New Plymouth 11th, September 1856. Thursday night. My dear McLean I wrote to you by an Overland Mail, on the Transfer of land to the Province, and the proposed junction of the Department with the Resident Magistrate's; which, by the way, is on the Civil list, and not a Provincial matter. The question was referred to a Committee, who made their Report to the Council to-day. The result was a decision of 5 to 3; which is not more favourable than I had anticipated; and I do trust, in justice to Mr. Flight, that will decide the Governor on still retaining the Office on the Civil List, and Mr. Flight in it; bearing in mind that this is a Province of and that the business they bring into the Courts for his and the decision of the Native Assessors, invariably gives satisfaction and confidence. The division on the question was so respectable as to lead to an observation from Mr. Watt, (who took the other side), that he and the four who voted with him, were not so wedded