ZEALAND TO THE SECRETARY OE STATE.
A.—No. 1.
29
" Auckland, with respect to the Memorial signed by the inhabitants of that " town." 4. My own opinions on the questions mooted have been expressed by anticipation in a previous Despatch (see Confidential Despatch of 7th January, 1869), when I remarked that whatever may be the inconveniences of the existing system (which inconveniences appear to have been exaggerated in some quarters), it is presumed " that Her Majesty's Government would not be inclined to " entertain any proposal for the temporary or permanent suspension of the " Constitution granted to a Colony circumstanced as is New Zealand, unless a " measure of this nature should have been recommended in the first instance (as " recently in Jamaica) by the Colonial Legislature itself. Moreover, as I have " already stated elsewhere, previous experience appears to have proved that (in " the words of and for the reasons assigned by Mr. Mcrivale) the suggestion of " establishing in the same Colony Responsible Government for the settlers, and a " separate administration of Native affairs under the Imperial authorities, is " unpractical. There cannot be two Governments in the same community; " certainly not unless some mode can be devised of having two public purses." 5. With respect to the letter from Mr. Macandrew, the present Superintendent of Otago, urging me to apply for a reinforcement of Imperial troops from Australia contrary to the advice and opinion of the existing Colonial Ministry, it will be sufficient to repeat the observations submitted on a previous occasion with regard to other applications of a similar nature : —" I have considered it to be my " plain duty to decline compliance with the prayer of all Memorials and personal " representations of this kind. Por it seems obvious that this Colony could not " be held responsible for any portion of the expense; of the maintenance of any " additional troops, for which the Colonial Ministers had not made formal " application. Moreover, the whole tenor of the communications received " during some time past from the Colonial Office appears to show that the " Imperial authorities desire to encourage, as far as possible, a true and " permanent spirit of gelf-reliance among the people of New Zealand, and that " they have no wish or intention to keep any portion of the Queen's forces in " this country, except on certain fixed conditions, and with the advice and " consent of the Local Ministry and Legislature. I trust that I shall be " informed if I have rightly interpreted the views, on this most important point, " of Her Majesty's Government, and if the manner in which I am endeavouring " to carry out those views is approved." I have, &c, His Grace the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. G. F. BOWEN.
Colonization and Colonies, p. 521.
Enclosure 1 in No. 13. Memorandum by Dr. Pollen. Auckland, 30lh December, 1868. This Memorial was placed in my hands for transmission to the Governor by Messrs. George, Chapman, Freer, Bright, Hill, Lewis. Wi'lkes, and Wrigley, acting, as I was iuformed, as a deputation from a public meeting. It was originally intended that the Memorial should be circulated for signature by the people, but that intention appears to have been abandoned. It is right that .1 should add, for His Excellency's information, that the gentlemen whose names are attached to the memorial do not, in my opinion, represent the views of any large section of this community, and that there is not amongst their number any one of those who heretofore have been recognised as leading men in Auckland. For His Excellency the Governor. Daniel Pollen.
Sub-Enclosure to Enclosure 1 in No. 13. Copy of Petition to Her Majesty agreed to by the Inhabitants of Auckland, New Zealand, Bth December, 1868. To Her Most Gracious Majestt the Queen. May it please Youk Majesty,— We your Majesty's loyal and dutiful subjects residing in the Northern Island of New Zealand, humbly beg to lay before your Majesty the following Memorial. That this part of the Colony was originally colonized under and by virtue of your Majesty's Eoyal Instructions, and was governed 'for several years thereafter by an officer directly responsible to the Crown for the good government of the whole Colony of New Zealand. 8