7

A.—No. 1.

ZEALAND TO THE SECRETARY OE STATE.

Wellington, Napier, New Plymouth.

Imperial troops which now garrisons the four principal sea-ports of this island, I considered it to be my obvious duty to submit, at the same time, my own opinion on this subject. " But (I said) having submitted that opinion as briefly as " possible, I hope that I need scarcely add that it will be equally my duty to " carry out loyally and energetically, so far as in me lies, the instructions of Her " Majesty's Government respecting the Imperial troops, or any other matter " pertaining to my office." 9. Hoping that the principles laid down, and the language held by me in my correspondence with General Chute (a copy of which is now transmitted), will meet Avith your Grace's approval, I have, &c., His Grace the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. G. F. BOWEN.

Enclosure 1 in No. 2. Major-General Chute to His Excellency the Governor. (No. B. 516.) Sir,— Melbourne, 30th July, 18G8. The recent occurrences and very unsettled state of the Natives in New Zealand render it imperative that there should be no delay in addressing your Excellency on the subject which I had the honor to bring to your notice at my recent visit to Auckland, viz., the distribution of the 2nd Battalion of the 18th Regiment. In a Despatch No. 49, dated Downing Street, Ist December, 18G6, a copy of which was forwarded for my guidance, referring to the conditions on which a single battalion might bo retained in New Zealand, appears the following: — " The troops must not be placed in distant or isolated parts, or employed virtually as a frontier or " Native police. They must be concentrated in places of easy access, where adequate barrack accom- " modation exists, and subject to the conditions usually required for the maintenance of discipline, and " other military necessities. The officer in command would not be at liberty to consent to their location " where these conditions are wanting." The 2nd Battalion of the ISth Eegiment, as your Excellency is aware, is at present much divided, having detachments at the places named in the margin, at none of which, or at Auckland, are there quarters for officers within the barracks or cantonments, necessitating many of them residing at considerable distances from their men, a circumstance of itself detrimental to discipline, and which, in the event of a sudden and-unlookcd for attack, might lead to disastrous results. It will be obvious to your Excellency that the more numerous the detachments the greater the probability of the Imperial forces being drawn into conflict with the Natives, and so rendering reinforcements necessary, which may not be forthcoming; moreover, weak detachments invite attack, and are useless beyond the immediate precincts of their post for the defence of a large straggling settlement. The detachment which I consider most open to objection, in a military point of view, is that at Taranaki, where also the barracks and stockade require considerable repairs. The company lately detached from Auckland, in the expectation of a Fenian rising at Hokitiki (and landed at Wellington), I beg to suggest to your Excellency may be ordered to rejoin headquarters, if its services are no longer needed on that account; and I may here mention, that although I coincide in your Excellency's view that there should always be Imperial troops at the seat of Government, their location at Wellington has already been attended with much expense to the Imperial Government, there being no adequate barrack accommodation, from the wooden huts, &c, having become unfit for habitation. In conclusion, I beg to submit to your Excellency my opinion, that it is most desirable that the single battalion in New Zealand should bo concentrated as much as possible, in accordance with the instructions contained in the before-mentioned Despatch, in order that it may be in a position to afford some assistance, if, unhappily, the Colonial forces should be found unequal to the defence of the Colony. I have, &c, His Excellency Sir George P. Bowon, G.C.M.G., T. Chute, Governor of New Zealand, Wellington. Major-General. P.S. —A copy of this letter will be forwarded to the Eight Honorable the Secretary of State for War. T. C.

Enclosure 2 in No. 2. His Excellency the Governor to Major-General Chute. Government House, "Wellington, Sin,— New Zealand, 22nd August, 1808. I nave the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th July ultimo, which did not reach me at "Wellington until nearly three weeks after its date. I lose no time in replying to it, with a sincere desire to acquiesce in your views, so far as the instructions which I have received from the Secretary of State, aud my general duty to the Imperial Government and to this Colony, will permit. 2. After referring to the recent disturbances in New Zealand, you quote the following extract from Lord Carnarvon's Despatch to my predecessor Sir George Grey, No. 49, of Ist December, 18GG, referring to the conditions on which a single battalion might be retained in New Zealand : —