A.—No. 1.

that I have been treated by that gentleman, upon more occasions than one, in a manner entirely inconsistent with good taste ; and that the records of the House bear upon their face an omission which, whether regarded as a departure from customary practice or ordinary gentlemanly feeling, must be considered a blot upon the proceedings of the Parliament of the Colony. I enclose for your Lordship's information an extract from a local paper, giving a summary of the proceedings of the Legislature relating to the subject of this letter. Without losing the present mail, which proceeds by way of Auckland instead of Wellington, I find it impossible to comply with the rule which requires all communications on public matters to be forwarded through the Government. But by the first opportunity I shall send a copy of this letter to the Colonial Secretary at Wellington. I have, &c, D. Monro, The Eight Hon. the Earl of Kimberley, Late Speaker of the House of Secretary for the Colonies. Eepresentatives.

Enclosure 2 in No. 24. Memorandum by Mr. G-isbokne. Ministers have had under their consideration copy of a letter addressed by Sir David Monro to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies. The object of the writer appears to be, to complain of the conduct of the Hon. Mr. Fox, the Premier. It is desirable that some particulars relating to the subject-matter of the complaint, which are not given in the letter, should be laid before the Secretary of State. Though Sir David Monro was, no doubt, an excellent Speaker of the House of Eepresentatives, it is not to be supposed that in a small Legislature like that of New Zealand, any Member who may fill the office of Speaker or of Chairman of Committees will not be more or less identified with some political party. Sir David Monro, whilst discharging to the satisfaction of the House the duties of Speaker, was well understood to be opposed to the present Government, and one of the prominent questions raised by the Opposition during the late Session had reference to Sir David Monro. Towards the close of the Session of 1870, being the last Session of the then existing Parliament, Sir David Monro announced from the Chair that he did not contemplate offering himself as a candidate for the Speakership in the next Assembly ; but ho did not state that it was not his intention to seek again to enter the House of Eepresentatives. The only two of the Ministers who were in the House at the time at once expressed their regret at the announcement, and each of them complimented Sir David Monro upon the manner in which, he had discharged his duties. Subsequently, the Government entertained the idea of asking the Assembly either to vote a pension or to provide some testimonial for Sir David Monro, together with an address; but on consulting their supporters, Ministers found that there was no prospect of a resolution'for a pension or for a testimonial being carried in a way likely to be gratifying to the recipient. Undoubtedly, it was an omission that a resolution for a farewell address to Sir David Monro, as Speaker, was not moved; but the omission was wholly accidental, and it will be easily understood how, in the hurry consequent upon the close of the Session, and when it had been ascertained that the idea of a pension or a testimonial could not be realized, the proposal of a motion for an address was overlooked. Shortly after the close of the Session of 1870, it was announced that Sir David Monro would again come forward as a candidate for a seat in the House of Representatives. There was nothing to warrant Ministers in supposing that, even if Sir David Monro were not again proposed for the Speakership, he would altogether retire from public life. Indeed, there were not wanting reasons for the belief that, in the event of a change of Ministry, Sir David might probably become a member of the new Cabinet. Sir David Monro became a candidate for the District of Motueka, and was declared to have been elected; but, on petition, during the Session just terminated, he was unseated, and Mr. 0. Parker, who contested the election, was declared to be entitled to the seat. A copy of the proceedings of the Committee is annexed. It will be understood that Ministers do not usually recommend His Excellency to summon to the Legislative Council gentlemen who are their active opponents; and there was no possibility of doubting that Sir David Monro was very much opposed to the policy of the Government. After the Election Committee had reported, and Mr. Parker had taken his seat for Motueka, the friends of Sir David Monro were very anxious to obtain for him a seat in the Legislative Council. Ministers expressed their regret at the omission to move an address of thanks before the close of the previous Session, and their willingness to have such an address moved. Sir David Monro, in his letter, mentions that such an address was proposed during the recent Session, but he does not state that its proposer was Mr. Fox. That gentleman also moved the Address to Her Majesty, praying that she would be pleased to show some mark of favour to Sir David Monro. This was intended to mean that, instead of being called to the Legislative Council on the recommendation of the Ministry, Sir David should be summoned there at the request of the House of Eepresentatives. But, as Sir David Monro states in his letter that the motion was understood by some Honorable Members to mean that His Excellency would at once call Sir David to the Council, it must be observed by Ministers that metabers of the Government repeatedly stated to Sir David Monro's friends, that though the Ministry moved the Address to Her Majesty, they would not on any account recommend that he should be placed in the Council during the then Session. Eegarded as a matter of honor to Sir David Monro, there was no necessity for his being at once called to the Council, and, as a matter of fact, it would have been an objectionable precedent to summon during the game Session to the Legislative Council a gentleman who had been unseated for the House of Eepresentatives. Sir David Monro, on his retirement from the Speakership, desired to become again a Member of that House, and the circumstance of his being unseated on petition cannot be reasonably held to have rendered it incumbent on the Government at once to place him in the Legislative Council.

Proceedings of Motueka Election Committee. Vide Journals H. of R., 1871, H. No. 14.

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DESPATCHES FROM THE GOVERNOR OF