A.—No. 1b
have given you the desired information, inasmuch as the embarkation of the several detachments, &c, was dependent, in a great measure, on the action taken by the Senior Naval Officer. I therefore instructed the Commandant to place himself in communication with your Excellency on the subject. I have, &c, T. Chute, Major-General. His Excellency the Governor.
Sic, — Government House, Wellington, New Zealand, 23rd July, 1869. In continuation of my letters of the 30th ultimo, and of the 19th instant, I have the honor to inform you that I have this day been requested by my Eesponsible Advisers to transmit for your consideration a Ministerial Memorandum, with printed copies of telegrams attached to it, and also a second Memorandum, with appended to it certain Eesolutions passed almost unanimously last night by both Houses of the New Zealand Parliament, respecting the 2nd Battalion 18th Eegiment. I am further requested to inform you that the Superintendent of Wellington, Dr. Eeatherston, who accompanied you on your West Coast campaign, is about to proceed to Melbourne, and has been deputed by the Ministry of this Colony to furnish you with any explanations which you may require concerning the enclosed papers and the present state of New Zealand. It will be seen that the Colonial Parliament has now pledged itself to " pay such sum as the " Imperial Government may require for the time the troops are detained until its decision is made " known." As you already know, no control or discretion whatsoever has been left to me in the matter of the removal of the 2nd Battalion 18th Eegiment, and the instructions of Her Majesty's Government have placed it beyond my power to take any action or to exercise any responsibility in the matter. I have told the Ministers that lam not aware if any discretionary powers have been left to you. There can be no doubt that the North Island of New Zealand is in a very critical position, and that there is a strong probability of a general rising of the disaffected Natives after the entire removal of the troops. I have, &c, Major-General Sir T. Chute, K.C.B. G. P. Bowen.
Sic,— Wellington, 23rd July, 1869. I have the honor, by desire of His Excellency Sir George Bowen, to request that you will proceed to Melbourne, in order to lay before General Sir Trevor Chute, X.C.8., the imminent danger that exists of a Native rising in Waikato, with a view to prevailing upon that officer to undertake the responsibility of detaining the 18th Eegiment in New Zealand until the position of affairs in the Colony can again be laid before the Imperial Government. I have, &c, His Honor I. E. Peatherston. William Pox.
Sic, — Government House, Wellington, New Zealand, 19th July, 1869. With reference to your letter to me of the 17th, and to my reply of the 30th ultimo, respecting the removal of the 2nd Battalion 18th Eegiment from New Zealand, I have the honor, at the request of my Eesponsiblo Advisers, the Ministers of this Colony, to transmit the enclosed copy of a Memorandum since laid before me by them, and of which I have also sent copies to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and to Commodore Lambert. Tou will, of course, understand that I forward this Memorandum to you simply for your information. I have stated to the Colonial Ministers that no control or discretion whatsoever has been left to me in tho matter of the removal of tho 2nd Battalion 18th Eegiment; that lam not aware if any discretion has been left to you; and that, at all events, the final instructions for the removal have been sent, not to the Governor, but to the Major-General Commanding, acting in concert with tho Senior Naval Officer. In your letter of the 17th ultimo, you acquainted me that you had already issued the necessary orders for carrying out the instructions of Her Majesty's Government respecting the battalion still in New Zealand, but you gave me no information as to the exact periods at which the detachments now garrisoning the chief towns in the disturbed districts (that is, Wanganui, Taranaki, and Napier), and the head-quarters of the regiment at Auckland, will be finally withdrawn. I request that you will favour me with this information at your earliest convenience after making the necessary arrangements, so that the Colonial Government may be enabled to take steps for replacing (so far as may be found practicable) Her Majesty's troops with detachments of the local forces. I have, &c, Major-General Sir T. Chute, K.C.B. G. E. Bowen.
Memoeanduh by Mr. Eox. Wellington, 6th July, 1869. Ministees beg to thank His Excellency for communicating to them the letter received by him from General Sir T. Chute, informing him that orders have been issued by that officer directing that the detachments of Her Majesty's 18th Eegiment, now distributed at several centres of population in New Zealand, shall be immediately massed at Auckland for the purpose of their removal without delay from the Colony. Ministers have received this information with the deepest regret. The Colony is in a condition of imminent peril, and it is the duty of Ministers to advise His Excellency that the removal of the troops may result in very serious disasters in the North Island, and the lives of many of Her Majesty's subjects may be sacrificed.
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DESPATCHES EROM THE SECRETARY OE STATE