D.—No. 1a

referring to charges brought by me against the late Provincial Government, and your Honor's request that I should appear before a Committee of the Provincial Council in connection with the matter referred to, will be attended to when invited to do so. As regards your Honor's predecessor's statement, in letter above noted, that he attributes the failure of any report from the Select Committee of the Provincial Council, which was appointed last Session to enquire into this subject, to the non-attendance of the Pilot of Manukau at any of the meetings to which he was summoned, to this charge I have to reply that the late Superintendent is in error, and that I did, with the pilot crew, attend on the days that I was summoned, which was attended with considerable expense to myself and boat's ci-ew, and as proof of my attendance on the occasion, I will refer you to Mr. O'Rorke (Clerk of Provincial Council), and Captain Daldy (Provincial Treasurer), also, I can add that on my second attendance T met Dr. Pollen, a member of the same Council and the mover for the enquiry, and told him that I was then waiting to answer anv questions he might have to put to me on the question of the summons before mentioned. I have, &c, Thomas Wing, Pilot and Harbour Master. His Honor the Superintendent, Auckland.

HEW ZEALAND. JN'o. 72."

No. 15. copy of DESPATCH fbom his gbac* thb duke of Newcastle, e.g., to govebnob sie geobgf, OBEY, E.C.B., AUCKLAND. Downing Street, 26th June, 1863. Sib, — With reference to my Despatch, No. 70, of the 28th ultimo, I have the honor to transmit for your information the copy of a letter from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, enclosing extracts from the minutes of proceedings at a Court Martial, held at Portsmouth, to enquire into the particulars of the loss of Her Majesty's Ship "Orpheus," and calling attention to the discrepancy which exists between the statement advanced by the Harbour Master at Manukau, respecting the signals made to the " Orpheus," and the evidence which was elicited by the Court Martial. I have, &c, I^^PWTf1 A QTT "IS* Governor Sir G. Gbey, K.C.B.

Enclosure to No. 15. LORD C. PAGET TO T. F. ELLIOT, ESQ. Admiralty, 2nd June, 1863. Sir, — I have received and laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your letter of the 1st instant, with the report of the Harbour Master at Manukau, New Zealand, relative to the wreck of H.M.S. "Orpheus ;" also copy of a Despatch which the Duke of Newcastle has addressed to the Governor of New Zealand, calling for a more precise and complete report on the statement, that if the late Provincial Government had supplied the necessary requirements of the Pilot Station' many valuable lives would, in all probability, have been saved on the occasion. My Lords request you will state to the Duke of Newcastle that they have already, in their letter of the 1st instant, expressed their opinion of the deficiencies pointed out as existing at the Manukau Heads, and that it is unnecessary to enter further into this subject. But, as they observe that the statements made by the Harbour Master, respecting the signals made to the " Orpheus," and the attention paid to them by that ship, are at variance with the statements made at the Court Martial, I am directed to enclose, herewith, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, extracts from the evidence given on that occasion. I have, &c, c- Paoet. T. F. Elliot, Esq.

14

PAPERS RELATING TO THE