August 19, /69. My Dear McLean, I would appear that the Maori express goes faster than the steamers or else that you have necd. the communication I hinted at without recognising its full import, a thing not at all likely. The fact is that the Ngapuhi have been quiet so long (they have not shot above twelve or fifteen men the last two or three years) that they seem to be unable to stand it any longer and want to be doing something for the sake of excitement and so being monstrous loyal they have held a great runanga and decided to request the Government to give them Plenipotentiary powers to treat with the Waikatos for the following conditions. 1. King movement to be abolished. 2. Queens Authority to be acknowledged. 3. Permanent peace with the Pakeha on pain of attack from Ngapuhi if broken after establishment, etc. Before morning they ask that the of Waikato be placed in their bands, or in fact that they be impowered to deal with the confiscated land question and cede what portion may be necessary. Now we shall have to say yea, or no, to this proposal and the reason I believe, as I told you, that this proposition is of such great, or may be of such great importance is that the of merely saying the word, yes, or no, I mean of giving assent, or denying, the Ngapuhi request may have the effect of either leaving things as they are or turning the sympathy of the Ngapuhi in favour of the King. I need not say any more we shall talk the thing over. The Ngapuhi have also another little matter on the anvil which you are not likely to hear much of yet but which I look upon as likely if they go on with it to be of great consequence either for good or evil but which I believe can be turned to good. I am so continually taken up at the Court that I have no time for anything else but hope some day before I leave to have a big talk. Every time I have left home lately for any length of time the Ngapuhi fellows get into a ferment of some kind or another. I expected they would be agitating in some way or another and wrote them a letter some weeks ago to tell them to keep as quiet as honest Ngapuhi , and that I would watch the signs of the times so that they need not meddle but it appears my letter was not written soon enough by a week or I dare say they would have waited till III returned. I should be glad to know if you have received the letter I have mentioned. Please let me know if you chose. Yours F.E. Maning.