A.—3a.

58

understood as asserting that the Province of New Munster and the southern half of the Northern Island are identical and coterminous, and that the number of adult males given are those of the whole province. But that province in reality includes, in addition, the whole of the Middle and Stewart Islands—a district of above 50,000,000 acres, containing the three European settlements of Nelson, Akaroa, and Otago ; while the male adult population of the whole province amounts, according to the Government census taken seven months before the date of Sir George's despatch, to 2,274 instead of 1,657, as stated by him—an amount larger by upwards of a third than that which he gives. Tour Lordship will observe that Sir George's argument rested entirely on the small number of European adult males, and that the fewer he could make them appear to be the more weight his reasoning would be entitled to ; but it seems hardly fair in him to secure such a result by leaving out four-fifths of the province in extent, two of the largest settlements in the colony, and a third of less importance; nor can we omit to point attention to the ruse practised in the 4th and sth paragraphs, where, apparently to catch the eye of the hasty reader and make the alleged disproportion more striking, Sir George places in opposition not male adults and male adults, or totals and totals, but male adults only of Europeans and total population of Natives. [Nothing else could be done. The Government had no estimate of the Native population which divided them into sexes or ages; and I expressly stated that I could only probably estimate the number of fighting males.—G. G.j 5. Again, in the next instance which we shall give, Sir George had for his aim to make the number of Natives relatively to the Europeans appear as large as possible. Instead, therefore, of leaving out four-fifths of a province and three settlements, he extends the boundaries of a province, and drags into it a whole district which does not belong to it. [These points, and the error into which the writers of this letter have fallen, are explained in my despatch which accompanies this letter. —G. G.] This misrepresentation of his occurs in paragraphs 4 and 5, when read together, as follows: "4. In the southern half of the Northern Island " —that is, in the Province of New Munster —" the number of European males above twenty-one years of age is 1,657," &c. "5. I have no means of calculating accurately the Native population within the same district, but those in immediate contact with the Europeans at Wellington, Taranaki, and Wanganui alone amount to about 7,000 souls ; and I do not think that the whole Native population in the district named can be taken at less than 25,000 souls." Would any person reading the above suppose for a moment that Taranaki was not in the southern half of the Northern Island or in the Province of New Munster, but in the northern half and in the other province, as is the case ? But Taranaki borders on a district populous with Natives ; and it suited Sir George's argument, while endeavouring to forestall a petition from the southern province, to make it appear as if it belonged to that province. [It is well known to your Lordship that 1 had been directed to include Taranaki in New Munster, and that it is to be so included the moment representative institutions are introduced, and it was to that time that my arguments applied.—G. G.] Can it be an honest cause, my Lord, to maintain which it is necessary to have recourse to an ingenuity of this sort ? Will your Lordship adopt advice or give weight to opinions which rest on a foundation so easily overthrown ? 6. Whether the district named is to be understood as signifying the Province of New Munster exclusively, or that province with Taranaki added, we are prepared to show that Sir George's estimate of 25,000 Natives is a great exaggeration, the number in either case not exceeding one-half of that stated by him. We are not aware why Sir George was without the means of calculating the number, a census having been published by the local Government of this province fully two years before the date of his despatch, and which, though it has by later returns been proved to have overstated the actual number of Natives, did not approach Sir George's estimate by a great deal, for which reason, possibly, he declined using it, and preferred the vagueness of his own surmises. It appears from the following table, compiled from authentic official sources, that the actual number of Natives in the whole southern province, of all ages and both sexes, amounts only to 9,202 souls : —

Northern Island. Wairarapa to Eangitikei, both inclusive (Kemp) ... ... ... 4,711 Turakina to Wangaehu (estimated) ... ... ... ... 250 Wanganui (Grimstone) ... ... ... ... ... 596 From Wanganui to Otumatua * (Grimstone) ... ... ... 950 6,507 Middle Island and Stewart Island. From Cape Farewell to Wairau, inclusive (Government census) ... 1,408 Thence to Kaiapoi (estimated) ... ... ... ... 50 Kaiapoi to Otago (Mantel!) ... ... ... ... 637 Otago (Government census) ... ... ... ... 150 Euapuke (Hamilton) ... ... ... ... ... 200 Foveaux Strait and Stewart Island (Hamilton) ... ... ... 150 West Coast (Brunner) ... , ... ... ... ... 100 2,698 Total, southern province ... ... ... 9,202 7. In the 7th paragraph Sir George, without admitting that there is any distinction between the character of the two provinces, adverts, as a ground for withholding self-government, to the " numerous disappointed applicants for employment, whose influence, from the very small number of the European population, is perhaps greater than in almost any other community ;" and in the same

* Vide Appendix 1., p. 62.