A.—No. Ib,

opinion, been forced on him during your government of the Colony by the want of co-operation between the Civil and the Military authorities. The alleged failure of Her Majesty's Government to supply Sir G. Bowen with information respecting the movements of troops, is explained in Lord Granville's Despatch No. 75, of the 18th of June, printed, in the Parliamentary Paper from which you derive your information. I have, &c, Sir George Grey, K.C.B. EREDERIC ROGERS.

No. 13. Copy of a LETTER from Sir George Grey, X.C.8., to Sir Erederic Rogers, Bart., K.C.M.G. Belgrave Mansions, Grosvenor Gardens, Sir, — 31st January, 1870. I think it right to reply to your letter of the 26th instant, because I cannot clearly understand it, and because I think I ought to omit no means within my reach of endeavouring to induce Earl Granville to do that which is just and righteous. The law, anxious to throw the surest safeguards round the most sacred of human possession—human life —requires that certain things should be scrupulously done before any of Her Majesty's subjects are deliberately deprived of their lives. It prescribes a fair trial, timely notice to the accused of the offence or offences with which he or they are charged, and various precautions and formalities of a like nature, all of Avhich are a protection to the weak and ignorant, and are also bulwarks against the passion, caprice, or violence of those intrusted with the powers which belong to the nation. Amongst other safeguards, the law requires that the Civil, and not the Military power, should deliberately determine that those found guilty, after fair trial, should be deprived of life. It even prohibits a General from taking, without the consent of the Civil poAver previously obtained, the life of a soldier found guilty by a Military Court of a military offence; much more, then, does it prohibit a General from taking, at his own discretion, the fives of civilians not guilty of military offences. The law also requires a General instantly to report to the Civil authorities certain acts of his, and to keep them thoroughly informed on such subjects. Amongst these acts Avould stand first the execution of subjects of Her Majesty. Above all things, the IaAV Avould abhor the secret and silent putting to death of the Queen's subjects ; and it would consider the mere reporting of such acts by one Military authority to another, whilst they were concealed from the CivH Government, as a secret and silent putting to death. No one knows better than yourself that such acts should have been reported to the Governor of the country where they took place, and that such reports should have been transmitted by him to the Colonial Minister, in whose office such reports should lie, and that the Colonial Minister should have supported his Governor in requiring such reports to be transmitted to him. Earl Granville is the first Colonial Minister who has had all the facts connected with the circumstances to which I call attention brought before him. I have only asked that the Military authorities, having assumed such unconstitutional and dangerous powers, should be told that they had acted Avrongly in so doing, and that an assurance should be given that measures had been taken which should prevent the repetition of such acts. This Earl Granville has refused to do; and, as the case stands, what has been done is stamped with his silent approval and acquiescence. I cannot understand the connection which your letter refers to, between any alleged untoward controversies between the Civil and Military authorities in New Zealand, and the secret and illegal deaths of subjects of the Queen; or lioav this latter fact, falling on unhappy persons in no way connected with the former one, could have justified what was done to them. Nor, again, can I understand why, 24

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AND THE GOVERNOR OE NEW ZEALAND.