8.—17.

1880. NEW ZEALAND.

PENSIONS TO MESSRS. FITZHERBERT, DOMETT, GISBORNE, AND DR. POLLEN (CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE GRANTING OF).

Laid upon the Table, with leave, hy the Son. Major Atkinson.

I.— BE MR. FITZHEEBEET'S PENSION. No. 1. The Hon. W. Fitzheebeet to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey. Sir, — Cockspur Street, S.W., London, 2nd September, 1868. In consequence of my unexpected detention in England, I find that I shall be unable to return to the colony till some time after the expiration of the leave of absence accorded to me, as a Commissioner of Crown Lands, by the Government. I therefore beg to place my resignation of that office in your hands. I venture to remark that it is not without reluctance that I withdraw from an office which I have held many years, and which carries with it a pension after a certain period of service. I have acted under a sense of public duty on this point; and I cannot refrain from expressing a hope that, under the special circumstances of the case, my equitable claim to a retiring allowance will not be overlooked. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington, N.Z. William Fitzhebbert. Leave of absence was granted to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Wellington, for twelve months from Bth December, 1867.— E. Wakefield. Mb. Fitziieebeet to be informed that, in view of his early return, no present action will be taken on the subject of this letter.—E. W. S.—29th October, 1868.

No. 2. The Hon. E. W. Stafford to the Hon. W. Fitzherbeet. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, "Wellington, 2nd November, 1868. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2nd September last, tendering, in consequence of your detention in England, the resignation of your office of Commissioner of Crown Lands. In reply, I have to state that, in consideration of your having been detained in England to perform very important public duties, and in view of your early return to New Zealand, the Government does not think it necessary to take any action at present in reference to the subject of your letter. I have, &c, The Hon. W. Fitzherbert, 21, Cockspur Street, S.W., London. E. W. Stafford. P.S. —The period of your absence will, as stated in my letter of the 7th December, 1867, in which, leave was given to you, of course be reckoned in the computation of your term of (service in respect of a retiring allowance whenever you may retire from the service.—E. W. S.

No. 3. The Hon. E. W. Stafford to the Hon. W. Fitziieebeet. Bib,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 18th May, 1869. In my letter of the 2nd November last, in reply to yours of the 2nd September, in which you tendered your resignation of your office as Commissioner of Crown Lands, in consequence of your being unable to return when your leave of absence expired, I stated, for the reasons therein mentioned, the Government did not think it necessary to take any action at that time in reference to the tender of I—B. 17.