Hokianga June 28 1870 My Dear McLean, Dont be alarmed! You need not reply, you have enough of other matters to think of just now. Since I wrote to you last I have been within a step of that ''bourn from whence no traveller returns''. I was not well when you were here with the Governor but I disguised it as well as I could so as not to make things stupid, but after you left some time (the end of last month) I had to go to Ahipara to hold a court, and as I had to perform the journey through a perfect hurricane of wind and rain, It was not till the morning of the third day I got there, after swimming the harbour of Herekino at night, there being no canoes, and lying two nights on the beach exposed to torrents of rain, and all the ''pelting of the pitiless storm'' coming back home was the same thing over again, with the variety only that the storm was from the East instead of the West, so I had it on the same side of my head both going and coming, the consequence was that after I got home I was attacked with a dreadful pain in my head and all sorts of ''symptoms'', and was for about one day in that way in which it is very little matter what becomes of one, the worst having been passed. They say I sat up in my bed and gave a most astonishing, learned, lucid and every way conclusive judgement on the Thames beach claims, which have of late somewhat bothered my brother judges. I am now deaf of one ear (a thing of no consequence to a judge as it saves a deal of trouble when you hear only of a case) and my head feels like a block of wood, so you will excuse stupidity, but cannot help writing nevertheless, as I think you will like to hear how things are going on here, and I have for once nothing to do, as I have postponed the court at the Bay for a few weeks, to give me time to get up strength for the journey. The postponement is of no detriment to any interest, a few weeks will make no difference and at the Hokianga side although there is a great deal to do, the Surveys are not complete yet so that in fact a postponement was necessary here. My chief object in writing is to say that I think it would be well if you would speak to some friend of yours to address the Electors of the Bay of Islands district, and offer to represent them in parliament, or if you would name a man, we could send him a request to stand for the district. The fact is that some how or another the people have such an invincible dislike for McLeod that scarcely anyone will vote for him, and so it is possible that Carleton might be elected merely for want of opposition, a thing which the great majority here would be very sorry for, but they cannot make up their minds to vote for McLeod - there has been a good deal of talk here of applying to to represent us, but I do not think that would suit you, as I suppose you would not like to desert your old constituency, now would it be prudent perhaps for you to do so. Any man of any mark at all will beat Carleton, if you can fix on any one write to John Webster and myself, Webster will take the thing in hand in Hokianga, and I think the Bay people will be very glad to get a representative who will support the present Ministry. You will be written to by the natives to ask you to represent the district, and altho it may not suit you to do so, the request will be an arrow in you parliamentary quiver, as it is the best possible proof of which the natives have in your measures, and confidence by the natives in the Government, is in fact that we require, the one needfull thing, which when gained all is gained, I think I may venture to say that in so far as the North is concerned you have gained it as much as it is possible. At the present time, how I do wish sometimes that I was with you in Parliament, I can spout better than you would think, on any subject that I fancy I understand, and can put the best side of my case outwards as well as most, but there is a great deal to do here in the Land Court yet, no end to claims coming in, and I absolutely am worked so hard I have no time for anything else, well I shall get through some of these days perhaps, before I am worn out, and then take a turn at some thing else. The state of native affairs will enable you (putting the right side out) to meet her Majesties opposition triumphantly - Stick to , fighting by contract - and make what you can of , that same idea cautiously worked up may be made to do wonders in my opinion, and I do believe may in the future give birth to a race of professional manhunters (don't mention it in Gath, let them find it out) who would do most of our rough work for us without asking - don't be in too great a hurry putting up whareherehere's except in districts where you are at war, if you erect any new ones down this way make every principal chief in the neighbourhood assist in some way in the erection. I shall be very deeply interested in the proceedings of this session I wish also to see what course the opposition will take I however think you are quite safe. When at Ahipara last there was a very large meeting of natives and from the dreadfull unmitigated scenes of drunkeness I witnessed there, I fear that the Rarawa at that place and north to Mangonui, are lost, they are all the same Chiefs, and all, I think they have some means of getting spirits in large quantities at Mangonui for the people at Ahipara do not supply them with any large quantity, I believe the poor man who keeps the Hotel there never keeps more than a small stock on hand, and several of the chiefs there, if he refuses to give them spirits, think nothing of knocking him down and taking it, this is a literal fact which I tell you, there is but one single respectable chief there, Te Waaka Rangaunu, I think he is an assessor to the R.M. Court, and his influence is considerable, and increasing in consequence of his prudent conduct, I think nothing will save that people from ruin, everything seems to go for spirits, the Ngapuhi were bad enough, but I do believe they are now past the point of danger and it is only individuals amongst them, and those not many who drink too much, what on earth to do in the case of the Rarawa to the north I cannot divine, as nothing but some strong measure of entire prohibition of importation would have any effect, and I suppose this would give rise to an outcry, as infringing the liberty which british subjects claim of destroying themselves, and others without controll, but that is not the only evil, this immoderate drinking will bring forth crime, and then comes the difficulty of punishing it. I shall in future place absolute restrictions on sufficiency of the Rarawa lands, so that they may have a sufficiency of land which they can neither sell or lease, otherwise they will certainly be ruined. When you came here with the Governor I was thinking of turning ''Water Baby'' but put it off from hospitable considerations, but as I find there is another field in which I must do battle with this same Alcoholic Fiend I have made up my mind that I have no chance of success unless I am a ''Water Baby'', which great fact you can announce to Mr Fox (to whom my very sincere good wishes) but I declare I scarcely can hope to see any amendment in those natives to the north. If spirits could be kept from them only for a time they would perhaps loose the taste for it, heaven knows! White of Mangonui plagued me a good deal at the Ahipara Court, after he had done his duty as Govt. Agent, he commenced giving me his advice, and directions and rather strong suggestions, as to how I should decide and investigate the claims I had to deal with, and so out of mere malice I decided five or six claims in about as many words each, to his great surprise and bewilderment (I knew what I was about however and I will warrant I made no mistake) I don't think he will annoy me in this way again, especially as I told him I preferred to go wrong on my own motion than to go right by another person's advice. Carleton has been rather obstreperous lately with me, because he can't get me to help him in his electioneering, he attacked me when I was last at Waitangi in a very unceremonious manner about a mares nest that he and his think headed brother-in-law thought they had discovered in my Land Court doings, it took me about ten words to send him off rather maimed, and laughed at by several persons before whom he had purposely addressed me in hopes to make it appear I was in the wrong, he does not much like being laughed at and wont forget it soon. All the lands, from some two or three miles south of Hokianga heads, to Herekino harbour in the North, are now being surveyed in different blocks, for lease as flax fields, they are all agreed for, and there is flax enough and water power to keep twenty mills going, when once these claims are passed it will set a great deal of money stirring here, and the rents, and employment, will be of the greatest service to the Natives, and all such things are an additional chance that peace and quietness will continue. The lands are good for nothing else so it may be said that the whole profits made by the Natives are clear gain. It was however reported to me this morning that a native has got a rather severe broken head in a squabble about one of the boundaries which are being surveyed, and I have sent them word to take things as easy as circumstances will permit, and to reflect that a small strip of land more or less is of but a trifling consequence to securing a Crown grant for the chief quantity of the land, broken heads and land disputes, however, are serious things amongst natives, however small the land or thick the head may be, if however the affair should take a serious turn I shall hope to be able to get the neighbouring chiefs of the same tribe and their connection to put it down. A good example is given of the way in which greediness of gain obscures the reasoning faculties, by the manner in which parties have been continually plaguing the Government, Provincial and General, about ''opening up Ohinemuri'' - and trying by all means to push on the Government to do so. Cannot the idiots understand that the to the Natives? and that beyond making them an offer for it, the Government, nor any one else, have any right to make one step, and that if the offer is declined, there is an end of the matter, at least until the of see fit to change their minds. I should tell next ''deputation'' this, in plain terms, if the Natives had been let alone Ohinemuri would have been open before this. It would appear that old ''Quid rides'' was right after all, and that we are not to look for any military assistance from England, perhaps it is better so, as we now clearly understand what is before us, i.e. some of us do - perhaps - but to my apprehension the matter looks worse for England than for us-the gulph between wealth and poverty, has in England of late years been growing too wide, the poor are poor, and the social machine depends on too fine balances, a small cause puts it out of order and causes much misery, there is small sympathy between the labouring millions, and the ruling thousands, and want, and over labour, will make the uneducated labouring classes think in their misery that Capital is the natural enemy of labour, instead of its best friend, in a word the poverty of the masses is becoming too great, and the labour too great, and these things will before many years give cause to disturbances and convulsions which will either re-model the British Constitution, or put the labouring, discontended, and naturally impatient, poverty stricken, masses - where they ought to be - there are too many man. It strikes me that perhaps some of the rulers of Britain, of the class who have reason to fear change, have a glimmering that the lower orders may soon become dangerous, and that they want therefore to have a comfortable dose of bayonets at home in case of need - well never mind, what is it to us? we are virtually cast off, and left to our own devices, and so let it be, we are to all intents and purposes so far as England's concerned, an independent state, living by our own resources of mind and matter - and the Native difficulty is not over - and we can't count always on Arawas etc etc, we have a little standing army of our own, as a last resource for emergencies, no Government can exist without this, and here the need is double. I think if the Kooti is not soon taken we shall hear of his having died, he must be a terribly tough native to have stuck out so long, but he rather an exceptional rascal. Your visit to the north I have a belief did a good deal of good, as I have had time now to hear remarks, and observe what the natives think of it, the Governor made a very good impression, the natives praise him highly and say he looks something like a Governor. I hope to be able to get at work again, I mean out of doors, in a couple of weeks or so, which will be a good thing for , as I shall have no time then to write execrable scrawls like this to you, and which I feel concious are enough to drive any poor Defence minister mad, to make some little amends however, I will be good for ever so long, and do anything you want (except go into Parliament, which I wont do till I am done with the land Court) and so now as you have to go and and face Mr. Stafford I will let you off for this time. I saw von Sturmer the other day when he called on me, I was not able to write then and as he said he was thinking of writing, I told him to say a word to you from me on Electioneering matters. That same Von is a good officer, and an honest fellow, you want good clear headed honest R.M.'s in the country districts, who will and I think this Von Sturmer is of the right sort. I am, ill, or well, Yours ever F.E. Maning. Excuse my thick headed condition, and my blunders.