Napier, February 8th, 1871. My dearMcLean, The Ashley is expected to be in by the morning and go North at once so I write my letter for her. Your Telegram about Mangateretere reached me all right and I did what was necessary about it viz. telegraphed to Hart to arrange with Izard time to plead in, which he did, and got case accordingly postponed for six weeks. A writ was issued also against your brother Alexander for the same suit and he has obtained one month to plead in - I arranged it that way so as to allow time for you to come here as you propose and fixed his case for one month hence so that if any trial of the case ensued he would be the party whose name would appear. That tells you all about that. It must stay till you come and should anything stop you from coming you will need to let me know what you want done. Hart telegraphs he will try and meet you at Napier I doubt if he can do much good in the matter. At any rate he could advise you by letter as to your liability, that is the only point on which he would be wanted. There is a fellow called Lord here who edits the new paper 'Daily Telegraph' he bothered me some time ago to send and recommend his application for the Lieut. Commission in the Militia - He says he is Lieut. in the Militia in England - Old Withers hates him. There is no harm that I see in giving the man what he wants and may assist in keeping his Paper quiet. It is a wretchedly edited affair but is taking our side and is fairly supported and will if continued do Wood much harm - Of course I stick to Wood who deserves it for he has behaved very well to us all through. It may however be as well for you to give Mr. Lord his Commission as Lieutenant - He is constantly asking about it. Enclosed is the first number of the Telegraph which contains what they reported as my speech. It is a terrible mess and arrant nonsense throughout - what I did say is not recognizable and lots put in I did not say - I also send you the printed paper that was prepared for circulation just before your Election came off - It is the only copy that saw the light and was placed on the Club Table where I got it from - Friends Wilson and Russell got it up between them. The Elections are not going at all well in the South for your Govt. and it will be a very difficult House to meet - If Vogel is back and goes on as last year there will be a kick up in a week - Luckily Travers and Richmond have been kept out at Wellington but there are plenty of troublesome men getting in. The South is certainly returning an adverse majority - The Northern elections have yet to be heard of - I hear from the South that Bells election for Mataura is very doubtful - also that Donald Reid is likely to run Macandrew very hard for the Superintendency and not unlikely to beat him. Friend Bunny too is very vigorous in denouncing your Native Policy - Flour - Sugar etc. I suppose he means mischief. Stafford is taking a very judicious course, he has been about a good deal lately in the Middle Island, but he keeps out of any public exhibition, altho he influences the elections - he could not play his Cards better - Our Hawkes Bay Provincial elections come on directly Writs being expected by next Steamer - I shall agree to be re-elected Superintendent with a view of holding office through the next Session of the Assembly as it may assist in Public Works arrangements - I have just received a Telegram from Hart enquiring if he shall retain the Attorney General for the Mangateretere case. I am replying no. I dont see any case to take to Court - The only question is to whom shall the rent be paid. I believe paying it into Court will be necessary - You had better think about raising it as it is a pretty large sum in these hard times - I have sent you the officials with such news as there is about Ropatas expedition - Clarke telegraphed me that Major Mair knew a good deal about the country where Kooti is hiding so I asked him to send Mair to Waimana to give Ropata such information as he cd. and Clarke did so - I am glad Clarke is back in the Bay of Plenty, he or some one in his position is wanted there very badly - The Road works I have in hand have gradually drawn into communication with me all the Natives down to Rotorua and as Bold is working under me is cant be helped - I explained this to Clarke and told him I did not desire to poach on his district but that events had forced it during his absence - He seems a nice sensible fellow. We communicate frequently. Yesterday I met Maihi te Ngaru and the Ngatiraukawa they spoke well and sensibly - Maihi is evidently a leading man - he said he and his Tribe had been with the King from the first, and against us in every fight - That now he saw it was hopeless continuing the struggle and gave in - our possession of Taupo is evidently fully appreciated by the Natives they see what it means. Marsh said for the future he and his people were in our hands and wished to work with and for us as the Taupo Natives are. Also that they wished to have Road works connecting them with us and on which they can be employed. I met them cordially and left the Road and other questions to be talked about before they return. At present they are visiting our Natives - I want to hear from you as soon as you can after you get this saying what line I am to take about the Road and Telegraph - Maihi says - He can take the works as far as waotu by the East side of the Waikato river and that no question wd. be raised as to the right of his Tribe to do so - You will know who comes between Waotu and Cambridge - What I want to know is shall I encourage the subject and arrange to have the works go on or wd. you rather wait. Whilst Marsh was with me I got a telegram from Perenera, and Ihaia te ia, saying Aukatis were being established by the King at different points on the West side of Waikato river and that Ngatihaua and Ngatiraukawa were employed to guard them. Marsh explained this was another section of Ngatiraukawa and he sent a telegram to his own people addressed to Waotu and Topapa directing them to "tahoto Keiraro". He said further that Waikato is gathering against expected attack from us and that the whole thing rested with Rewi Maniapoto. If he declined to back Waikato they would have to submit and give up the murderers. He is a very shrewd clever old fellow. Today I received a Telegram from Marino just returned from Tuhua where he saw Rewi - he says that Rewi stated he was in favor of giving up the murderers - But also that he went to Tuhua to prevent the Ngatitawharetou living there, from coming to Tokano and joining Hore Tauteka as they intend - I believe Rewi has failed in persuading them to keep at Tuhua and went back angry - It must be very galling to him and Tamati to see their staunchest allies leaving them - The present unsettled state of Waikato keeps all Taupo and the district beyond in a state of ferment - and gives me no end of work - but by keeping up my communication with those Natives I get very early and correct information of what is going on - the people living at Niho o te Kiore and working on the roads are in daily communication with Waotu and get the Te Kuiti news from there - I have been able several times lately to deny positively lying Telegrams sent via Tauranga - shameful lies are sent to the Southern papers daily - I keep Gisborne and Bell informed. You will notice what Porter says in Telegram enclosed in official about Ngatiporou being eager for a go in at Waikato - I think you will have to be firm in insisting on the Murderers being given up or it will tell very much against you - There is strong feeling about it and it is being used all over the Colony against the Govt. If you could only separate Rewi - it wd. do a power of good to humble Mr. Tamati and the King Waikatos - I must close it is late and I tired - I hope you may be able to come down here for a time but scarcely expect you can leave if Waikato keeps as at present. Always, Yours very truly, J.D. Ormond.