No. 24.
His Excellency Governor Grey to His Excellency Lieutenant-Governor Eyre.
Sir,—
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No. 19, of 10th March last, reporting for my information the completion of the arrangements for the purchase of a large tract of territory in the Middle Island, which the Government was anxious to acquire for the New Zealand Company.
2. | The arrangements made by your Excellency appear to me to have been in every respect judicious, and it is very fortunate that so satisfactory a settlement of this important affair should have been arrived at. 1 think also that Mr. Mantell appears fully to have merited the encomiums you have bestowed upon the careful and zealous manner in which he has executed the duties intrusted to him. |
3. | I observe in Mr. Mantell's letter to the Colonial Secretary of the 30th January, that he states that he had been credibly informed that after the last distribution of the payment to the Natives there were two men in one public-house constantly employed from morning to night in serving the Natives with spirits. This statement appears to have been made to Mr. Mantell in such vague terms that it is probably exaggerated, but I think that the subject requires further inquiry from your Excellency; and I should hope that, if so gross and open a violation of the law which is rigidly enforced in other parts of the Colony has taken place, you may find it possible to punish the offenders, either by fine or depriving them of their license. The authorities should also be required to explain how it happened that they allowed such a violation of the law to take place without proceedings being instituted against the offenders. |
I have, &c.,
His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor.