Wallingford, Nov. 8th. My dear McLean, I do not expect you are back yet from Poverty Bay and I have nothing much to write and it is very late for I have had a fearful heap of letters to answer tonight. I enclose you a hurried scrawl from Col. Russell with not much in it (he says "You will see that our proposals are nearly acquiesced in" or to that effect). From what I can gather from your letter the instructions Stafford has sent are very far indeed from the line you and I recommended shd. be pursued on the East Coast with the beaten rebels there. What will the friendlies say to letting these rascals go scot free with only senseless empty threats for the future as their punishment - You are right! there is no intention to colonize, no intention to do anything I fear, except to stick to office and to purchase Middle Island votes by an economical native and war expenditure. We shall see. What a difference if we had had now Fitzgerald and Weld to deal with in place of these people. However there is no help for it and we must do the best we can until next session comes round again. It has never been my luck yet to be in opposition and to have my fling - I should enjoy it immensely - It wd. be a very different thing to having to speak always with a stopper on one's tongue lest anything should be said that would alienate the support of a Govt. which though one supported one did not agree with in many essential points. That has been my luck in the House of Representatives so far - I think I see a prospect of a different position next session - But we shall see, many things may happen between now and then. I expect to hear from you that war has broken out at Poverty Bay and I hope so too - we ought to give them a lesson whilst we have the force at hand to do it. About your questions it is now near 2 o'clock in the morning and I am too tired to write much. I will just by way of reminder name one or two things that ought to be dealt with if possible - First. Have Karaitiana and Tareha applied to take our Govt. leases of the Plains through the Court and if so when is the hearing the cases fixed for. If no time is fixed pray write and urge that some definite day be fixed at once for hearing and deciding the different cases in which applications have been made to the Court. Any dilatoriness in taking up cases at the commencement will have a very bad effect. Write a line to Fenton to this effect - will you? About Manawatu Road has Mr. Karaitiana seen fit to withdraw his opposition yet. I expect not. My natives tell me that old Herewanu was doing the humbug at Napier and that he went down to oppose the sales proposed by the other natives - and also the road. You can easily find out by pressing Karaitiana for the withdrawal of his opposition. It is a very very important thing for us to get proceeded pray try and advance it. My natives say it can be managed. Have you written Whittaker to undertake the Wellington Debt case - action ought to be taken in that matter at once. I shall stop for I fear you will hardly be able to decipher my scrawl. I shall expect an interesting account of your Poverty Bay visit by next mail. Always, Sincerely yours, J.D. Ormond.