A—No. 1b

Mr. Goldwin Smith has recently pointed out that the system of allowing private soldiers to be trained to be steeped in blood is a very dangerous one ; for it is doubtful, if disturbances take place in England, whether men so trained will ahvays remain the servants of the IaAV, and Avhether, in such a case, they would obey discipline, or their own interests and their natural sympathies. But I believe that the matter has a still Avorse aspect. The secret and illegal execution of persons, so carried out as to constitute, in the minds of educated and reflective persons, deliberate murders, and the approval of such acts by the Government of this great Empire, afford an example which the weak and injured, or those who believe themselves to be so, Avhen earnest to obtain redress for Avhat they regard as Avrongs, will be too likely to folloAV. Those statesmen Avho should either silently and secretly, or openly, allow troops to be so trained, and then use them against their felloAV citizens in cases of apprehended disturbances, Avould in truth be guilty of a very great crime. Again, the frequent return into the body of the people in Great Britain, Ireland, or the Colonies, of discharged soldiers AAdio have been trained in such crimes, must exert a very evil influence on the mass of the population. I believe that crimes recently committed, and AAdiich hare excited general horror, have been promoted by this cause. If a population, tainted by such proceedings, and troops so trained are ever brought into collision, such scenes as Great Britain has not yet witnessed are too likely to take place. In the case of New Zealand, where two races (one of them a barbarous race) were engaged in a deadly struggle, it seems peculiarly wrong of the British Government to ha\~e forced examples of cruelties of this kind on that country, against the will of its Government and the wishes, as exemplified by their actions, of the best of the Natives who were in revolt. These general considerations, and the special ones I haAre urged in reference to Nev/ Zealand, made me feel it my duty to press this matter on your Lordship's notice so earnestly as I did. The power has all been upon your side, and I cannot but feel that it has enabled you for the moment to triumph over me. Nevertheless, I know that this triumph ought to be, and Avill be, but short-lived, and I indulge the hope that even your Lordship will, before long, admit that neither the Empire, New Zealand, the inhabitants of Noav Zealand, nor myself, have in this case received just treatment from the Colonial Department, or at your hands. I have, &c, The Right Hon. Earl Granville, K.G. G. GREY.

No. 10. Copy of a LETTER from Sir Erederic Rogers, Bart., K.C.M.G., to Sir George Grey, K.C.B. Sir, — Downing Street, 6th January, 1870. I am directed by Earl Granville to acknoAvledge the receipt of the letter which you addressed to his Lordship on the 20th ultimo. I have, &c, Sir George Grey, K.C.B. EREDERIC ROGERS.

No. 11. Copy of a LETTER from Sir George Grey, X.C.8., to the Right Hon. Earl Granville, K.G. Belgrave Mansions, Grovesnor Gardens, My Lord, — London, 15th January, 1870. On the 17th of Eebruary last, I wrote a letter to your Lordship's department containing the following paragraph :— " Amongst the Papers which should, I think, have been communicated to " Parliament to enable a judgment to be formed on this question (the alleged " putting to death of prisoners in New Zealand), are my Despatch No. 131, of " the 23rd November, 1867, and the correspondence between Major-General 23

89

AND THE GOVERNOR OE NEW ZEALAND.