A.—No. 15e

The result of the inspection, as reported to me, was one man and his wife who were found infected, the man badly. No complaints were made to me by the prisoners or their women, either before or after the inspection. I have. &c, W. E. Thomas, The Hon. the Defence Minister, Wellington. Eesident Magistrate.

No. 50. Copy of a Letter from Captain Holt to Captain Thomas. (No. 9G-5.) Colonial Defence Office, Sic,— Wellington, 4th April, 1868. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of the report embodied in your letter of the 28th January last, No. 2, on a statement made by liiwai Taupata of an alleged indecent examination of Maori prisoners by Dr. Watson. The Defence Minister having read your report, has directed me to say that he considers the inspection of the Maori women to have been very improper, and that it should not have been recommended by Dr. Watson, nor authorized by you. It is only in the case of licensed prostitutes that such examination could be justified, and the result of the inspection proved that it was quite unnecessary. If there is any other available medical man on the Island, Dr. Watson's services are to be at once discontinued. I have, &c, Captain Thomas, Eesident Magistrate, .1. Holt, Chatham Islands. Under Secretary.

No. 51. Copy of a Letter from Captain Thomas to Captain Holt. (No. 23.) Eesident Magistrate's Office. Sic,— Chatham Islands, 11th April, 1868. Eeferring to the latter portion of your letter No. 96-5, of the 4th instant, in which you inform me that, if there is any other available medical man on this island, Dr. Watson's services are to bo at once discontinued, I have the honor to report, for the information of the Hon. the Defence Minister, that at present there is no other available medical man on the island. I have, &c, W. E. Thomas, The Under Secretary for Defence, "Wellington. Eesident Magistrate.

No. 52. Copy of a Letter from Captain Thomas to Captain Holt. (No. 10.) Besident Magistrate's Office, Sic,— Chatham Islands, 30th March, 1868. I have the honor to report, for the information of the Hon. the Defence Minister, that I received, per " Despatch " schooner from Lyttelton, your telegram No. 48, instructing me to warn Ensign Danvers and all the men of the guard to hold themselves in readiness to return to New Zealand by the next trip of the s.s. " St. Kilda," to give notice of discharge to the men, also stop £5 from Ensign Danvers' pay for passage of his wife and family to the Chatham Islands. I have, in compliance therewith, warned Ensign Danvers and the guard, and have given notice of discharge to the men. No letter from your office lias been received by me by this mail. I would therefore express my hope that, should it be the determination of the Government to leave the prisoners here, I may be allowed some kind of assistance and support to enable me to carry on my duties efficiently with the prisoners, and to exercise the present control I have over them, having regard also to any outbreak that might unexpectedly arise amongst them. Eor this purpose I would suggest, with the approval of the Hon. the Defence Minister, that a proportion of the present guard might be retained as an armed police force, and be enrolled on a less expensive footing than the present guard ; and in the event of my proposition being acquiesced in, I would like to retain for the above service, in the number authorized, the men names as per margin. I am happy to be able to report of the continued good conduct of the men of the guard, and likewise of the prisoners ; but the latter have, without showing an open defiance, of late not exhibited the same amount of willingness that they previously did. I have, &c, W. E. Thomas, The Under Secretary for Defence, Wellington. Eesident Magistrate.

Sergt. Fynmore, Sergt. Elliott, Private Ashby.

No. 53. Copy of a Letter from Captain Thomas to the Hon. the Defence Ministeb. (No. 17.) Resident Magistrate's Office, Sib, — Chatham Islands, Ist April, 1868. I have the honor to report, for your information and the Government, that I have, in compliance with instructions received from Mr. Under Secretary Eolleston, secured about forty acres 7

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GUARD AT THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.