Wallingford August 9th /65 My dear McLean, The Ashley came in this morning and I have your letter. I shall be anxious to hear how things go on at Turanga. I attach a great deal of importance to what happens there as intimately affecting our Provincial interests. The course you took with reference to the Pah Wakairo meeting was the proper one in my opinion. I have used that meeting and its character as a strong reqson for making a demonstration in our Province such as the establishment of a considerable military force would produce. As to the time when we shall get the Regiment --- of course it cannot be until the new General arrives and Grey has desired him to make a re-distribution of the Troops. I shall work the point whenever any good is likely to result from so doing. Weld has this afternoon promised me that the Opotiki expedition shall receive immediate orders and be sent there without delay. I have just seen Atkinson who expects to be able to tell me tomorrow before the Steamer leaves the exact time at which the expedition will start. He meets the Governor at ten o'clock to decide this and Col. Pitt who is here is to start express with the necessary orders for Col. Waddy as soon as the Governor has settled this point. At any rate you may reckon confidently on an immediate diversion at Opotiki and you and I may congratulate ourselves that this step so necessary for the vindication of our national credit and honor is taken chiefly in consequence of our representations and urgency. I note all you say about our monetary concerns --- I hope to be able to get the monies we claim both for Waipawa troops and Defence expenditure refunded before the next steamer leaves. I should have got the matter settled before this had I found out earlier whene the hitch was. I know now. That old beast Pitzherbert and also Sewell have been againsy us. It appears however that the last letter I wrote in your absence has moved them considerably and the worry I have given them and shall continue to give them until I get it is telling for us. As I have before said I fully expect to get it remitted to you by the next steamer. Pray do all you can to forward the Petitions for the East Coast in favour of annexation --- the more names to the Petitions the better. I want you to get a Petition started off at once to Wairoa and Mahia (employ some one to do it) for the Natives of that District. I will sketch on a separate sheet the kind of Petition from them which would tell in the House. Try and get this done and returned in time for you to bring it down with you on the 26th. I shall not expect you now before then, indeed it will be a better time for you to come and I can manage in the meantime all there is to do that we care for --- about the Dredge if you send her to me give me "carte blanche" to deal with her I will do the best I can and take care we are secured. Thank goodness the Debentures are all off I only hope we may hit the market and get the money --- we can spend it with considerable advantage, I calculate as the Yankees say? Most of our Provincial business is in a forward state Govt. have employed Hart to draw the Bills --- our Land Bill will be all right and is drafted and ready. I shall bring it on as soon as I can get a day to attend to it. Of course I have assisted Hart in preparing the Bill for granting Land to Military aettlers is getting ready and will come on presently. By the bye I want a copy of the terms (Provincial Council paper) we agreed to give to Military Settlers and (send it me on the 15th.) there is some difficulty about finding the paper in the Govt. offices here --- Sewell is supposed to have lost it. I have just had a turn at old Fitzherbert (I am writing in the House) about the refunds --- the old beggar sticks to his Monies like a Jew. He is to give me a positive answer to-morrow. I dont think from what he says he will yield in the matter of the Waipawa troops. The other £1500 is I think all right. There is very little going on here (The House) the only Bill much gone into yet is the Native CommissioneBill and that only today. The Bill proposes a Meeting or Committee of Natives 30 or 35 Chiefs with 5 European Commissioners added. They are to report in what way Representation can be best given to the Native people. The Bill will pass probably altho all those who best understand the subject expect little good to come of it. Mantell for one has given forth a practical idea. In place of asking the Natives to say how this is to be done, He spoke today in favor of the Govt. making their proposition and the getting a meeting of the Native people to express their opinion upon it. I think Mantells by far the most reasonable proposal --- in reality I doubt much the feasibility of Natives holding seata in the Legislature or of their generally having any desire for it. I think there is little or no political news to give you --- Weld's Govt. is still likely to hold its own. Get up an article on extension of our boundaries for the Herald --- now that I have presented one Petition and shall present another tomorrow it is as well to make something of the matter --- have a good article that will tell out of the place as well as in it. I must finish I am regularly done up with work --- really this last week I have been at it continually from morning to night. What wd. be easy work for two is hard work for one and no one here seems to dream of Colenso being useful for any purpose --- he is a non-entity Good Night Yours always, J.D. Ormond.