1252 ADMINISTRATION AND LEGISLATION [PARTYV 
of independence with regard to questions of native policy, 
on the ground that the country was not yet in a position to 
afford to pay for military operations. 
The Governor, shortly after his arrival in the Colony and 
his taking up office, decided that with regard to native affairs 
he would reverse the policy which had been determined upon 
in 1856, when responsible government became effective, and 
would in native affairs, as in other matters, rest on the advice 
of his ministers ;* but there can be little doubt that he 
intended to guide his ministers rather than be guided by 
them. On the other hand, the Imperial Government were 
anxious to accept the arrangements by which they were 
relieved from the responsibility of conducting native affairs, 
a responsibility which, as the Governor pointed out, was 
andesirable, as the Governor had no adequate authority to 
carry it into effect, being destitute alike of sufficient executive 
officers and of any substantial pecuniary resources? over 
which he could exercise control independent of his ministers. 
At the same time the Imperial Government held that, if the 
control of native affairs were to be exercised by the Colonial 
Government—as had been the desire of the Colonial Govern- 
ment—it must undertake the responsibilities entailed by 
such policy both pecuniarily and in point of control, and they 
wished, therefore, to withdraw as soon as possible from New 
Zealand the Imperial troops which, to the number of over five 
regiments, were being maintained there in the main at the 
cost of the Imperial Government, for the Colonial Govern- 
ment contributed only a nominal sum, £5 a head, towards 
the cost of the forces, and were excused the actual payment 
of that sum on the understanding that they would spend the 
money thus saved on the native administration 3 
The numbers of the natives were so small, and of those in 
arms—never over 2,000, it is believed—so utterly incom- 
' See his dispatch, November 30, 1861 ; Parl. Pap., August 1862, p. 27, 
and the Secretary of State’s reply, ibid., p. 80, and H. C. 467, 1863, p. 134. 
* A sum of £7,000 secured by the Act of 1852 (15 & 16 Vict. c. 72) was 
ntterly inadequate and had to be supplemented by the Parliament. 
* Cf. Parl. Pap., June 26, 1866, pp. 57 seq.; C. 83, pp. 1 seq., 79 seq., 
05 seq., 187 seq., 195 seq. ;: Rusden. New Zealand. ii. 78. 87.