities of which they were accused to some Wanganui Natives, stating how distressed I was at the allegations made. They replied —" Why should you distress yourself? It arises from jealousy. " These are just such stories as we should tell amongst ourselves, if we were " jealous of each others actions. We thought the Europeans were superior to us; " we now see they are as jealous a people as we are."