MADE BY COLONEL WEARE, C.B.
7
A.—No. Ib.
Colonel Weare to iBB^"^B6o^ 1866.
21. I beg you will set your mind at rest upon the subject of the statements made that no open or good land is being kept for the Natives between Wanganui and Mount Egmont. The Government assure me that their wants will be amply cared for. At present little or none of that country is occupied by Europeans. The Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P. ' G. GREY.
No. 6. 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, 3rd July, 1866. Since I had the honor, on the 30th ultimo, of replying to your confidential Despatch of the 26th of April last, I have received from Major-General Chute the enclosed copy of a letter from Colonel Weare, C.8., dated the 6th ultimo. 2. Colonel Weare now states that his letters were private ones, written to a near relative, in the freedom of family correspondence ; that these letters merely mentioned certain camp rumours that were in circulation at the time ; that he believes (trusting to his recollection) that in many respects the statements detailed in your Despatches are expressed in much stronger terms than those actually contained in his letters ; that he now believes that there were no grounds for the rumours that certain prisoners were disembowelled, and then thrown on the fire alive ; or that a Maori was shot by soldiers of the 14th Regiment after an officer had tried to save his life; and that he regrets having in any way, even in a private letter, given the weight of his authority for such rumours. 3. The General having addressed the Secretary of State for War upon the whole question, in as far as the military are concerned, it is unnecessary for me now to enter into the questions he has discussed. I will merely say that Colonel Weare's letter of the 6th ultimo appears to me to confirm the view I from the first took of this case, and to show that the course I have pursued in relation to it is the proper one. I have, &c, The Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P. G. GREY.
Enclosure in No. 6. Colonel Weaee, C.8., to the Assistant Militaet Seceetaet. Sie,— Auckland, 6th June, 1866. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th ultimo, relative to certain statements said to have been made in private letters of mine, the contents of which it would appear have been communicated to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. I deeply regret that any such use should have been made of any of my private letters, written to a near relative in tho freedom of family correspondence. lam unable to comply with your request to furnish copies of thoso letters, as none were retained by me; and with regard to giving an explanation of the grounds on which I made the statements they are said to have contained, I beg to observe that though I did mention in my private letters the nature of certain camp rumours that were in circulation at the time, I believe (trusting to recollection) that in many respects the statements detailed in your letters as those which I am alleged to have made, are expressed in much stronger terms than those actually contained in my letters. At all events, I now believe that there were no grounds for the rumours that certain prisoners were disembowelled and then thrown on the fire alive, or that a Maori was shot by soldiers of the 14th Regiment after an officer had tried to save his life ; and I regret having in any way, even in a private letter, given the weight of my authority for such. A Native, I have since heard, was shot under some such circumstances, by some one probably of tho Native Contingent, who I heard likewise shot another Native prisoner after releasing him. I do not believe I made such a statement in my private letter as that " Officers serving on the " West Coast of New Zealand had received a semi-official notification from the Major-General's Staff " that he did not wish prisoners to be taken;" nor that two Maoris had been put to death in compliance with such ; but I certainly myself understood that the Major-General did not wish prisoners. Finally, I would again assure the Major-General of my regret at the use made of my private letters, which I in no way authorized, and I hope he will consider them as withdrawn. I have, &e, H. E. Weaee, Colonel, The Military Secretary, Auckland. Commanding 50th Regiment.