H.—37

8

No. 15. Mr. H. H. Fenton to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet, Sic, — Mongonui, 14th November, 1872. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter containing copy of Mr. Kelly's letter complaining of my conduct. The charge of intimidation is absolutely false. The other charges are frivolous. Mr. Kelly refers to my conduct as insolenb and disgraceful. Such language is unwarrantable, and I therefore again demand an inquiry, such inquiry to embrace the other matters referred to in reference to Mr. White. I again beg to state that irregularities in connection with the officers of the Magistrate's Court are so glaring, and have been for years on the increase, that no other course remains, as far as I can see, but a thorough investigation. I feel assured that a searching inquiry will show forth a state of things that the Government will be little prepared for. I hare, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Haeold H. Fenton.

No. 16. Mr. Fountain to Mr. H. H. Fenton. (No. 887.) Office of the Minister of Justice, Sic,— Wellington, 2nd December, 1872. 1 have the honor, by direction of the Minister of Justice, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th ultimo, with further reference to your complaint against the Clerk of tho Court at Mongonui; and in reply, to inform you that the same is under consideration. I have, &c, E. G. Fountain, 11. 11. Fenton, Esq., Mongonui. Acting Under Secretary.

No. 17. Mr. Fountain to the Eesident Maoisteate, Mongonui. (No. 886.) Office of the Minister of Justice, Sic,— Wellington, 2nd December, 1872. With further reference to your letter of the Bth ultimo, in which you intimate your intention of shortly retiring from tho public service on the pension to which you may be entitled, I have the honor, by direction of the Minister of Justice, to request you to be good enough to state the probablo date at which you will communicate with the Government on this subject. I have, &c., E. G. Fountain, The Eesident Magistrate, Mongonui. Acting Under Secretary.

No. 18. The Eesident Magistbate, Mongonui, to the Hon. the Ministee of Justice. Sib, — Eesident Magistrate's Office, Mongonui, 14th December, 1872. In reply to your letter No. 88G, 2nd December, 1872, with reference to the probable date of my retiring from the public service, I have the honor to state that, if possible, I should like to be released about April next, when I shall have completed twenty-eight years' service; and by that time I shall have attended to duties connected with the Native Lands Court sitting next January iii Mongonui and Waitangi, which a stranger would have difficulty in doing. I have, Ac, W. B. White, The Hon. the Minister of Justice, Wellington. Eesident Magistrate.

No. 19. The Eesident Magistbate, Mongonui, to the Hon. the Ministeb of Justice. Sic, — Resident Magistrate's Office, Mongonui, 14th December, 1872. I have the honor to acknowledge your letter No. 871, 29th November, 1872, informing mo that my replies to Mr. Fenton's charges against me have been satisfactory to the Government. With regard to the latter part of the letter, I think it due to myself to state that I am not in the habit of forgetting that lam a gentleman. The terms in which Mr. Fenton made his charge purposely offensive implied much, and I should be sorry the Government should suppose I had for one moment forgotten my private and public position. I might perhaps have explained this more clearly : besides Messrs. Yates and Fenton had been friends for years, the latter frequently partaking of the hospitality of the former. The litigation was of a simple character, and involved some three pounds. I have, &c, W. B. White, The Hon. the Minister of Justice, Wellington. Besident Magistrate.