Hokianga October 20, 69. My Dear Sir, In coming over here from the Bay of Islands I met most of the Chiefs concerned in the proposal made to you to allow them to interfere with the purpose of making peace with the Waikato people. I am glad to inform you that the view taken by the Ngapuhi of that matter is a very sensible one and everything you could have wished. The request for the ''key'' of Wakato to be given to them (by which they meant as I told you the confiscated lands) was not put in their letter without considerable debate and it was not asked for with any intention of giving up one acre of land without the Governors consent, but it was thought that, firstly -- the asking for it would elicit the intentions of the Government respecting the land and, secondly -- that having a nominal authority over it would give them a respectable status in entering into negotiation they described their wish for the ''key'' as being merely to liken them to a Chief who when going to a meeting borrows a mere ponamu from a friend to give him a respectable appearance and returns it after the meeting is over. Most of the speakers at the Waimate meeting declared that it would be the greatest impolicy to give up an acre of the confiscated land. I had a long conversation with with the most influential chiefs and the result is that they do not wish to take any precipitate action in the matter at all but will wait the time of the Government and will then if called upon take any steps which may be thought usefull in the matter. I was surprised to find how very little was known in the district about the true object and meaning of the Waimate meeting even by persons who might be supposed to have understood it. I am inclined to believe that the only idea about giving up the Waikato land came from Europeans and not from the natives. I saw Marsh Brown at the Kawa Kawa he had nothing to do with the meeting. He is a thick sculled savage stupid and cunning at the same time and his people follow their leader and are the worst set in the district and are at least a quarter of a century behind the rest of the Ngapuhi. Marsh and his faction are loosing consequence I perceive every day and will soon be of little consequence no matter what course they take ''Young New Zealand'' being in the ascendant unmistakably. I would advise you on your way over here to call on Wiremu Katene and Hare Wirikake at the Ahuahu near Waimate they are very Intelligent chiefs of the new school. I am half mad with haste I have so much to do and have no time to say many things I could wish to tell to tell you and so will wait till I see you here. I perceive the natives are getting fully aware in some parts of the district of the value of the franchise derived from their holding grants for their lands from the Crown. This is not circumstance. I hope to seeyou here some of these days Meantime remain, Yours very sincerely, F.E. Maning. Honble. Donald McLean, Defence Minister.