Napier April 21st. 1876. My dear McLean, I received yesterday your letter of the 17th. and as you wished wired you that I thought it wd. be a very politic move to get old Fitzherbert into the Chair. I have my doubts whether he will agree and it will need caution in ascertaining this. If he will take it you can get rid of the most troublesome opponent you have - indeed without him the Opposition would be almost harmless. Next to Fitz. I think Rolleston the best and believe there is no doubt he wants it. I see that you have heard that he has said he would follow his chief Grey if O'Rourke was proposed. If this is true he is a great fool and worse for he cannot but know that O'Rourke is quite unfit for the position. I am very glad to hear that Vogel has told Reynolds he has no chance - that was the right course to take and the kindest to Reynolds himself. I only hope you may get old Fitz. to accept that will settle the matter satisfactorily. As to the division of Hawkes Bay into Counties I think three wd. be better than two. The Southern Central and Northern Districts have almost distinct interests and would work more satisfactorily if each district had community of interest. You say in your letter that you think you will have to withdraw Davis and Co from the Arawa Country. Mitchell thinks and old Dairs also that on the result of these two meetings will depend what chance there is of carrying on the land transactions with the Arawa. Mitchell thinks that if the result of these meetings is adverse that it would be useless to try to do anything in the meantime; that is the substance of what I got from Mitchell. From the East Coast I hear that Wilson your Land Purchase Agent is very untrustworthy - his last grievance is Porter and Campbell acting as District Officer at the Land Court. Rogan is furious at the mischief Wilson is trying to do and has written some very strong letters on the subject. Can you not get rid of that fellow Wilson he seems to me to be always making trouble and doing little good. Moreover he is said to be working against you. There is a Hawkes Bay question I want you to help in. The Wanganui Natives have lately taken some Sheep from Wanganui to inland Patea. Miti Kingi's son is the man in charge. Now there is a great risk of Scab being taken in as there are diseased flocks on the road. The Patea settlers and our own people, as well as the Renata Kawepo, are greatly alarmed at the risk we run if the Patea district should get scabby and have tried to get the Natives to allow the sheep to be paid for and destroyed; or they have offered other sheep for them It seems however that the taking the sheep there is an assertion of ownership as against Renata and as the settlers at Patea hold under Renata the Wanganui Natives will not let the sheep be killed or exchanged. The whole matter rests in the hands of Major Kemp and Miti Kingi, so if you would get them to agree to take other sheep for those taken from Wanganui, and agree not to take more sheep from Wanganui - that would settle the matter and I expect Kemp would agree at once. It seems the Sheep cost 8/- each at Wanganui whilst similar sheep without any risk from scab could be bought here for 5/-. It wd. be thus better for the Natives to buy the cheaper sheep and run no risk of scab please do what you can in it. Those who know the country say that if Scab once gets to Patea it is bound to spread down to Williams Maori run and so down by H.P. Smiths into our country. I have no further news about H.R.'s movements - he still gives out that he is going to England but many people say he cannot go. As far as I can learn he has got no further Deeds signed yet by natives on which to raise money at Home. Sheehan took old Hapuku the other day before Turton to get Sir G. Greys trust Deed of your land executed. On the deed being read old Hapuku declined to sign saying he only meant Grey to get back his land but had no idea of allowing him to sell it or manage the proceeds rents etc. - it ended in Sheehan having to withdraw the deed and take it away. Are you taking care as to who shall succeed Turton. He is leaving almost directly and it is very important to have a good man in his place as Frauds Commissioner. Will you tell Vogel I have seen Mr. Pym and will give him all the help I can. I went over with him the Runs offered for sale and told him my idea of their value and he is to see me before doing anything. That is all I think of. I see you are going north directly. Yours always J.D. Ormond.