Xmas day, 1865, And many of them to you. My dear McLean, I was much obliged by your letter of the 25 inst. I am very anxious to know what you are doing about the Meeting. You do not mention it. I suppose Stafford includes such a meeting in the do-something policy which he approves. I look on the Peace proclamation as thrown away. I did hope for someresult from that if I could have gone with it in one hand to such a meeting. Now the opportunity is lost. Still I suppose the Meeting will come off some time or other. I shall certainly attend it when it does. We hear Stafford is going to call the Assembly in March. If he is not driven out of the Govt. the first week of the session I shall retire from politics. If the people generally have no sense of Constitutional rights and will stand such conduct as his they are really not worth fighting for and I shall spend the few remaining years I live in making money. I hear there is to be a regular campaign in the old fashion in the Wanganui Country and a repetition of the Cameroniad. I am quite satisfied that Grey will never send the troops away as long as he can keep a man But I think they are getting so sick of him that a few months will see him recalled. Calling Grey home will be like taking the bing out of a band the troops will soon run out. Yours ever, J. E. P. G.