A.—No. Ib,

from the Chatham Islands, even by simply challenging them to surrender the arms which they had plundered from the public stores. Major Biggs has paid the penalty of his zeal by a cruel and bloody death, together with his brave young wife and their infant child, amid the horrors of the Poverty Bay massacre. But it appears to be an act of justice due to the memory of this gallant and lamented officer that I should mention the illustration of his conduct often insisted upon by many of his felloAV-colonists. They argue thus : —" If a party of two hundred " Eenian prisoners, during the recent disturbances in Ireland, had overpoAvered "their guards, murdering those who attempted to prevent their escape, and plun- " dering a quantity of rifles and ammunition from the Queen's magazines; had then "forcibly seized a ship, throwing overboard those of the crew and of their own " number Avho were not prepared to go all lengths with them in their bloody and " desperate schemes ; had then landed in one of the disaffected districts in Minister "or Leinster, and marched up the country to join other bodies of rebels in arms " against the Crown ; had further, Avhen challenged by the local magistrates and " police to surrender the stolen rifles in their possession, attacked them and killed " several of them; would not the escaped Eenians, guilty of such conduct, have " been pursued with the whole strength of the Government in Ireland until they " had been either re-captured or destroyed ? " C. Your Lordship further Avrites : —" I find it also said that the disturbances " on the West Coast arose from an arbitrary seizure of two Natives, as pledges or " hostages for the return of two horses, which Avere retaken by the Natives after " having been captured by General Chute." It Avill be perceived that " all the " evidence bearing on the above statement has been laid unreseiwedly before the "Legislature, and printed in the Appendix to the Journals of 1868, A. No. 8, " copies of which have been duly forwarded to the Colonial Office." I submit that what has happened at Patea entirely confirms the opinions which I have repeatedly expressed as to the imprudence of placing settlers on the confiscated lands in outlying and exposed situations. It may, of course, be said that I judge long after the event, for the policy referred to was carried out several years before my arrival in NeAV Zealand. D. In pursuance of your Lordship's instructions, detailed Returns are transmitted herewith, showing " the numbers and pay of the European " Colonial force and of the Native Contingent during the last two years." It Avill be seen that the permanent moveable force (in addition to the Local Militia and Volunteers, and to the Civil Police) maintained by the Colony at the time of my arrival in NeAV Zealand (in the early part of 1868), consisted of tAventy-five (25) officers and four hundred and ninety-six men (496) men. This force has been since gradually increased, until on 15th May ultimo it amounted to a total of three thousand four hundred (3,400) officers and men on "active service and pay," viz., (1) Europeans: one hundred and one (101) officers, and tAvo thousand two hundred, and forty-five (2,245) non-commissioned officers and privates ; and (2) one thousand and fifty-four (1,054) Natives. At the same date the enrolled Militia and Volunteers (available only for the defence of their respective districts) were estimated to exceed, in the North Island alone, eleven thousand (11,000) officers and men of all arms. Further, I have repeatedly pointed out, in my official and confidential communications to the Colonial Office, that the political party in New Zealand which introduced the so-called "self--reliance policy" (in the first instance, it is generally stated, as a party movement, and in consequence of the general irritation caused by the conduct and language of certain Military officers then in this country) never succeeded in inducing the Colonial Parliament to appropriate what subsequent experience has shown to be sufficient supplies for the establishment of a permanent local force strong enough to take the place of the Regular troops. In particular, with my Despatch of the 7th January ultimo I transmitted and solicited attention to a statement, then recently published by Sir David Monro, " narrating on the high " authority of the Speaker of the popular branch of the Legislature Avhat may be " termed the parliamentary history of the self-reliant policy." In that statement the Speaker remarked that, so far as the New Zealand Legislature is concerned,

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DESPATCHES EROM THE SECRETARY OE STATE