DESPATCHES EROM THE SECRETARY OE STATE

A.—No. la,

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prematurely recalled, the fact being that his period of administration had expired, but I shall nevertheless lay that Despatch before Her Majesty. I have, &c, BUCKINGHAM AND CHANDOS. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.

No. 26. Copy of a DESPATCH from His Grace the Duke of Buckingham to the Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand. (No. 9.) Sir, — Downing Street, 25th January, 1868. I have to acknowledge the receipt of Sir George Grey's Despatch No. 124, of Bth November, forwarding an Act which he had reserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure, "To alter the salary of the Governor of " New Zealand." I regret that this subject, if it was to be mooted at all, should not have been moved in a previous Session, in anticipation of the then approaching completion of the Governor's term of service, instead of being raised after his successor had been selected and had accepted the appointment. Iby no means consider that good grounds for the reduction as well as the increase of the salary of a Governor may not frequently exist; but the great point at which to aim is that the salary should be fixed at such an amount as to secure the services of competent men, and enable them to fulfil properly the social as well as other duties of their station. The salary of the Governor was originally fixed at £2,500 when the revenue of the Colony was £161,287, and the population 26,707. It was increased in 1858 to £3,500, the revenue then being £666,655, and the population 61,224; and again in 1862 it was found expedient by the Colony, without any suggestion from Her Majesty's Government, to recommend a further increase to £4,500. The recommendation was made by the Colonial Government in the following terms :—" Ministers desire to take this opportunity of representing to the Imperial " Government, that in the increase which Her Majesty is humbly recommended " to sanction in the salary of the Governor, it has by no means been the intention " of the General Assembly to measure the personal and pecuniary sacrifices he " (Sir George Grey) made in obeying Her Majesty's commands to assume the " Government of New Zealand, but simply to fix such an official income for the " Queen's Representative as the circumstances of the Colony shall justify." • This salary has continued to be paid accordingly without remark, and notwithstanding that the late Governor was receiving a supplemental payment of £1,500 per annum in addition from Her Majesty's Government. I find no facts set forth in the Ministers' report on the proposed Act to show that the Colony is of less importance than it was five years since, that the duties of a Governor are less, the expenses of living so materially reduced, or the circumstances of the ■ Colony so altered, as to render such a modification as proposed consistent with the due maintenance of the status of a Governor of so important a Colony. It is no doubt possible that such reasons, or some of them, may exist, or be anticipated as likely to occur, but I have no reason for supposing such to be the case. I have entered at some length upon the question, in order to show that there exists no indisposition on my part to consider fully any suggestion on this, a subject of as much importance to the Colony as to the Empire, although the peculiar circumstances of the case render it impossible that I can advise Her Majesty to assent to the present Act. I have, &c, BUCKINGHAM AND CHANDOS. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.