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No. 50. The Hon. Dr. Pollen to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. Sic,— Auckland, 29th December, 1877. On the 13th October last I made application for the retiring allowance to which, as a Civil servant, I was entitled under the provisions of the Civil Service Acts of 1858 and 1861, on and from the 30th October, 1876, the date of the acceptance by His Excellency the Governor of my resignation of the several appointments then held by me. On the 13th November I had the honor to receive from you a letter, in which I was informed that "the question, which is surrounded by some difficulties, is still under the consideration of the Government." On the 14th November I asked that you would be good enough to inform me what those difficulties were, in order that I might, by supplying possibly deficient information, or otherwise, endeavour to remove them. And I also ventured to solicit the favour of an early answer. I have not, as yet, received a reply to that letter. I have &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Daniel Pollen.

No. 51. The Hon. the Pbemieb to Mr. E. Fox. (Telegram.) Alexandra, Bth May, 1878. Two days before I loft Wellington, Mr. Fitzgerald, Commissioner of Audit, brought mo papers relating to the expenditure of the sum of money appropriated by the British Government for the cost of paying British pensioners in this colony. In them was mentioned the annual sum of £300 a year allowed to Dr. Pollen. I put them up with the pension papers of Dr. Pollen, which lie on the table in my office. Mr. Fitzgerald appeared to think the papers important. Would you therefore pass them, with Dr. Pollen's pension papers, round to the other Ministers. The Solicitor-General gave his opinion that, as he understood, the £300 a year mentioned in those papers were, in fact, colonial funds, and therefore should count in Dr. Pollen's pension; but I understood him to tell me that ho did not thoroughly understand the subject when he gave that opinion, and relied merely on a statement made to him by, he thought, Dr. Pollen. The Solicitor-General should again be consulted on this point. Ido not, myself, think that British money could be made colonial funds. Becord this telegram. E. Fox, Esq., Government Buildings, Wellington. G. Gbet. Foe Ministers. —The papers mentioned by the Hon. the Premier are herewith. —E. Fox. —Hon. Colonel Whitmore.—Bth May, 1878. Me. Reid will be so good as 1;o give a further opinion, taking note of the point raised by Mr. FitzGerald, which I take to be tha.t marked in pencil in Sir J. Vogel's memorandum of January, 1872.— G. S. W.—9th May, 1878. Hon. Me. Macandeew.—J. M.—9th May, 1878. Hon. Mr. Fishes.—J. T. F.—Kith May, 1878. Me. Eeid.—loth May, 1878.

No. 52. The Hon. D. Pollen to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. Sic,— Wellington Club, Wellington, 28th June, 1878. On the 13th October last, upon the resignation of the Ministry of which I was a member, 1 did myself the honor to request that you would be good enough to move His Excellency the Governor to grant mo the retiring allowance to which I might be found entitled under the provisions of " The Civil Service Acts, 185S and 18(51." The tender of my resignation of the offices which I held had been made to the Government and accepted by the Hon. the Premier, with the approval of His Excellency the G-overnor, upon the condition stated in Major Atkinson's letter No. 767, of date 31st October, 1876 —namely, that the resignation was then made and accepted without prejudice to my claim to a retiring allowance. I need not advert to the circumstances which made my resignation then expedient. My position in the Government precluded me, as I thought, from bringing my own claim to a settlement, and it was upon the resignation of my offices as Colonial Secretary and Native Minister that I wrote to you the letter first above mentioned. On the 12th November last I was informed that my letter of the 13th October was under consideration, and that the question of my retiring allowance was surrounded by some difficulty. On the 14th November I wrote and respectfully begged that I might be informed what the difficulties referred to were, in order that I might, by supplying possibly deficient information, endeavour to remove them ; and, as the matter was of great importance to me, I ventured to solicit the favour of an early answer. No answer was accorded to me. About the close of the month of March last I waited personally on the Hon. Mr. Ballance, who was then acting for the Colonial Secretary, and to him I repeated my request for a reply to my former letters. Mr. Ballance was good enough to promise that I should receive an immediate reply. No reply has as yet been received by me. Under these circumstances I am forced to request that you will do me the favour to inform me why it is that I am denied the ordinary courtesy of an official reply to my official letters. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Daniel Pollen.