Auckland Sept. 3rd. 1860 My dear Sir, I have this morning received your note covering the semi-official letters bearing my address and opened by you. I wish you had read them. One contained a very interesting account (by my father) of a Meeting recently held by the Kaiapoi natives to consider the propriety of assisting the Europeans to raise a Taranaki Relief Fund. Much good feeling was elicited, and subscription lists at once det on foot. Upwards of £20 has already been raised by them! The other contained a letter addressed by the Ropati natives to His Excellency, and embodying a report of a numerously attended Maori meeting at that settlement. My father forwarded it to me as the natives had expressed a wish that it should be inserted in the ''Messenger''. His account of the Kaiapoi meeting was drawn up with the same view. A reliable correspondent writes to me from Wellington:- ''Last week I saw Tako. He is determined about the King Movement. I tried what I could do with him in the way of argument but to no purpose. He says that as soon as the Governor attacks the Maori King, the . He says they will die to a man before they give in.'' It is very evident, therefore, that Tako is now feeling identified with the King Movement. I am glad to learn that my father had induced the Cant. authorities to call 16 of the principal chiefs of the Provinces to a friendly conference to be held in the Christ-church Town Hall on Thursday the 13th. instant. The Chiefs are to dine with the Dept. Superintendent after the Conference. Mr. Buddle's pamphlet is received very favorably in the ''Lyttelton Times'' and in the ''Nelson Advertizer''. I sent my account of the conference (for the Indt.) by the White Swan last week, after making some necessary alterations in it. It will give a fair and impartial account of the affair. I completed my abstract of the Conference Proceedings and sent it in to the House several days ago. I condensed as much as possible, but gave the Governor's messages and your speeches in full. I have offered to correct the press in the event of its being published. We are pushing on with the Translations Several days' proceedings are still awaiting revision. I will send 50 copies of the July ''Messenger'' by first opportunity as you direct. I have pushed a number for June (of 16 pages) through the Press, and the printers are supplied with ample material for the next, but Mr. Stafford keeps them fully occupied for the House and my paper suffers. The new no. contains the article on the ''Maori King''. I submitted it to Mr. Richmond and the Govr. before publishing. The tone is very moderate, and you cannot I think have any objection to it. My next leader will be on ''The partition or individualization of Native lands''. The June ''Messenger'' being at the time of its issue, a back number, I ordered only 500 copies. I will send you a few of them. Mr. Kerr (of the Church Mission) who has just returned from Waikato informs me that Wiremu Tamihana, the acknowledged of the King Movement has now declared himself decidedly opposed to it. This is ascribed to disappointment (on account of his not being appointed Successor) but his avowed reason is that the establishment of a Maori Kingdom has been fairly tried and has resulted in a miserable failure! Mr. Kerr had a long interview with Tamihana before leaving Waikato and received these sentiments from his own lips. Does not this circumstance prognosticate the decline of the movement? There is much discussion in the House on the subject of the ''Native Offenders' Bill''. There is fierce opposition both inside the House and out of it, and it becomes very doubtful whether the Bill will pass into Law. The Railway Bill has passed. Rumour - never idlewhispers that Taranaki is to be evacuated. My latest information from Wellington is dated 20th. August last. At that date everything was very quiet. The Native excitement has, I think, quite subsided. Apologizing for the length of my communication. I remain, Yours truly, Walter Buller.