8

ll.—ll.

give his undivided attention to the completion of his work on New Zealand Ornithology, to resume the duties and to give mo the whole of his time. As Mr. Buller had issued the last part of his book, and as I did not purpose to give him more than £400 a year, the actual amount of his salary as Eesident Magistrate at Wanganui, and £200 a year less than he had been previously receiving, I did not apprehend any objection to this course on the part of the Government. Mr. Buller placed his services unreservedly at my disposal, and entered at once upon the required duties. On the 28th March I sent the following telegram to the Government: — " Thoroughly overworked. May I retain Buller as Secretary till end August, salary £400, on understanding his appointment be kept open?" On the 22nd of April I received the following telegram in reply : — "Do not employ Buller—Assembly not tolerate. If not back in time loses appointment." I may add that Mr. Buller had originally purposed returning to New Zealand by the San Francisco mail steamer on the Ist May, so as to arrive in the Colony about the hist week in June. The breakdown in Webb's line, however, rendered it necessary that he should leave by the Peninsular and Oriental mail steamer in April, in order to get back in time. Under the circumstances which I have detailed, Mr. Buller remained in England in the full belief that he would be permitted to stay and assist me till the end of August, especially as, by the arrangement entered into, lie had consented to forego his allowances over and above the £400 during the period of his detention here. The peremptory terms of the Hon. Mr. Vogel's telegram rendered it impossible that Mr. Buller could comply with the orders of the Government; for had he quitted England by the, first mail steamer after receipt of that telegram {i.e., by the Southampton steamer on the Bth, or by the Brindisi mail to-day), he could not, by any possibility, reach New Zealand before the middle of July, and when (as he is bound to conclude from Mr.Vogel's telegram) lie would have found his appointment given away. He felt, therefore, that to have returned at once might have placed him in a false position with the Government; while, on the other hand, he was reluctant to take a step that would involve his throwing away a position acquired after close on twenty years' devotion to the Government service. Mr. Buller has accordingly decided on remaining in England for the present, and has handed me his letter of resignation, which I beg to forward herewith, retaining iv the meantime the office of Secretary, to which I have re-appointed him. But while, in accordance with Mr. Buller's request, I forward his resignation, I venture to express a hope that the Government will not accept it, but will allow me to avail myself of his services here till the end of August, as previously requested. It is scarcely possible for the Government to form an adequate idea of the amount of extra work thrown upon this Department by the Vienna Exhibition ; and as it was work requiring special knowledge of a kind possessed by very few persons, the Government will readily understand that no amount of ordinary clerical assistance would have enabled me to carry it through. In fact, I have no hesitation in saying, that without Mr. Buller's assistance I should have utterhy failed in the attempt to make the New Zealand Court at Vienna the success and credit to the Colony which it now promises to be. Whatever, therefore, may be decided on, I feel persuaded that, considering Mr. Buller's claim on the Government through length of service, and, in addition to this, the fact that I am really in want of his individual help here, tho Government will not withhold its approval from the course which I have adopted, and that Mr. Buller's status in tho public service will not suffer by the sacrifice he has made. I have, &c, I. E. Featheeston, Agent-General.

Enclosure in No. 7. Mr. W. Buller to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 16th May, 1873. For reasons which will be fully explained to you by the Agent-General, I beg respectfully to tender my resignation of the following appointments, viz.: — Eesident Magistrate of Wanganui. Sheriff of Wanganui District. Eegistration and Eeturning Officer. Eegistrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages for the District of Wanganui. Subject to the approval of the Government, I have resumed the office of Secretarjr to the AgentGeneral in this country. I have, &c, Tho Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington, N.Z. Walter Bitllee

No. 8. The Hon. Dr. Pollen to Dr. Featheeston. New Zealand. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 2nd August, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 310, of the 16th of May last, in which you enclose a lettef from Mr. Buller, tendering his resignation of the offices he holds under the Colonial Government.