A.—No. 1b

8

PAPERS RELATIVE TO STATEMENTS

No. 7. 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, 12th July, 1866. I am anxious that everything which has been stated as a fact by Colonel Weare, C.8., in the extracts from his letter of the 13th of January, 1866, should be carefully examined, that you may on these points be put in possession of full information. 2. With a view of this being done, I beg to call your attention to the following extract from Colonel Weare's letter :—" And they (that is the Governor " and Government) 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." 3. On this I beg to state that Dr. Featherston, the Superintendent of the Province of Wellington, is an officer elected by the people of that Province; that he neither was, nor is, in any way connected with the General Government of New Zealand; that I had nothing to do with his presence at General Chute's camp ; and I am informed by my Ministers that they had nothing to do with his presence there. At the same time, I am of opinion that his position, his knowledge of parts of the country, and of the Natives, and his general disposition and qualifications, rendered him a very fitting person for the General to have taken with him. I have, &c, The Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P. G. GREY.

No. 8. 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, 24th July, 1866. In pursuance of the course I had the honor to inform you I should follow, of doing my utmost to have any circumstance of cruelty fully investigated which Colonel Weare, or others, stated as an actual fact, I have now the honor to enclose for your information a copy of a letter I addressed to General Chute, asking that Colonel Weare should be called on to substantiate his statement that the friendly Natives had taken two men, one a chief, whose ears they cut off, dried in the sun, and presented them to their chief, with a request that he would wear them on his watch-chain. I have also the honor to enclose copies of General Chute's reply to me, and of Colonel Weare's two letters of explanation to General Chute, which latter letters I regard as unsatisfactory. I have, &c, The Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P. G. GREY.

Enclosure 1 in No. 8. Sir Geoege Geet, K.C.8., to Major-General Chute. Sie, — Government House, Wellington, 12th July, 1866. In a letter addressed by Colonel Weare, C.8., to the Rev. T. W. Weare, on the 13th of January last, extracts from which have already been transmitted to you, the following passage occurs: — " The Friendlies 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 a request that he would wear them on his watch chain —nice " allies." I should feel very much obliged to you if you would call on Colonel Weare to substantiate the statements he has thus made. I have <fec, The Hon. Major-General Chute. G. Geet.