No. 5.
The Hon. W. B. D. Mantell, to the Under Secretary, Native Department.

Sir,—

In reply to your letter of 31st March, I have the honour to request you to inform Mr. Richmond that I am not prepared to take, upon myself the responsibility of defining the position or capacity in which I should attend the Native Land Court in the South, and further, that if the investigations of the Court are to be limited to the apportioning of the present so called Native reserves, among the Natives, my presence at such sittings might prove worse than useless.

Until, therefore, I am honoured by the Government with some more satisfactory information as to the scope of the proposed investigations, and with a distinct definition of the part which it is proposed that I should take therein, I beg to withdraw my provisional consent to Mr. Richmond's request that I should attend the approaching sittings of the Native Land Court in the Middle Island.