H.—36

12

No. 9. Lieut.-Colonel Ltok to Major Goedoh. Native and Defence Office (Militia and Volunteer Branch), Sic,— Wellington, 14th August, 1875. In reply to your letter to me of the 29th June, in answer to the Hon. Major Atkinson's communication to you of the 26th May, I am directed by the Hon. the Native Minister to inform you that he apprehends you have altogether mistaken the position in which you were placed on the occasion of your holding the Court of Inquiry at Newcastle ; and that he considers the whole tone of your letter with respect to the Hon. Major Atkinson as highly reprehensible, totally subversive of discipline, and extremely disrespectful to the Minister who, in Sir Donald McLean's absence, performed in Wellington the duties of Native Minister, and was therefore your immediate head. I have, to point out to you that your instructions were to inquire and report upon the charges forwarded to you, and that you were not instructed to give an opinion. This, however, you chose to do, and the consequence has been that this opinion, being found to be so much at variance with the evidence recorded, it has been deemed necessary by the Hon. the Native Minister and the Hon. Major Atkinson to disregard it. With respect to the quotations made by you as a sort of shield for yourself from the just strictures made upon you, I am instructed by the Hon. the Native Minister to acquaint you that he looks upon them as totally irrelevant and inapplicable to the case in point; and he requires that you should immediately withdraw your letter of the 29th June, and forward an ample apology and explanation for having written it. Your letter of the 30th June, No. 35, should also be withdrawn. I have, &c, William C. Lyon, Lieut.-Colonel, Major Gordon, Auckland. Acting Under Secretary Defence.

No. 10. Major Goedon to the Undee Seceetaet for Defence. Sic, — Auckland, 31st August, 1875. I beg to acknowledge the receipt yesterday of your communication of the 14th instant, intimating that the Hon. the Native Minister, although he had, in his instructions to me of the 27th February last, directed me to inquire into and report upon the charges preferred against Captain Eowe, Engineer Volunteer Militia, not having instructed the Court before which that officer was arraigned to give an opinion on the case, had deemed it necessary, in consequence, to annul the opinion which the Court had recorded. Such being the ruling and decision of the convening officer, the Court is bound to acquiesce, and it does so cordially; and as a consequence of such review of the proceedings of the Court by Sir Donald McLean, the Court has expunged from its record of the proceedings all those portions on 16th, 33rd, and 34th pages after the closing words of the last evidence, together with the correspondence which has recently proceeded from the Court on the subject of its now cancelled finding or judgment; and in this new aspect the original record of the proceedings will exist in your office as the record of this Court of Inquiry. I have, &c, Wm. Goedon, Major, The Under Secretary for Defence, Investigating Officer. (Militia and Volunteer Branch,) Wellington.

No. 11. Lieut.-Colonel Lyon to Major Gobdon. Sic, — Militia and Volunteer Office, "Wellington, Bth September, 1875. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 31st ultimo, No. 82, which I have submitted for the consideration of the Hon. the Native Minister, who directs me to say that the fact of his having disregarded the opinion you gave in the case of the inquiry into the charges against Captain Rowe, does not in any way whatever " expunge the correspondence which has recently proceeded from the Court on the subject of its now cancelled finding or judgment;" and he is quite at a loss to understand the reason why you endeavour to evade a reply to the demands made in my letter of the 14th August. Sir Donald McLean now instructs me to say that he requires you forthwith to withdraw your highly improper letter of the 29th June, reflecting on the Hon. Major Atkinson, and at the same time fully and amply apologize for having written it; and also withdraw your letter of the 30th June, No. 35. I expect your reply by return mail. I have, &c, William C. Lyon, Lieut.-Colonel, Major Gordon, Aucklaud. Acting Under Secretary Defence.

No. 12. Major Gobdon to the Undeb Secbetaet for Defence. Sib, — Auckland, 14th September, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 270, of the Bth instant, and, with reference to its closing words, I have to observe that as the whole subject of the recent Court of