Wallingford April 22d/63 My dear McLean, I was very glad to get your letter by the mail today from which I see that you had no trouble in concluding the Council business. Your dinner too seems to have gone off remarkably well was an appropriate wind up to a very successfull session. I have a great lot of letters to write tonight and will proceed at once to answer such parts of your letter as require it. First about the Examining sheep inspector for the s. boundary of Province. By all means offer it to McNab as Curling wishes it - the only necessary condition is that live at the boundary or not further from it than Porangahau. The salary is so small that unless to a man with employment on the it is not worth taking. Rose's offer is at all events worth considering and a report upon it from Weber. Dont you think it wd. be well to wait until the establishment of the force has taken a more decided form, before making provision for it. Doubtless when the force is organised, Waipawa must be its principal country post, and provided a suitable piece of ground can be procured for it. I am inclined to think that a building that could be made defensible in a case of emergency should be built. In other words would it not be well that the barracks should be so constructed as to be convertible into a Block-house if unhappily such a necessity shd. ever arise. I know at the time of the late panic (the Drever case) the knowledge that there was no place of refuge was a great assistant to the terror some worthy people felt. What you say about Morrison, I have heard before, but was never able to get any reliable evidence on. Doubtless it wd. be better to get as Agent a Man who was agent for no other colony or at least no other province. The difficulty appears to me to be to find a suitable person. The Canterbury Agent "Marthman"(?) is the best I believe of the New Zealand agents. I enclose a Mem. or rather by next post I will send you what I think shd. be the Sheep Inspector's instructions. How does his worthy brother get on are there any signs of disposition to reconsider his determination about his office. You must not forget that it is necessary you shd. know what his intentions are in sufficient time to make whatever arrangements may be necessary. My opinion about him, as you know, is to give as much line as you can conveniently spare and no more. I found all well at home and have been very busy since my return. I have read the Herald's article about the duties of the M.H.R. I am not sure whether it wd. not have been better to have exposed the actual position the Province may be put in, a little more distinctly. The Napier public are used to full length portraits and nothing short of that seems to answer with them. At least the question is opened, and can now be easily extended.I must say good night Always yours sincerely, J. D. Ormond. Let me hear if you have any news from Waikato or Tarranaki