their shoulders at us for nobodies. About Arms I send you a rather short memorandum. But I shall go into the matter more fully next mail when I have seen Colonel Dickson again. He is one of the best friends we have had, and nothing could exceed his anxiety to do us service about arms or anything. You will see by the Memo that some of the things proposed by the Committee of last Session wont do. The man who has shown the most interest is Carnarvon. He really spared no pains --- and would do anything in the world he could to help us. There will be another Colonial Debate on the 5th on a motion of Robert Torrehs. The form of it has not yet been quite settled, and Gladstone promised last night to put nothing in the way of a night for it. I do not think it will come to anything. Sir George Grey is making a good deal out of Sir Alexr Galt's speech in Canada in favour of Canadian Independence; and Philip Wodehouse the Governor of the Cape in his opening speech the other day spoke of the severance of New Zealand from the Empire as being affected under very painful circumstances. Plenty of capital will be made out of this in Torren's debate, but you will see that both Granville and Gladstone will come out with the most positive declarations that nothing could be farther from them than to want the Colonies to go, and then the Times will come out with a flaming leader and there will be an End. They can do as they like, and they know it. I have to make up our official letters for the mail and so must close this scrawl. I cannot say I look forward with much hope to sending you any better news next month. We have done nothing and I am so ashamed of our failure that if it were only possible I would be on board this very mail steamer on my way back. It remains to be seen whether there is anything yet possible to be done by going again to the Government, for without them or in spite we shall go home with empty hands indeed. Yours very truly, F. D. Bell Hon. William Fox