Waikanae 23rd. July 1850. My dear McLean, I have duly received yours of 14th. July, with its enclosure and £1-5/- in cash, being half of the fine levied against O'Connell in the ease of "Tanata v. O'Connell" for assault. With regard to the official letter, I intended that you should have addressed it to Domett in the shape of a report. It is very good as far as it goes, but as it contains a case in which, you have adjudicated, and acted summarily, I have hesitated to make use of it, as it appears to me that you have exceeded your authority, this being only a Magistrate or the Bench; and according to the Ordnance, no native can be entertained without the permission of a Resident Magistrate. However, under the circumstances of the case, I think you were justified in stretching a point. But still I do not think it worth while to give the authorities an opportunity of finding fault. I shall account for the fine in my monthly return. Please give me the date. I suppose there were no accounts, or you would have submitted them also. For the above reasons perhaps you will be good enough to repeat the dose to Domett, and state the necessity of a periodical visit from a R.M. at this ................ out settlement; in fact, a similar letter to the one you wrote me, only evading the circumstance of the fine. I suppose you have heard that Strode has been made a R.M. by Sir George Grey at Otago, and that His Excellency intends to open the next Council himself in October. I hear you and Rees have been transacting business in a Court of Justice, (on dit,) in opposition to May & Wyatt.......................... (The remainder of this letter is missing.)