No. 38.
The Hon. the Postmaster-General to His Honor the Superintendent, Otago.

Sir,—

I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter of yesterday, in reply to mine of the same date.

As your Honor does not intimate whether you accede to my request that you would correspond direct with the Hon. the Colonial Secretary on the subject of my communication, I intend to forward page 129your Honor's letter, together with a copy of mine, to which it is a reply, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary by the next northern mail.

With reference to your Honor's protest against the contemplated action of the General Government, I think it right to remind your Honor that it is now eleven months since an officer was specially deputed to place himself in communication with the Government of Otago to examine into the whole question, and to consider and report upon the claims of the Provincial Government to the reserve in question, and that your Honor's silence during the interval which has elapsed appears to me to justify the conclusion arrived at by the Government, that your Honor was not prepared to substantiate any claim that might have been preferred, and did not desire any extension of time for further investigation.