§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONsaid, he wished to ask the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether any official communication was sent from the Colonial Office in 1853, to either the Governor or the Bishop of New Zealand, on the subject of the removal from the Estimates of that year of the usual Vote for the Bishop's salary? He wished also to ask whether any official communication that the usual allowance had been withdrawn had been sent to the Bishop of New Zealand, and if so, whether there was any objection to lay it upon the table of the House, together with any answer which may have been received from the Bishop?
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, that in answer to the first question of the right hon. Baronet he had to state that he could not find that any direct communication on this subject was addressed either to the Governor or the Bishop in the early part of 1853, when the 600l. a year, up to that time voted for the Bishop's salary, was withdrawn from the Estimates. He understood, indeed, that the attention of the Governor was called to the manner in which the Vote of 5,090l. was appropriated, but that the Bishop had at that time left the Colony. He (Sir G. Grey) had, however, directed that an official intimation of the withdrawal of this allowance should be forwarded to the Bishop. He had done so in consequence of having received a letter from the late Governor of New Zealand, which induced him to believe that the Bishop was not aware of the withdrawal having taken place. He could have no objection to produce both the letter which had been written to the Bishop of New Zealand and that Prelate's reply, if the right hon. Baronet would move for them.