Wallingford May 27th. 1868. My dear McLean, I have yours by the mail and hear from it that Carter could not get the figures I wanted ready. I cannot in consequence get on any further with arranging the accounts. Enclosed herewith you will get the estimates (revised) for all the expenditure not included in Public Works Roads. In other words I have been over all the Departmental, Police, Gaol, Hospital, Gen Govt. charges etc etc., and can see no way of reducing the expenditure and keeping the services going. The only way to reduce is to shut up such of the Departments as money cannot be found for. I have re-arranged the Estimates, and put them in a shape that will show more perfectly than at present the amounts that are spent on the different objects. For instance I have arranged all the Administrative Staff under one head - put the annual general charges which are very large into a more prominent position etc. etc. If you like the proposed arrangement, then the estimates might be prepared in that shape as far as they go - they are complete to Public Works and Roads and Bridges which must stand over until we see what means we have. If so much is got ready however it will put us so much forward. Now I will reply to what wants reply in yours of yesterday - the Education Act based on Nelson is I see being drafted you might give notice the first sitting of bringing in that Bill. I see Wilson is going to cadge the Southland Standing Orders re Compulsory Land taking and I have no doubt that is a more judicious as wellas less troublesome course than preparing them himself would be. Have Mr. Fannin look up the journals of the Council and make notes of what we undertook to see to, or get ready. By reference to the former Proceedings you will find a lot of matter of course motions that are always made and that will take up time for a day or two. Select committees on various subjects and so on - one committee is for the account etc. I shall be down on Friday by the coach and that is the soonest I can manage it - I shall be in heaps of time for the work - they will have a wrangle over your Address to them no matter whether you say little or much in it. I see the Assembly is called for the 23rd. of June I don't think it will meet then though more probably about the 1st. or 2nd. week in July. The Gen. Govt. have at last refused positively to pay the £2,700 for Auckland I see - so that that money is gone, for of course Auckland cannot at present at any rate pay. I am glad to hear Scully caught that scoundrel who got away from the constable here. By the bye in enclosing the proceedings of the case to Grindell I addressed the envelope by mistake to you so please send it on to the R.M. Court. I have no news the country is looking well after the rain and warm weather we have had. As we shall meet so soon I need not say more now, Always, Yours very truly J. D. Ormond.