H.—6o

Deab Sib,— 26th February, 1900. I am directed by the Agent-General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd instant, enclosing copy of a resolution which has been passed by your committee, making a suggestion with reference to the mode in which New Zealand should participate in the fund which is being raised for the purpose of supporting the Australasian Governments in providing bushmen contingents for service in South Africa. The Agent-General begs that you will convey his thanks to your committee for the consideration which they have given to the matter. He, however, ventures to point out that the fact of inviting, as stated in my letter of the 25th ultimo, New Zealand colonists who are now in this country, and others specially interested in that colony, to contribute to a special New Zealand fund did not amount to any withdrawal of that colony from participating in the fund being raised for the purpose of assisting the Australasian Colonies, of which, it is hardly necessary to point out, New Zealand is one. The Agent-(General has every reason to believe that contributions have been made to the Australasian fund under the very natural belief that it was applicable to New Zealand as well as to the other colonies of the Australasian group. In fact, if it was not so applicable, the name of " Australasian " was a misnomer, and should not have been maintained. The Agent-General regrets that it is not within his power to adopt a suggestion made in the resolution, copy of which you have been so good as to furnish. The subscribers to the New Zealand fund have—taking the words of your circular—allocated their subscriptions to the bushmen contingents which are being despatched from New Zealand, and the Agent-General cannot therefore divert them from that special object. The Agent-General would therefore submit, for the consideration of your committee, that it would meet the exigencies of the case, and be in consonance with the intentions of the subscribers to the Australasian fund, if a lump sum of a reasonable amount was contributed thereout to the special New Zealand fund, the object of which entirely corresponds with that of the first-named fund—namely, to assist in the equipment and despatch to South Africa of contingents of mounted bushmen. The Agent-General directs me to add that New Zealand has already despatched to South Africa a Mounted Bushmen Contingent consisting of 261 officers and men and 280 horses, and also another similar contingent consisting probably of 300 men and horses will follow. These two contingents, I am to state, are in addition to the two New Zealand contingents which have already arrived in South Africa. I am, &c, Waltee Kennaway. E. C. Hitchings, Esq., Hon. Secretary, the Australasian Bushmen Contingent Fund.

Deab Sib,— 12th March, 1900. I have received five guineas for the New Zealand fund from Dr. Crosbie Hamilton, of Plymouth. This will be sent to you after our next committee meeting (as the amount is included with some other contributions), when your letter of the 26th February will also be brought up for consideration. Yours, &c, Walter Kennaway, Esq., C.M.G. E. C. Hitchings, Hon. Secretary.

Deab Sib,— 13th March, 1900. I am directed by the Agent-General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, informing him that you have received from Dr. Crosbie Hamilton the sum of five guineas, being contributions collected (with others for the general fund) by that gentleman, and specially allocated to the Bushmen Contingent which is being sent to South Africa by New Zealand. The Agent-General desires me to enclose herewith an extract from the Times newspaper, giving some particulars as regards the contingents which New Zealand has raised and is raising for service in South Africa, and he will be obliged by your bringing the same under notice of your committee when the subject of my letter of the 26th ultimo comes before them for consideration, as the particulars given therein will no doubt promote a friendly arrangement as regards the amount to be allocated to New Zealand out of the Australasian fund. I am further to state, in confirmation of the particulars given in the Times, that the AgentGeneral has this day received a cablegram from his Government stating that, in addition to the 260 men and horses which formed the first body of bushmen, and which left New Zealand for the Cape on the 17th ultimo, 440 men and horses will leave for the same destination on Saturday next, making a total of 700 men and horses forming the two contingents of bushmen which are being sent from New Zealand, and the expenses of which will be met by funds raised by the settlers themselves, aided by contributions collected in this country. I am, &c, E. C. Hitchings, Esq. Walteb Kennaway.

Deab Sib,— 16th March, 1900. I have now the pleasure to enclose cheque for five guineas, the amount of the contributions received from Dr. Hamilton specially allocated to New Zealand. I brought your letters of the 26th February and 13th March before the executive committee at their meeting yesterday. They felt that the question raised therein was not one with which they could deal, and its further consideration must therefore stand over until there is a meeting of the general committee. . I am, &c, Walter Kennaway, Esq., C.M.G. E. C. Hitchings.

2