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A.—4,

No. 30. His Excellency Sir A. H. Goedon to Ministees. Memorandum for Ministers. The Governor has received Mr. Whitaker's memorandum of the 17th instant. The Governor must remind Mr."Whitaker, that His Excellency's own memorandum of the Bth instant had been written, and had been read by His Excellency to Mr. Whitaker, before any alteration was made in the fourth paragraph of Mr. Whitaker's memorandum of that date, and that consequently no "trouble" as regards the composition of his own memorandum could be thereby saved to His Excellency. But the Governor by no means considers the alteration useless, as it has relieved him from the necessity of making those further remarks on that portion of Mr. Whitaker's memorandum, which he might otherwise have deemed to be required. His Excellency approves of the communication of his memorandum of the Bth [10th] instant to Sir John Hall. Government House, Wellington, 19th June, 1882. . A. H. G.

No. 31. Sir John Hall to the Peemiee. Memorandum for His Excellency. The Premier respectfully forwards to tho Governor the enclosed memorandum by Sir John Hall, to whom, as Mr. Whitaker has already had the honour of explaining, His Excellency's memorandum of the 10th instant was submitted, because of its references to the knowledge which, as Premier at the time, Sir John Hall had of the substance, &c, of Despatch No. 81, of the 28th December. Wellington, June 20, 1882. Feed. Whitakee.

Enclosure. Sib John Hall begs to return to the Premier the Governor's memorandum of the 10th instant, which was forwarded to him by Mr. Whitaker for such remarks as he might think necessary : that course being no doubt taken because of His Excellency's references to Sir John Hall's knowledge, in substance, of the contents of a despatch dated 28th December last. 2. The impressions remaining on Sir John Hall's memory as to the circumstances with which his name is connected, agree substantially with the statements in the memorandum : but it may be desirable he should state the facts as they occur to him. 3. In August last, His Excellency showed to Sir John Hall a draft despatch, commenting on his memorandum of 15th June. He read the draft in the Governor's office, and returned it to His Excellency, stating that, in his opinion, it would necessitate reply from Ministers, and would probably provoke considerable controversy. After further thought upon the matter, in his own office, he felt it his duty to write to the Governor, that the despatch appeared to him to be one of a class which it was expedient should be communicated to Ministers, so that they might have the opportunity of making observations before the documents were forwarded to the Secretary of State. This was on the 13th August. Sir John Hall understands His Excellency to have an impression that the draft was taken away from his office ; but Sir John Hall is confident this was not the case. He was under the impression that he had consulted one of his colleagues on the subject of this despatch, but he finds that he did not do so. A few days after the 13th August, His Excellency informed Sir John Hall that he had decided to cancel the greater part of the draft, since it appeared likely to cause controversy; and His Excellency showed to him the despatch as altered, and now printed as No. 43. 4. During February last, while in Auckland, Sir John Hall learned by a letter from the Governor, ■ that he had felt constrained to make further remarks upon the June memorandum. His Excellency informs Sir John Hall that his intention to make these remarks was mentioned during a conversation in Christchurch about the end of December. Sir John Hall is not prepared to dispute this, but he has no recollection of the statement. Until he received Mr. AVhitaker's note and the Governor's memorandum of the 10th instant, Sir John Hall was not aware that the remarks referred to in February had any immediate connection with the draft shown to him in August, or that the draft had substantially been reproduced as a despatch dated 28th December. 5. That despatch, which he has now read, contains some expressions which Sir John Hall does not recollect in the original draft, but as he only read the draft once, it is not possible for him to speak positively on the point. Having understood that the draft had been canceled, he dismissed the matter from his mind, and did not at all recur to it until he received the memorandum of the 10th instant. Wellington, June 20, 1882. John Hall.

See A.-8, 1882, No. 9.

No. 32. Major Atkinson to His Excellency Sir A. H. Goedon. Memorandum for His Excellency. The Premier presents his respectful compliments to the Governor, and forwards to His Excellency a memorandum by Major Atkinson, upon portions of His Excellency's despatch to the Colonial Office, dated the 28th December, 1881. Feed. Whitakee. Wellington, June 10, 1882.