13

H.—36

Inquiry on Captain. Howe has now become one which should result in my complete exoneration, or in my equally complete discomfiture, I cannot prepare a reply to your letter for despatch by the return mail of to-morrow morning; but I hope by that which leaves on Saturday next, the 18th, to transmit such an one as so necessary a period for consideration will alone enable me to record. I have, &c, The Under Secretary for Defence, Wm. Gordon, Major. (Militia and Volunteer Branch,) Wellington.

No. 13. Major Gobdon to the Undeb Secbetaet for Defence. Sib, — Auckland, 17th September, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 270, of the Bth instant, and to state, in answer, that the nature of the correspondence with respect to the inquiry on Captain Eowe, late of the Engineer Voluuteer Militia, and the action to which the proceedings of the Court have been subjected in the House of Assembly, is such that I feel there remains to me no alternative but to ask that His Excellency the Governor, as the Commander-in-Cliief of Her Majesty's auxiliary forces in this colony, may be moved or advised to direct that my conduct shall be submitted to investigation by a Court of Inquiry, or by any other tribunal which will have power to acquit or convict me of the offences laid to my charge ; and to that end I have transmitted for submission to His Excellency the accompanying preliminary statement of facts in connection with this unhappy case, which I will thank you to beg of the Hon. Sir Donald McLean to forward to the Private Secretary of His Excellency, and I will be obliged by your transmitting at the same time the proceedings of the Court, and the attendant correspondence. If I may be permitted to make such a request, I would desire that the investigation may take place in Wellington. The evidences upon whom I would propose to call are the Hon. Sir Donald McLean, the Hon. Major Atkinson, Lieut.-Colonel Lyon, N.Z.M.; Lieut.-Colonel Reader, N.Z.M.; Lieut.-Colonel St. John, N.Z.M. ; Major Paul, late of Imperial Army ; Captain Stack, N.Z.M.; Captain Eowe, N.Z.M.; Mr. F. Stevens, clerk in Militia and Volunteer Office. I have, &c, The Under Secretary for Defence, Wm. -Goedon, Major. (Militia and Volunteer Branch,) Wellington.

No. 14. Lieut.-Colonel Lyon to Major Gohdon. Native and Defence Office (Militia and Volunteer Branch), Sib— Wellington, 23rd September, 1875. I have submitted to the Hon. the Native Minister your letter No. 92, of the 17th instant, and am instructed to inform you that it can in no way be accepted as a reply to my letters No. 250 of the 14th August, and No. 270, Bth September. Sir Donald McLean further instructs me to say that he regrets you still persist in evading the demands made in the letters above quoted, and I am now to make a last application to you to comply therewith by return mail. Should you fail in giving me an answer "Yes" or "No," you will be suspended forthwith from duty. I have, &c., William C. Ltojt, Lieut.-Colonel, Major Gordon, Auckland. Acting Under Secretary Defence.

No. 15. Major G-oedon to the Undee Secbetaey for Defence. Sib, — Auckland, 28th September, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 23rd instant, and to state, in reply, that, conceiving that I am not guilty of the offences of which I have been accused by the Hon. the Native Minister, and the whole question having been placed before His Excellency the Governor, I am bound to abide by the award of the tribunal which His Excellency will doubtless accord, and which, I ardently trust, the Hon. the Native Minister will see fit to advise. I avail myself of this the last opportunity I may have of doing so, of saying that I sincerely appreciate the feeling of solicitude and good feeling which the Hon. the Native Minister has given expression to so frequently in desiring me to withdraw and apologize for what is written in certain of my letters which are construed into letters of disrespect to the Hon. Major Atkinson ; but he is somewhat infelicitous in his language when, in transmitting his sentiments, he imputes to me that my not apologizing for the tone of these letters is a " persistent evasion of the demands which he makes." Having recourse to evasion or subterfuge is a propensity which cannot be attributed to me, and is therefore intolerable, and is not borne out by the communications which I have at any time made to him. On the contrary, my letters are candid, respectfully outspoken, and clear in their meaning ; so much so are they that they have very unfortunately led him to believe that I have been actuated by a feeling of disrespect to the Hon. Major Atkinson; and when these letters are analyzed by that tribunal for which I have appealed to His Excellency, I intend that they shall be pronounced by it to present an aspect quite consistent with the respect which I am required to hold, and which I do hold, for the Hon. Major Atkinson, as one of Her Majesty's Ministers. I have, &c, The Under Secretary for Defence, Wm. Gordon, Major. (Militia and Volunteer Branch,) Wellington.