Auckland 6 Jany 1863 My Dear McLean, Your letter by some mistake or another only reached me late yesterday, and as I find by it you may be running into a great scrape, I hasten to send you a few lines in answer. Why my dear fellow, you have apparently forgotten the whole Disqualification Act, preamble, Short title, & Clauses. How could you stand for the Super'cy till you had made up your mind about your present appointment? I particularly advised you to let me know what you intended finally - and now if you have really been elected on Friday & taken your seat, you are liable to a penalty of £20 a day for sitting and voting! There must be some mistake - you are too good a man of business to drop into such a bucket. What I especially wanted to know your decision in good time for was, that (as I promised you) I might speak to the other Ministers about the proposal you made me, (when I pointed out that even if you got the pension you claimed, the provisions of the Superannuation Act would prevent your having also the Salary of Superintendent), that you should receive a lump sum instead, as was provided in the case of Sinclair Shepherd & Swainson if they liked. I was very glad when I heard of your notice to stand for the Superintendency, because I could have managed with you about land affairs as Featherston does them (or doesn't) at Wellington. But it never entered into my head that you thought it possible to set aside the Disqualification Act & hold the two paid offices of Supt. & L.P.C. I will write to you again by an early mail on other points but could not let the Queen go without a few lines on this matter, otherwise you would justly be angry afterwards if you came to grief at the hands of some "common informer". Yours ever very truly F. D. BELL D. McLean Es.