E.—No. 2.

No. Ba. MEMORANDUM by ministers accompanying the one dated may Bth, relative to the WITHDRAWAL OF THE TROOPS FROM THE WAITARA. The draft of the Minute was taken to the Governor on the evening on which it was written, and some alterations in the wording of the narrative part of it were made at His Excellency's suggestion, leaving it precisely as above written. As the English Mail was to close the next day (though afterwards detained till the 10th), the Colonial Secretary made two copies of it, one for the Governor, and one to be sent to Mr. Crosbie Ward. The latter was made up by Mr. Bell and posted on the 9th instant to Mr. Ward. So confident were Ministers that the other copy had been sent to His Excellency, that in their Minute of the 11th instant, on the subject of the withdrawal of the troops from Waitara, they expressly state that they had given their assent to that measure in their minute of the Bth instant. Alfred Domett. May 16th, 1863.

Vide No. 9, infra.

No. 88. MINUTE BY HIS EXCELLENCY AS TO WITHDRAWAL OF TROOPS. The Governor wishes to remark on the Minister's Minute of the lGth of May, covering their Minute of the Bth of that month, that his impression is that he did not receive this minute until the 16th. The Governor was very anxious to obtain from Ministers an expression of their opinion as to whether they thought the troops should be withdrawn from the Waitara, and not receiving from them the Minute he has for two or three days expected, he on the night of the 10th of May went to Ministers and suggested that a meeting between them, the Lieut.-General and himself should take place on the morning of the 11th to decide on the expediency of the proposed step. This meeting took place in the Minister's room. It was unanimously agreed that the troops ought to be withdrawn, and Ministers then undertook to give in a Minute on the subject. This was done early in the afternoon of the 11th, Ministers recommending in that Minute that the Troops should be withdrawn from the Waitara on the next day, the 12th ; but the Governor explained that the necessary transport would not be forthcoming until the Wednesday, the 13th of May, on which day the Troops were marched into Town. G. Grey. Taranaki, May 18th, 1863.

No. 9. MEMORANDUM addressed to his excellency by ministers as to providing foe friendly WAITARA NATIVES ON ABANDONING THE BLOCK. Referring to a conversation yesterday afternoon with the Governor, His Excellency brought under the notice of Ministers the necessity of an immediate decision* being come to as to the withdrawal, or the contrary, of the troops from Waitara. This measure was proposed by the Governor to Ministers at the consultation with His Excellency on the night of the 4th instant, agreed to by Ministers, as mentioned in their Minute of the sth instant, and again in that of the Bth instant. The proposal alluded to was coupled with another, That the Northern frontier should be defended by a native force to be immediately organized. But great difficulties arose on the part of the Waitara and Waiongona natives. At the general meeting on the Bth instant, Mahau and Ihaia prayed the Governor not to remove the troops, and again on the morning of the 9th instant, they renewed their request, and His Excellency told them he would take a little time before finally deciding, but led them to expect that his decision would still be to withdraw the detachments. The departure of the English Mail prevented the Native Minister from waiting upon the Governor with these natives on Saturday evening, the 9th instant. So far as Ministers are concerned, the necessity of withdrawing the troops has already been admitted. Unless this were done, it would, in the opinion of the Native Minister, be absolutely impossible to convince the natives concerned that we had really abandoned the purchase of the Waitara block. Ministers, in stating in their Minute of the 30th April that they would assist in carrying out the Governor's proposal to abandon the purchase, considered they had always expressed their willingness to assist in carrying out what followed as a necessary consequence, viz., the withdrawal of Her Majesty's troops from a piece of land over which the Crown renounced all claim. Further; as they had stated, as a possible objection to the abandonment of the purchase, that it might seem to involve the abandonment

» gee Minutes SAand|S B, supra., and Note at toot of age 27.

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PAPEKS EELATIVE TO