Auckland Janr. 3/72 My dear McLean The Albion returns South today and I must get a few lines ready for you although I fear I shall not get time to write much. I arrived here at daylight on New Years Day after a splendid passage in that fine steamer the Albion. She steamed from ten to eleven knots the whole way and was so steady you scarcely could realized you were on board ship. The difference between the comfort of travelling in such salary and that it saves £300 a year. Williamson has just been here he is to be provided for in some way by getting employment for the Contractor for the Kaipara Railway - if this can be arranged it will obviate the necessity for resigning his seat. Farnall wants to go home as Sub Agent for Immigration same as Richmond. I don't like it but Vogel had promised before I arrived so I suppose he must go. I fully expect Featherstone will kick at the employment of all these people. Farnall was a very doubtful supporter last session and unless provided for sure to be an opponent next. I am enquiring who could be got in his place when he resigns. This will follow you I suppose to Otago when you write say what your plans are and believe me Yours very truly, J.D. Ormond. a vessel and the wretched little vessels I was lately in has to be felt to be enjoyed. Of course I found Vogel here and we have been talking things over together since. He leaves most likely by the Nebraska due today. Webb has been ill but is better again and will go on also by the Nebraska to Sydney. He seems an intelligent man and is anxious to get on with his work. Vogel's brief stay has not enabled him to do very much but we have agreed as to the different matters and I can carry them out. There is a good deal to do but I think I see my way to get most of it done and get South within a month. As I cannot get time to write to both Gisborne and yourself I will send this under cover to him to be read and forwarded if you are gone South. Carruthers is getting on with the Auckland Railway and will have the section between the City and Onehunga ready by say ten days from now. He finds the estimates of the Resident Engineer (Wrigg I think his name is) very unreliable and so I expect are the Estimates of most of our local Engineers - the line to be adopted is likely to be the original line with some alterations and this will meet the views of the majority of the Auckland people as well as utilise the work already done. As soon as possible I go North with Brogden and Carruthers to look at the Kawakawa line we propose to make a somewhat similar arrangement in respect to that Railway as was made with Curtis about the line to the Greymouth mine and us both Gillies and the Company seem willing to deal reasonably I think it will be a less troublesome matter than I expected. Vogel and I had a meeting with Gillies today and he was very quiet and reasonable so that I hope we shall arrange matters speedily and satisfactorily. Whatever his faults Gillies (when sober) is a man of business and consequently a far more satisfactory man to deal with than an old rip like Fitzherbert. We went through the different matters with Gillies and came to conclusion at once without any difficulty or any attempt on his part at over-reaching. He goes with me shortly to hand over the Kaipara works and also goes to the Bay about the Kawakawa matter. As to land for settlement he is not half anxious enough to get people here. He professes to think that settling people upon land in this Province unless they have capital is useless - and gives as his reason that the circumstances of the two Islands or rather of Auckland and the rest of the Colony are totally dissimilar. In the South if a man gets a piece of land it will keep something at once - here according to Gillies no land will keep anything until cultivated and good grown for the Stock. If this be so it certainly makes settlements more difficult and we must be careful accordingly. This however only applies to settlers to place upon the land and in no way should interfere with the necessity for getting labor for the public works that have to be carried out. For my own part I do not see how these works are to be carried out until we get the necessary labor. The Immigrant is the only subject on which Gillies takes an unsatisfactory position and in reference to that he rather guards against promoting immigration than raises any opposition. My opinion is we must bring the people here and the sooner we are able to do so the better. The only other matter of importance connected with public works is the Thames Gold Fields water supply and in respect to that I see less difficulty on enquiry than when I knew less of the subject. Of course the Bay of Islands Roads will be attended to and I fear from what I can gather Marsden Clarke is not the man for the work. I have a report of his but it is very meagre. Turner the Tauranga Engineer will be here tomorrow when I hope to settle about Works in that district. I thought it best to order him up here to meet me as so much time will be saved. Vogel and I also met Whittaker today and talked most of the subjects over with him as might be expected Whittaker wants some more definite information as to what is wanted in the shape of a "Constitution Ast" for next session that we were able to give him. However tomorrow we meet him again and discuss the subject. So far as I can gather opinion is Auckland is with us as a Govt. and when Public Works are set going will be more so provided they are conducted reasonably satisfactorily. Just now there is a good deal of feeling respecting the twopenny stamps on Cheque and Orders and people go out of their way to avoid the consequences of the Act. Doing so of course gives trouble and the Act is accordingly as unpopular as might be expected. From what I hear I shld. think the increase to 2d. will produce less revenue in that item than accrued under the 1d. It was decidedly the greatest mistake made last session but there is time enough for it to be forgotten before the Assembly will meet again. You will have noticed the recent proceedings in the Prov. Council here and the resolutions passed in favor of Provincial Institutions. I have enquired so far as opportunity has allowed and find great difference of opinion on this subject so much so that I doubt very much whether the Prov. Council can be taken as at all an index to public opinion. As I said before a very great deal depends upon how Public Works succeed - the difficulty is that so short a time is allowed us to set things going. As to any result before the Assembly meets that is out of the question. Vogel asks me to mention to you that he is arranging here for Pollen to do the Paymasters work for the Imperial Govt. and is associating Haultain with him. T. Russell asked for something to be done for Haultain and has a right to receive consideration from us. I think the arrangement will do very well and the Paymaster is more in Vogel's department than any other. I mention it to you as you said something to me about this Paymaster-ship and might be arranging otherwise respecting it. Vogel asks me to add that under this arrangement Pollen receives no additional