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4

No. 9. Mr. Fox to Mr. Tucker. (TelegramJ Government Buildings, 6th May, 1881. Am instructed by the Hon. the Premier to gay, in reply to your telegram of the 4th, that Inspector Scully's report, being of a confidential nature, for the information of the Government, cannot be com. municated to you. Jaaies G. Fox, W H. Tucker, Esq., Gisborne. (for Commissioner, A,C).

Ba ic^sgj- L .:"irTTtTt«T-7aaßaMMm>iiji..LiMLtiu)ißmia»..rlv mi aw No. 10. Mr. Ttjckke to the Hon. the Phemieh. Sir,— Gisborne, Gtli May, 1881. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a letter from the Commissioner of the Constabulary, dated the 23rd,April, 1881, in which 1 am told that inquiries have been made re forgery case, and that the police will give me every assistance without taking charge of the case. Why the police should be moved at all, and yet leave me to bear the expense and trouble of detecting and prosecuting crime, I have not yet discovered; but I will refer to that question again. Having then been informed that the inquiries had been made by the police, and that the police would giv^e me every assistance, I naturally concluded that I should receive the benefit of the assistance of their inquiries and opinions, and I therefore applied to the Inspector of the district for the same. He referred me to the Commissioner for authority Then I mada application to the Commissioner for a copy of the report. To-day I have the honor to receive a wire from the Commissioner declining me the very assistance which I ask. I regret very much that the Government think it their duty to instruct the police in this ease to hold their hands, which appears to me to be so serious an interference with them as to render possible the subservience of their functions to the will of an individual; and 1 shall do myself the honor to address you further on the subject next mail. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier. W H. Tuckek.

No. 11. Mr. Hueeey to the Hon. the Ministee of Justice. Sic,— Gisborne, 13th May, 1881. I have the honor to address you again on the subject of the forgery of the late Dr. Nesbitt's name to a deed of conveyance dated in 1871, and uttered by E. if. Ward, jun., in 1879; the certificate to which Dr. Nesbitt's name was forged being dated November, 1877, though, in fact, I believe the name was not forged till February, 1879. Several persons swear it is not Dr. Nesbitt's signature ; and I was present with Ward, jun., and others, in 1879, when it was stated in his presence, and not contradicted by him that it wanted the doctor's certificate. There are also witnesses who state that they saw the deed early in 1579, and it was then uncertified. I may be allowed to state that I have not the least hesitation in accusing Ward of the uttering with a guilty knowledge. The police reported the offence last year, and Ward as the suspected person; but I am informed that one Shearman, then Commissioner, exercised some influence which paralyzed them. Since then the Inspector of the district has visited this place and reported to the Government as to the offence and the suspected person; but Ward, smelling a rat, visited Wellington, and now the Hon. the Premier instructs the police to render every assistance in cane of a prosecution, but not to take charge of the case. Now, Sir, 1 would respectfully ask, of what use are the police of a district if they do not follow up, detect, and prosecute a crime which they have already reported ? Are their functions to end there? Is a civilian to be saddled with the costs of a prosecution to which the police are to lend every assistance, whatever that may mean ? Why, Sir, of what use are the police if crime is to be prosecuted and punished by private individuals, and at their own cost and charges ? If we have police lot them do their duty, whether that be acceptable to certain persons or not. There are not tun sane persons in Gisborne who doubt that the doctor's name was forged. There cannot be one sane person who doubts that Ward uttered the forgery, for that is a fact by his placing it on the registry and claiming title under it. The forger}', and the manner in which the police have been affected by the Government, is the matter of town talk, and will presently find a vent in the newspapers. It is a matter of regret that a Government apparently anxious to do what is right and doing it, as in Whitelaw's case, and getting the credit for it, should in the present instance have been made the shield for a criminal by some underhand influence, which will hereafter appear This second attempt to divert justice is of so serious a nature, and discloses so dangerous a state of things when Ministers interfere with the police, that the matter cannot rest here. I have, <fee, The Hon. the Minister of Justice, Wellington. Joiik" B. Htjbeet,

No. 12. The Undeb-Secketarx for Justice to Mr. Htjbbet Sic,— Department of Justice, Wellington, 21st May, 1881. 1. have the honor, by direction of Mr. Dick, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the