28 July 73 My dear Mr. McLean, I was out all day and only found the proclamationwith respect to the Patea River land after 5 o'clock. I hope you will not think me apt to raise difficulties; but is it not rather a straining of the law to prohibit the sale by natives of land to private person -- they are getting better prices than the Government wish to give under cover of an act giving the Government right of preemption "for the purpose of mining, of special settlements, or of railway construction? Yours sincerely James Fergusson