Hokianga. June 8th. 1873. My Dear McLean, I have just received your letter of the 24th. ultimo; also the copy of new Land Act; and I have also received from the Native Department a copy of Memoranda by Sir William Martin, on the Legislation etc. etc. on Native Lands; also some questions about the North and about Waikato. I have only been home a couple of days, and have at least four weeks' writing from morning till night, to pull up my arrears of mere clerk work; and then saddle up and be off to hold a most pressing and important Court at the Bay of Islands. I do it, or my office work will get into such confusion that I shall be bewildered and never get things right again. I am therefore only writing now to say that as soon as I can get two quiet days, I will go over the Bill, and also Martin's Memoranda, and give you the result of the most serious consideration I can give them. But they matters which cannot be commented upon to any useful purpose without some leisure time to reflect. All I can say at present, and from a mere cursory glance at the papers, is that it appears to me certain that by the new Act the work would not only be greatly retarded, but most probably brought to an end entirely; and at the best, the expence of carrying on the Courts would be made altogether too expensive. For these opinions I feel perfectly sure I can give the most convincing reasons:- As for Sir W. Martin's remarks or memoranda, - I scarcely can find words to convey what I feel on reading them. Throughout the whole paper, he is combating dangers and difficulties which do not exist. He tells coolly, as facts, things which are not; and then shews us how to get rid of these phantoms of his own creation. He fills up the rest with a list of meloncholy platitudes, humiliating to any one to whom they are addressed, as he must be pre-supposed to be a fool to have them addressed to him, calculated only to create indignation; were it not that one must needs feel pity to see a man, once possessed of a judicial mind and position, now evidently in his second childhood, meddling in things that every word he writes shews he knows nothing about; but nevertheless not unlikely to bring on us the great danger of being believed by others who know as little of the matter as himself, and who may take his statements for facts, and his foolish truisms for wise laws, - (I mean the majority of our Members of Parliament), and thereby cause the utter ruin of the most promising measure we have ever yet tried in legislation for the natives. I pledge myself to prove, strong as my expressions are, that all I have said, and much more, is true, when I have time to write a critique on these memoranda; but if I loose any time now, or for the next five weeks, I myself will break down and never pull up the arrears of mere office work I have fallen into through being at the Hawke's Bay Commission; and in the meantime there are more than a hundred claims waiting for me to hear, over fifty of which already advertised for hearing a month hence; and many of a greater importance to the public interest, and to the natives, than any ever yet heard in the North. I say this to excuse myself for not sitting down to comment on Martin's mischievous nonsense. You must remember that I am the only judge who has no assistant of any kind, no clerk, no interpreter; not that I want them, but I cannot loose any time. I have no reluctance whatever to write and comment on these matters; but at present must devote all my time to get level with my own work, or I shall loose the van, and acknowledge myself beaten. I wish some Judge of the Supreme Court, but especially Judge Richmond, had to do what I have during the next six months. He also thinks we do not know our trade, and that he could do it better. He is of this. I wish he would only try my next Court by way of a sample. I "thought out something new" about the Waikato affair; and I never in my life have been more clairvoyant on any subject. I have been thinking that, in case the Waikato affair comes at last to large dimensions, which I hope may yet be avoided by good fortune and prudent management, that it will be advisable, or indeed necessary to fall on some plan to inflict a severe punishment on the Waikato people, and to take away all their remaining unconfiscated lands. I feel sure I have worked this problem out. My plan is not a boy's plan, full of fire and fury and all that sort of thing, but a deliberate, steady, resolute movement, simple and uncomplicated, and such, as I thoroughly believe, would be successful. It is not, however, worth while to discuss it until we see our-selves fairly in for a big war; and involves also the condition that you should first commit the East Coast tribes, who have hitherto been on our side, (exclusive of the Hawke's Bay lot, who, I am afraid will be in the sulks, or worn), so far against the Waikato people, that they My plan is just a plan of a campaign, of a very simple nature; but one which we have not tried yet, and would not be at all exceptionally expensive, and I fully believe, under the conditions I have stated, would be successful. The Ngapuhi and Rarawa are all just now only too willing to turn out; and it is rather remarkable that all the old settlers who remember Heke's time, and can yet stand on their legs, who I have seen, say they are ready to shoulder arms and march into Waikato, if I will go also.. It's "just simply ridiculous", as the Highlander said of the great Moray flood; but it's interesting to see old bread paper warriors so ready for another shindy. There is something in the air of the North favourable to loyalty, patriotism, and everything good. Even Webster says he is ready to leave home, and "take up the dog-skin wallet"; and he is in earnest, moreover. As for myself, I am, since I got home, continually whistling "Go where glory waits thee", - not but I would prefer warm weather before starting on this quest. Webster has been very successful in winding up his affairs, but can't come out until after the dissolution of Parliament, and the new General Elections. The contest for the Bay will be between John Williams, and MacFarlain of Auckland. The natives, will, in all probability, turn the scales. They have been asking my advice all across from the Bay, as to who would be the best to vote for. But I have said nothing. Both MacFarlain and Williams are men of no great account; and in voting for either, people only look on them as merely to stop a gap until the General Election comes, or when a better man, in all probability Webster, will be elected. For my part, I think little of both; though MacFarlain is the better man of the world. But which would be best on Native Affairs I can't say; as on that subject, they both, I think, have their crotchets. I don't know at all which would prefer. The natives at Whangahe have been quarrelling lately about a large survey at Whangahe, which is going to be rented by an American Company to open a large timber trade. I have no time to look them up just now; but if they don't do a mischief to each other before I get my writing done, I will put them to rights. I shall send them a message in the meantime. I must now turn to my scrivening steadily for a month, and think about nothing else. If there should be anything worth while, I will just snatch a moment to let you know; and you may rely on me to give you any information about natives that you may want. The natives appear everywhere delighted at the roads being made; and are working away manfully. I can't do anything about the road to the heads, which you were so good as to grant the maney for, just now, as I have no time at all to spare. I saw old Moses on my way home. He and a lot of the other fellows are going to call on me in a day or two, to bother me about politics; and I wish I could make myself invisible. Ever yours truly, (Signed) F.E. Manings.