No. 22.
Mr. Mantell to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary.

Sir,—

In doing myself the honor of acknowledging your letter of yesterday, I would beg respectfully to draw the attention of the Lieutenant-Governor to that paragraph which announces the rate of remuneration to be allowed to me while completing my duties as Commissioner for the Extinguishment of Native Claims, and request you to move His Excellency to reconsider that part, should I succeed in proving the justice of an alteration.

The request that I would prefer is, that my pay may commence at the same rate from the day after my arrival in Wellington (28th January); and in support of this request would urge the following reasons: —That although, on my return to Wellington, having considerable and important private business to transact, I would gladly have resigned the completion of my duties to other hands, I, at considerable page 222pecuniary loss, consented to return to Akaroa, under the impression that my salary would be continuous to the close of my mission; that during the time which has elapsed since my return I have been almost daily employed in the service of Government, to an extent sufficient to prevent me from attending to private affairs of much importance to me in more than in a pecuniary point of view. And again, I would remind you that if I had, in accordance with my instructions, awaited at Akaroa an opportunity of returning hither. I should probably have remained there, still on pay, for an indefinite period; that uninfluenced by such consideration of private advantage, I adopted those steps which I thought best calculated to promote the public service; crossed the Peninsula, embarked in an open boat during a gale, and only thus could have succeeded in overtaking the "Fly," and reaching Wellington when I did.

I might further mention, that in my original instructions the possibility of my return to Wellington prior to the completion of my task was contemplated; but I feel that I may, on the above representations, confidently leave the case for your favourable consideration.