Hokianga Sept. 14.74. My Dear McLean, Since writing to you on the 12th. Mr. Briseman has called at my place he had with him a copy of the amendment to the N.L. Act by which I perceive that the custody of papers and Court Rolls is taken from the District officer an amendment very desirable and which will leave the district officer free to devote his whole time to the other duties he has to perform and which will fully occupy him for a considerable time. Remembering what you have said about naming a person to take the office I can see only two here who could by any possibility do so Campbell, and William Webster. Campbell would have to give up his professional business entirely and would be a great loss as a Surveyor as he is really worth more than all the others put together and he has not got sufficient knowledge of the natives or the peculiar aptitude or turn of mind requisite for the office as far as I can judge. Webster has all the necessary qualification he has a full knowledge of the natives and how to transact such affairs with them as he would have to do, he is a good maori linguist, a man of very considerable attainments and general information clear headed and honest. The only one single drawback against his making a first rate native officer is that he is rather too easy going though very painstaking and not afraid of work, I honestly think he he is the best man I know of and I think I might put him in the way of getting on when he came to any stumbling block which might to him seem an impediment. If Mr. Webster should be appointed to the office it would be necessary he should receive a moderate salary such as would make him able to devote his whole time to his duties as would be quite necessary, this part of the subject I shall say no more on as you are the best judge as to whether the work is worth the expence - as for the principal part of the duties I think I could give him a plan which would enable him to carry them out as well as they can be without much difficulty, but as it would take the whole time of the officer whoever he may be no man can be expected to take the office except he receive a reasonable salary. I shall mention the matter to Webster soon and shew him how I think he can get on and see what he says to it. The Natives are everwhere anxious to sell land one of their epidemical rages is upon them, and so now is the time to buy, as long as the land is in their hands it will never be any use to themselves or anyone else, if purchased it must be settled or they will want it back again in ten years. The natives generally in selling to the Government would be very glad to dispence with the interference of the Land Court as they are actually in a fever of anxiety to get a hold of the money at once, and which they will have spent every farthing of before three months. The Land selling humour is on them and it will last long enough to enable the Government to get all the land worth buying except small patches here and there which are better left to be picked up by working settlers who will buy them by degrees. Haing permission to dispose of the old claims, that is the claims sent in before the act of 73 came in force under the provisions of the repealed Acts we can get on the natives are allowed to survey their own claims as was practised under the repealed Acts that is by employing their own surveyors this they have ceased to do of course as it was prevented by the new Law except by a requisition by me to the inspector of surveys which requisition the claimants have declined to authorise me to make in case they are allowed to survey their claims (the old ones merely of course) the Land Court ought to be authorised to issue a notice to that effect or otherwise it may be a considerable time before the natives are fully aware that they can do so as they have got their minds into a state of mudole between the new Law and the old and the land purchasing which seems to have to do with neither things will I suppose shake themselves right by and by. Your Immigration, Public Works, Land Purchasing, Railways, and Telegraph wires, and such like doings are beginning to frighten me, the thought sometimes comes over me that you may actually at last conquer the country without taking a single scalp, well well, fate rules - but, I live in hopes. I most sincerely wish you success, Yours, F.E. Maning. Copies of telegrams in re Survey difficulty.